Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians
Also called: Agricultural Equipment Mechanic (Ag Equipment Mechanic), Agricultural Mechanic (Ag Mechanic), Agricultural Service Technician (Ag Service Tech), Assembly Repairer, Combine Mechanic, Dairy Equipment Installer, Dairy Equipment Mechanic, Dairy Equipment Repairer
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, dairy equipment, and irrigation systems.
What farm equipment mechanics and service technicians do
Typical tasks
- Reassemble machines and equipment following repair, testing operation and making adjustments, as necessary.
- Maintain, repair, and overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, and irrigation systems.
- Examine and listen to equipment, read inspection reports, and confer with customers to locate and diagnose malfunctions.
- Record details of repairs made and parts used.
- Dismantle defective machines for repair, using hand tools.
- Clean and lubricate parts.
- Repair or replace defective parts, using hand tools, milling and woodworking machines, lathes, welding equipment, grinders, or saws.
- Test and replace electrical components and wiring, using test meters, soldering equipment, and hand tools.
- Tune or overhaul engines.
- Drive trucks to haul tools and equipment for on-site repair of large machinery.
- Fabricate new metal parts, using drill presses, engine lathes, and other machine tools.
- Repair bent or torn sheet metal.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians salary
The median annual wage for farm equipment mechanics and service technicians is $56,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $37,470 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $78,740. The mean annual wage is $57,290.
The mean hourly wage of $27.00 is 3.7× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $56,550 → in 3 years $62,700 → in 5 years $67,200 → in 10 years $79,800 (10-year range $68,600–$92,600). The model assumes pay growth of +3.5% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.