Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians
What Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians Do
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, dairy equipment, and irrigation systems.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 3.4%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mechanicalimportance 4.7/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.8/5
- English Languageimportance 3.7/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.7/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.5/5
- Physicsimportance 3.4/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.4/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.0/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.8/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.7/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.6/5
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.5/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
- Spend Time Standing4.4/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers97% skill match
- Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers95% skill match
- Signal and Track Switch Repairers94% skill match
- Rail Car Repairers94% skill match
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines94% skill match
- Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers94% skill match
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists94% skill match
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics93% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 4.3/5
- Repairingimportance 4.3/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 4.0/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.8/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.4/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.4/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.4/5
- Equipment Selectionimportance 3.3/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
- FarmLogic FarmPAD
- ServiceMax
- Web browser software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Achievement Orientation
- Integrity
- Stress Tolerance
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeMedium
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where farm equipment mechanics and service technicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Yuma, AZ14.55× national avg
- 2Grand Island, NE12.36× national avg
- 3Twin Falls, ID11.51× national avg
- 4Minot, ND10.66× national avg
- 5Visalia, CA10.58× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Industrial Machinery MechanicsLateral Move
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except EnginesLateral Move
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, GeneralLateral Move
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related RepairersLateral Move
See the full career path from Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.