Key Takeaways:
- International agriculture careers offer opportunities to improve food production and security through research, technology, and global outreach.
- Roles include food scientist, animal scientist, and agricultural technologist, focusing on enhancing crop and animal yields.
- These careers are lucrative, with salaries ranging from $37,820 to $120,500, offering both lab-based and fieldwork opportunities.
- Food Scientist
- Agricultural Tutor
- Agricultural Technologist
- Animal Scientist
- Soil and Plant Scientist
Majoring in international agriculture enables you to understand the main reasons why food is unequally distributed around the world. It is a potentially lucrative degree that gives you a chance to travel all over the world and work for organizations such as the United Nations, World Health Organization, World Bank and other multinational agricultural corporations. Penn State offers both an agricultural management degree online and many study abroad opportunities for online students. That’s just one example of the kind of synergies available to you in agricultural education that can help you achieve your career goals. This post will look into the top five careers you could pursue in this field.
Food Scientist
Food scientists work with farmers to ensure all agricultural establishments are safe for continued production of food. Their typical duties include conducting research and experiments to improve the quality and quantity of agricultural produce, developing new food products and communicating research findings to other scientists for improvement and development. The majority of food scientists work in research laboratories. Some may travel to the field to look for samples and monitor research development. According to PayScale, food scientists earn between $40,717 and $83,803 per year.
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Agricultural Tutor
Agricultural tutors teach students who major in international agriculture about factors affecting the development and sustainability of agricultural practice across the globe. They also help the students learn about agricultural and development economics, global environmental issues and international agribusiness and law. Agricultural tutors often work in developing countries for nonprofit organizations, academic institutions and governments. They spend most of their time with students in classrooms and laboratories. They earn an average salary of $55,000 per year. The highest paid individual gets up to $120,656, while the lowest paid gets $40,156.
Agricultural Technologist
Agricultural technologists carry out experiments and research on farms to find new ways through which they can improve the overall productivity of plants or crops. They often work with other scientists to retrieve, analyze and record data for reporting. In order to function effectively, agricultural technologists must know how to use computer software and programs to collect, examine and analyze data. They must also know how to operate greenhouses, conduct research and operate field and chemical equipment. They earn an average salary of $55,901 per year, with the highest-paid individual earning as high as $109,326 and the lowest getting $42,256.
Related:
- International Agriculture Major
- Minor in International Agriculture
- Agriculture Colleges
- Sustainable Agriculture Degrees
- Agriculture Degree Online
- Online Permaculture Courses
Animal Scientist
Animal scientists work to enhance agricultural production and food security. They conduct experiments and research regarding animal nutrition and develop new ways to improve the quality and quantity of animal produce. They then communicate their research findings to local food producers, the scientific community and the public at large. A majority of animal scientists work in private industries, research institutions and governmental agencies. They earn an average salary of $60,390 per year. The lowest paid individual gets $37,830 while the highest-paid receives up to $120,500.
Soil and Plant Scientist
Soil and plant scientists study different soil compositions to determine their effects on plant life, crops and international food supply chain. They study different characteristics of yielding crops and determine the type of soil that suits them best. They also study the cultivating and breeding properties of plants and the yield that they produce after every growing season. Soil and plant scientists mainly work outdoors testing different soils and plants to figure out their properties. They sometimes work in office settings preparing reports and presentations on their findings. They earn a median salary of $62,300 per year. The starting salary begins at $37,820 and goes up to $114,390.
Working as an agricultural specialist on a global scale is potentially rewarding, especially if you are the type of person who loves to meet new people and help them find effective solutions to their problems. The five careers discussed above are some of the best jobs you could get in international agriculture.