What they do
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Drive and control equipment to support agricultural activities such as tilling soil; planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops; feeding and herding livestock; or removing animal waste. May perform tasks such as crop baling or hay bucking. May operate stationary equipment to perform post-harvest tasks such as husking, shelling, threshing, and ginning.
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| Also called: |
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Baler Operator, Cutter Operator, Equipment Operator, Farm Equipment Operator, Hay Baler, Loader Operator, Packing Tractor Machine Operator, Rake Operator, Sprayer, Windrower Operator
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Wages
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| Vermont - 2023 |
| Percentile1 | Hourly | Yearly |
| 10% |
$ 15.26 |
$31,740 |
| 25% |
$ 16.28 |
$33,870 |
| Median |
$ 17.45 |
$36,300 |
| 75% |
$ 22.86 |
$47,540 |
| 90% |
$ 23.98 |
$49,880 |
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| Average |
$ 18.80 |
$39,100 |
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| More at CareerOneStop |
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Industries of Employment
| United States - 2020 |
| Industry | Percent of total |
| 59% |
- Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods
| 13% |
- Animal production and aquaculture
| 12% |
| 6% |
- Support activities for agriculture and forestry
| 5% |
| More at BLS |
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Knowledge
| People in this career often know a lot about: |
- English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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Skills
| People in this career often have these skills: |
- Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
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- Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
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- Troubleshooting
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
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- Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
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- Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
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| More at O*NET |
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Interests
| People in this career often prefer these work environments: |
- Realistic
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
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Work Styles
| People in this career will do well at jobs that need: |
- Persistence
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
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- Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
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- Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
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- Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
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- Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
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Tasks
| On the job, you would: |
- Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.
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- Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery.
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- Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.
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- Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions.
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- Manipulate controls to set, activate, and adjust mechanisms on machinery.
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| More at O*NET |
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| Related Occupations
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| Career Video
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Projected Employment
Projected employment not available for Vermont
but may be for the nation and other states at
CareerOneStop |
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Education and Experience:
- Typical education needed for entry
No formal educational credential
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- Work experience in a related occupation
None
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- Typical on-the-job training needed to attain competency
Moderate-term on-the-job training
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| Based on BLS Education and Training Classifications |
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Physical Work Activity
Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
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- Physical activity is Very Important
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- Level of activity is Moderate
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| Low |  | High |
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Job Zone
| Little or No Preparation Needed |
- Specific Vocational Preparation Range
(Below 4.0) - A typical worker will require
a short demonstration only or up to and including 3 months
of training to achieve average performance in this occupation.
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| Based on O*Net Job Zones and SVP |
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Education Level
| How much education do most people in this career have? |
| Education level |  | Percent of
U.S. Workers |
Doctoral or professional degree
or post-MA certificate | | 0% |
Master's degree or
post-BA certificate | | 0% |
| Bachelor's degree | | 0% |
| Associate's degree | | 0% |
Certificate or some college,
no degree | | 24% |
High school diploma
or equivalent | | 19% |
| Less than high school diploma | | 57% |
| More at O*NET |
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Abilities
| People in this career often have talent in: |
- Control Precision
The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
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- Multilimb Coordination
The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
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- Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
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- Depth Perception
The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
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- Far Vision
The ability to see details at a distance.
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| More at O*NET |
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Work Activities
| In general, what you might do: |
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
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- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
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- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
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- Controlling Machines and Processes
Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
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- Handling and Moving Objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
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| More at O*NET |
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Detailed Work Activities
| What you might do in a day: |
- Load agricultural or forestry products for shipment.
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- Prepare materials or solutions for animal or plant use.
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- Apply chemical solutions to plants to protect against disease or insects or to enhance growth.
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- Inspect equipment or facilities to determine condition or maintenance needs.
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- Operate farming equipment.
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| More at O*NET |
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Other Resources
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- CareerOneStop
resource for job seekers, students, businessess and career professionals
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- O*NET Online
nation's primary source of occupational information
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