Report: U.S. Agriculture Presents Tremendous Opportunity for Recent Graduates

There is an average of 35,400 new U.S. graduates with a bachelor’s degree or higher in agriculture related fields, 22,500 short of the jobs available annually.
There is an average of 35,400 new U.S. graduates with a bachelor’s degree or higher in agriculture related fields, 22,500 short of the jobs available annually.

A report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Purdue University on May 11 shows that there are 57,900 high-skilled job openings annually in the food, agriculture, renewable natural resources and environment fields.

Additionally, there is an average of 35,400 U.S. graduates with bachelor’s degrees or higher in these agricultural fields. The difference in numbers highlights the large potential for young adults to enter the agricultural industry.

“There is incredible opportunity for highly-skilled jobs in agriculture,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Those receiving degrees in agricultural fields can expect to have ample career opportunities. Not only will those who study agriculture be likely to get well-paying jobs upon graduation, they will also have the satisfaction of working in a field that addresses some of the world’s most pressing challenges.”

The report notes that about half of the job opportunities available involve management and business. Some of these positions include e-commerce managers, ecosystem managers and crop advisors. Jobs in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas are expected to increase in the coming months as well, with 27 percent of current openings residing in these sectors.

“These jobs will only become more important as we continue to develop solutions to feed more than 9 billion people by 2050,” Vilsack continued.

In February 2015, the USDA’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Joe Leonard announced that more than $18 million would go to 19 land-grant colleges and universities to train students for careers in agriculture.