Career Explorer Installation and repair
Human edge, growing
Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, dairy equipment, and irrigation systems.
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 98% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it moderate), and US jobs are projected to change by +10.7% by 2035, much faster than average. The work leans on physical dexterity and ethical judgement.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $56,550
- Job growth to 2035
- +10.7%
- Openings a year
- 3,700
- People doing it (2025)
- 41,900
- Usual route in
- High school diploma, then long on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance
- Test performance of equipment or systems
- Read documents or materials to inform work processes
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Assemble equipment or components
- Disassemble equipment
- Maintain operational records
What the work looks like
- 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.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- More of these jobs, as the transition to smart farm equipment requires more specialized technicians to both service the more complex machines and train new users.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except enginesHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +6.7%
- Wind turbine service techniciansHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +29.5%
- Solar photovoltaic installersHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +36.5%
- Electrical power-line installers and repairersHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +10.3%
Also known as: Farm Equipment Mechanic, Mechanic, Service Technician (Service Tech), Tractor Mechanic, Agricultural Mechanic (Ag Mechanic), Agricultural Service Technician (Ag Service Tech), Dairy Service Technician (Dairy Service Tech), Farm Equipment Service Technician (Farm Equipment Service Tech).
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.