Agricultural Business, or “Agribusiness” for short, is the study of farm operations and the financial aspects of overseeing a farming business. An agribusiness, in practice, consists of farms, food production facilities, and farming equipment suppliers.
The agribusiness industry is made up of both large agricultural corporations and smaller companies specializing in niche subjects such as organic food production. It also produces farm commodities and sells them on the marketplace.
The Agricultural Business Degree
Students who major in agricultural business usually find work in one of the aforementioned areas, but there are plenty of jobs revolving around agribusiness that aren’t the expected paths, too. Agribusiness degrees are available at the associate, bachelor’s, and master’s levels and agribusiness majors look to enter the industry through either a large or small company. Certain institutions also offer an agricultural business degree on the PhD level.
Would I Do Well in the Agribusiness Industry?
Good candidates for an agriculture business degree should possess a number of academic interests in subjects like the outdoors, earth science, and mathematics. Agribusiness jobs are found in varied places of work, from laboratories to farms, so it’s up to each student to determine the career direction they’d like to take with their degree. For example, Agricultural business majors can get involved in the agribusiness marketplace by specializing in subjects such as agricultural law, policy, entrepreneurship, or marketing. Whereas students who wish to work on a farm would choose agribusiness food and economics courses.
But agricultural business is about more than studying food planting and business techniques. Workers in the agribusiness industry utilize the scientific method to approach tasks such as developing emerging crop or pest control technology. If math is one of your strengths, agribusiness also incorporates techniques like statistical analysis to determine optimal crop yield. Because of this, the agribusiness major can also be a good choice for students who specialize in mathematics or science and wish to apply their knowledge to the study of food production.
In any case, students interested in an agribusiness degree should have an interest in working with the land and addressing 21st century problems such as food shortages.
Associate Level
An associate degree in agribusiness can usually be completed in two years and often involves a combination of classroom lessons and an internship in the industry. Most associate degree-level classes focus on farm management, with course topics including animal science, agronomy, livestock production, and agricultural law. Internships can usually be found with local agricultural-related businesses. Graduates with an associate degree in agribusiness also have the option to pursue a 4-year agricultural business management degree.
Examples of jobs you can get with an agribusiness degree at the associate level include: Agricultural Supply Store Technician, Farm Machinery Salesperson, Livestock Buyer, and Purchasing Agent.
The salary for these jobs typically falls in the $30,000 to $70,000 range.
Baccalaureate Level
A 4-year bachelor’s degree in agribusiness often concentrates on the study of food production and the process of bringing food from farm to table. Bachelor’s degree programs emphasize courses in agribusiness marketing, production, and management. In addition, many programs offer study abroad opportunities to learn about farming industries in foreign countries along internships with agricultural companies at home.
Baccalaureate-level courses include: Animal Science, Economics of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing, and Agricultural Law, but will also feature Business Writing, Macroeconomics, Statistics, Accounting, and Finance. It’s also possible to earn a 4-year online agribusiness degree from many colleges. Students can further specialize their agribusiness degree by choosing concentrations such as agricultural economics or farm and ranch management. Such concentrations will further prepare students to enter graduate school or a career in industry. In addition, students can pair their agribusiness degree with minors such as international agriculture or management and sales in agribusiness.
Agribusiness careers at the bachelor’s degree-level include: Farmer, Farm Appraiser, Claims Processor, Marketer, Grain Manager, Financial Analyst, Market Analyst, Compliance Analyst, Agronomy Salesperson, Agriculture Writer, Plantation Manager, and Agriculture Operations Specialist.
The average salary for these agribusiness jobs covers a wide range. At the lower end of the scale, claims processors earn $14 an hour, an agronomy salesperson makes $51,000 per year and a compliance analyst earns $58,000. On the higher end of the spectrum, an agricultural marketer can make upwards of $101,000.
Agricultural Marketing
To earn higher salary opportunities, you can opt to add a minor to your curriculum. For instance, to become an Agricultural Marketer, you can minor in Marketing, or even opt for an Agriculture Marketing degree. Ag Marketing is, essentially, the pipeline between the farm sector and the non-farm sectors. Ag Marketers need to be in-the-know on all activities, agencies, and policies involved in the movement of agricultural products from start to finish — farm to consumer.
There are plenty of other ways you can utilize a degree in Agribusiness, especially in tandem with other minors, whether they be technology, soil science, or animal science.
Graduate Level
For students who complete a 4-year agricultural business degree and wish to continue studying the field, several schools offer agribusiness master’s degrees. These programs feature research in advanced agricultural business topics such as international trade and development, entrepreneurial studies, agribusiness strategic management, and commodity market analysis. It’s also possible to earn an agribusiness degree online at the master’s level.
In addition, some graduate schools grant a PhD in agricultural business providing extensive opportunities to interact with research experts and specialists in the field. These professional interactions help to make connections that could lead to future agricultural business degree jobs.
Agribusiness degree jobs for master’s and PhD graduates include: Agribusiness Economist, Extension Agent, Agricultural Construction Engineer, Agribusiness Insurance Underwriter, Account Manager, and Plant Pathologist.
The average salary for Plant Pathologists, Extension Agents, and Account Managers is roughly around $60,000 a year. Agribusiness economists make a bit more at $71,000 while agricultural construction engineers take home approximately $77,000.
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