AI Automation Index

Will AI Replace Agricultural Engineers?

Task-level automation exposure for Agricultural Engineers: 14 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.

E-E-A-T Verified

Developed & audited by Gini Loh

Automation Exposure

50% weighted task index

14 of 14 tasks scored

Median Salary

$98,590 / year

BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation

Employment Level

Low

1,480 people hold this job — size, not growth

Projected 2025–35

+6.9% employment change

100 openings a year · BLS line item

Pay by state

BLS OEWS publishes 12 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.

$40,690 – $119,250

Highest medians

Ohio $119,250

Minnesota $115,940

Iowa $96,290

Texas $95,220

Indiana $94,730

Lowest medians

Puerto Rico $40,690

Arkansas $57,740

Pennsylvania $80,300

Michigan $80,490

Oklahoma $86,970

State figures come from the 17-2021 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.

What the score is made of

Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.

Automation potential 50%

Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.

Physical work 0%

Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.

Judgment & influence 57%

Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.

Routine administration 9%

Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.

Rewritten by O*NET 0%

Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.

Consequence of error 15/100 Low

O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.

Constituent Task Mix

14 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.

High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 24%

3 tasks

Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 56%

8 tasks

Low exposure (below 35%) 20%

3 tasks

How would you survive?

Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.

Simulate Upskilling →

Emerging & rewritten tasks

Tasks O*NET added or rewrote for this occupation in its recent updates (05/2025 – 08/2026), with who proposed them. Additions are not in the scored task inventory — they are new work O*NET is still measuring, so they appear here and nowhere in the index. A Revision replaces a task that is scored, which is why only those move the "Rewritten by O*NET" share.

New 08/2024 · Occupational Expert

Communicate results in peer-reviewed research articles or at workshops or conferences.
New 05/2025 · AI/SME

Use agricultural drones for crop monitoring, irrigation management, and pest control.

Constituent Tasks

#5336 · Core · 67% automatable

Prepare reports, sketches, working drawings, specifications, proposals, and budgets for proposed sites or systems.

text generation — Draft technical design docs from provided details

Create graphical representations of mechanical equipment. Prepare proposal documents. Document technical design details.

#5325 · Core · 56% automatable

Visit sites to observe environmental problems, to consult with contractors, or to monitor construction activities.

decision support — Design problem conferral aided; accountability stays human

Investigate the environmental impact of projects. Confer with other personnel to resolve design or operational problems.

#5337 · Core · 50% automatable

Meet with clients, such as district or regional councils, farmers, and developers, to discuss their needs.

interpersonal — Discussing designs with clients needs human persuasion

Discuss designs or plans with clients.

#5331 · Core · 56% automatable

Discuss plans with clients, contractors, consultants, and other engineers so that they can be evaluated and necessary changes made.

text generation — Technical communication drafting well-supported

Discuss designs or plans with clients. Communicate technical information to suppliers, contractors, or regulatory agencies.

#5327 · Core · 30% automatable

Test agricultural machinery and equipment to ensure adequate performance.

data analysis — AI interprets results; human runs physical tests

Test performance of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or integrated systems or equipment.

#5334 · Core · 72% automatable

Plan and direct construction of rural electric-power distribution systems, and irrigation, drainage, and flood control systems for soil and water conservation.

text generation — Detailed work plans drafted from specifications

Prepare detailed work plans.

#5329 · Core · 70% automatable

Provide advice on water quality and issues related to pollution management, river control, and ground and surface water resources.

information retrieval — Green practice advice is largely informational

Advise others regarding green practices or environmental concerns.

#5328 · Core · 34% automatable

Design structures for crop storage, animal shelter and loading, and animal and crop processing, and supervise their construction.

decision support — AI assists structural design; engineer accountable for safety

Design structures or facilities. Direct construction activities.

#5330 · Core · 40% automatable

Conduct educational programs that provide farmers or farm cooperative members with information that can help them improve agricultural productivity.

interpersonal — Operational procedure training needs live demonstration

Train personnel on proper operational procedures.

#5338 · Core · 50% automatable

Design sensing, measuring, and recording devices, and other instrumentation used to study plant or animal life.

decision support — AI drafts electronics; engineer validates and tests

Design electronic or computer equipment or instrumentation.

#5326 · Core · 50% automatable

Design agricultural machinery components and equipment, using computer-aided design (CAD) technology.

visual inspection — Drafts equipment graphics; engineering accuracy human

Create graphical representations of mechanical equipment.

#5333 · Core · 39% automatable

Design and supervise environmental and land reclamation projects in agriculture and related industries.

text generation — Process methods drafted; materials validation human

Develop operational methods or processes that use green materials or emphasize sustainability. Direct environmental development activities.

#5335 · Supplemental · 45% automatable

Design food processing plants and related mechanical systems.

decision support — AI models process systems; engineer validates feasibility

Design industrial processing systems.

#5332 · Supplemental · 28% automatable

Supervise food processing or manufacturing plant operations.

interpersonal — Industrial production direction is human supervisory control

Direct industrial production activities.

Embed this calculator on your site ↓

Bloggers & authors: Embed this interactive calculator directly in your articles or comparison guides. It loads dynamically via a responsive iframe (auto-resizing to prevent double scrollbars) and provides a direct, high-value tool for your audience.

<div class="giniloh-calculator-embed" data-calculator="agricultural-engineers"></div>
<script src="https://giniloh.com/embed.js" async></script>

Community Sentiment

Do you agree?

Do you agree with the AI automation risk score calculated for this occupation?

Method

How this was scored

1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.

Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.

Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast

See the full method →

Best AI Proof Jobs in a Changing Market

Worried robots are coming for your paycheck? You’re not alone—but the real story is far more hopeful. This guide cuts through the scare headlines to reveal exactly where smart, sustainable career opportunities exist right now. We’ve curated a list of true ai proof jobs—roles in healthcare, skilled trades, and cybersecurity that not only survive automation but thrive because of human judgment and empathy. You’ll get specific, money-making data on projected growth (the BLS says wind turbine technicians, for instance, will grow 44% by 2032), real salary ranges from active job listings, and a simple self-assessment quiz to identify your own most resilient path. Plus, we name companies hiring today and the niche job boards they use. Stop worrying and start planning—your secure career is closer than you think.

Read Article ->