Installation, Maintenance & Repair
Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians
Also called: Agricultural Mechanic (Ag Mechanic), Agricultural Service Technician (Ag Service Tech), Dairy Service Technician (Dairy Service Tech), Farm Equipment Mechanic
US median pay
$56,550
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+10.7%
faster than average
Openings a year (US)
3,700
41,900 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 3/5 · Medium preparation
What this job is
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, dairy equipment, and irrigation systems.
What they do day to day
- Reassemble machines and equipment following repair, testing operation and making adjustments, as necessary.
- Maintain, repair, and overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, and irrigation systems.
- Examine and listen to equipment, read inspection reports, and confer with customers to locate and diagnose malfunctions.
- Record details of repairs made and parts used.
- Dismantle defective machines for repair, using hand tools.
- Clean and lubricate parts.
- Repair or replace defective parts, using hand tools, milling and woodworking machines, lathes, welding equipment, grinders, or saws.
- Test and replace electrical components and wiring, using test meters, soldering equipment, and hand tools.
- Tune or overhaul engines.
- Drive trucks to haul tools and equipment for on-site repair of large machinery.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Repairing4.2/5
- Equipment Maintenance4.2/5
- Troubleshooting4.0/5
- Operation and Control3.8/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.4/5
- Operations Monitoring3.4/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4/5
- Equipment Selection3.2/5
Knowledge
- Mechanical4.7/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.8/5
- English Language3.7/5
- Computers and Electronics3.7/5
- Engineering and Technology3.5/5
- Physics3.4/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 3 of 5 — Medium preparation. Usually vocational training, an associate's degree or an apprenticeship.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Post-secondary certificate52%
- High school diploma43%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.