GROWING
NEED FOR AG
EXPERTISE:
NOT ALL
HIGH-PAID
CAREERS
ARE ON THE
FARM
A
s the farming industry faces growing consolidation “People are starting to discover (agriculture) is a pretty
in the country, one might get the impression fewer good industry to be in,” Iowa State College Career Services
jobs are now available in agriculture.
Director Mike Gaul recently told CNBC. “They realize
this sector isn’t our traditional what-we-joke ‘cows, plows
But just the opposite is true. Today, one in three people and sows’ industry anymore. It’s incredibly diverse.”
worldwide — more than a billion employees — work in
an ag-related industry.
The expectation is that grads with expertise in food,
agriculture, renewable natural resources and/or the
Industry growth and digital innovation combined environment will fill 61 percent of all ag-related openings,
with retirements are driving significant demand for while employers must seek grads in other majors to fill
college grads and other professionals, including those the 39 percent gap. Notably, women already make up
without experience in typical ag-related subjects, and more than half of the higher-ed grads in food, agriculture,
many feature excellent salaries. The USDA and Purdue renewable natural resources and environmental studies.
University predict 57,900 jobs requiring ag skills will
become available each year between now and 2020 while High school grads considering degrees in agriculture
only 35,000 grads in food, ag, renewable resources or might consider one of these highest-paying ag occupations:
environment studies will look to fill those jobs each
year. Further, the average starting salary in the U.S. for 1. C-suite executives: The CEOs, COOs and
those graduating with bachelor’s degrees in agriculture CFOs at ag startups or established corporations routinely
or natural resources was a healthy $54,364 as of winter earn $200,000-plus for overseeing company growth and
2017, a 12 percent increase from 2016.
profitability. A bachelor’s or master’s degree is generally
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WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE
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APRIL 2018
continued on pg. 39