Agricultural Mechanization: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 25 college programs, at a typical net price.
Graduate earnings clearly outpace the cost and debt — this degree pays back quickly.
What Agricultural Mechanization pays
Career outlook for Agricultural Mechanization graduates
The job market for the occupations Agricultural Mechanization graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines | 188,700 | +5.8% | $63,980 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians | 139,400 | +4.0% | $78,680 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary | 122,200 | +0.7% | $61,490 | Bachelor's degree |
| Agricultural equipment operators | 65,200 | +7.7% | $42,580 | No formal educational credential |
| Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians | 39,000 | +11.0% | $52,080 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary | 10,700 | +4.1% | $86,350 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Agricultural Mechanization vs similar majors
How Agricultural Mechanization stacks up against the closest fields in Agriculture & Related Sciences on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Agricultural Mechanization Agriculture & Related Sciences · this major | Veterinary Medicine | Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences | Agricultural and Food Products Processing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 61 C | 80 A | 76 B | 75 B |
| ROI verdict | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $64,276 | $120,579 | $84,630 | $71,906 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $53,013 | $100,829 | $55,544 | $76,052 |
| ROI vs cost | +147% | +460% | +343% | +234% |
| Typical debt | $16,570 | $172,552 | $47,703 | $23,250 |
| Colleges offering it | 25 | 28 | 6 | 2 |
Agricultural Mechanization earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Agricultural Mechanization
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garden City Community College Garden City, KS | Certificate | $64,749 | — | +2,296% | Strong return |
| 2 | Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar, IA | Certificate | $65,133 | — | +1,686% | Strong return |
| 3 | Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids, IA | Certificate | $61,665 | — | +1,617% | Strong return |
| 4 | North Dakota State College of Science Wahpeton, ND | Certificate | $68,155 | $12,500 | +1,364% | Strong return |
| 5 | Fort Hays Tech North Central Beloit, KS | Certificate | $59,970 | — | +1,108% | Strong return |
| 6 | Owens Community College Perrysburg, OH | Certificate | $57,208 | — | +1,077% | Strong return |
| 7 | Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar, IA | Certificate | $59,357 | $7,000 | +939% | Strong return |
| 8 | Texas A&M University-College Station College Station, TX | Associate's | $87,373 | — | +894% | Strong return |
| 9 | Navarro College Corsicana, TX | Certificate | $59,184 | — | +857% | Strong return |
| 10 | Navarro College Corsicana, TX | Certificate | $58,806 | — | +832% | Strong return |
| 11 | Walla Walla Community College Walla Walla, WA | Certificate | $53,716 | — | +827% | Strong return |
| 12 | North Dakota State University-Main Campus Fargo, ND | Associate's | $73,309 | — | +811% | Strong return |
| 13 | Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX | Associate's | $69,696 | — | +653% | Strong return |
| 14 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH | Certificate | $57,967 | — | +648% | Strong return |
| 15 | University of Northwestern Ohio Lima, OH | Certificate | $61,233 | — | +644% | Strong return |
| 16 | Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute Wooster, OH | Certificate | $57,967 | — | +628% | Strong return |
| 17 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE | Associate's | $74,776 | $23,500 | +576% | Strong return |
| 18 | Iowa State University Ames, IA | Associate's | $73,127 | $19,500 | +535% | Strong return |
| 19 | Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN | Associate's | $68,039 | $19,727 | +533% | Strong return |
| 20 | University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO | Associate's | $74,076 | $19,334 | +511% | Strong return |
| 21 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC | Associate's | $65,819 | — | +502% | Strong return |
| 22 | South Dakota State University Brookings, SD | Associate's | $71,449 | $22,000 | +455% | Strong return |
| 23 | Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Fennimore, WI | Certificate | $51,997 | — | +443% | Strong return |
| 24 | University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR | Associate's | $62,021 | $9,000 | +335% | Strong return |
| 25 | Mitchell Technical College Mitchell, SD | Certificate | $50,099 | — | +279% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.