UGA Specific Information for Agricultural Engineering

Engineering is about creating new solutions to existing or future problems. Engineers are problem solvers who employ science, math, analysis and synthesis to design unique and practical solutions to everyday problems. They must accomplish this often under the constraints of time, budgets, and safety and health issues. Engineers also must be concerned about the environmental, political and social impact their answers will create.

The agricultural engineering discipline applies engineering science and technology to agricultural production and processing. This degree is a General Engineering degree program and students have alternatives in computer systems engineering, electrical/electronic systems, engineering physics, mechanical systems, natural resource management, process operations and structural systems. 



Class of 2023 Career Outcomes for Agricultural Engineering*

** Includes Self-Employed


Campus Resources


Additional UGA Career Center Recommendations

Possible Career Paths in Agricultural Engineering

  • Irrigation Engineer: Work or large or complicated landscape irrigation projects or in states that require construction plans be approved by an engineer or landscape architect. Analyze existing site surveys, conduct research, and identify potential structural and environmental problems. 

  • Stormwater Engineer: Determine how to build infrastructure and drainage systems to best manage, direct, and utilize stormwater. 

  • Water Resources Engineer: Design new systems and equipment that help manage human water resources, including in water treatment facilities, underground wells, and natural spring. Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of water treatment and aquatic resource management. 

  • Industrial Engineer: Design, develop, and evaluate integrated systems for managing industrial production processes, including human work factors, quality control, inventory control, logistics and material flow, cost analysis, and production coordination. 

  • Logistics Engineer: Design or analyze operational solutions for projects, such as transportation optimization, network modeling, process and methods analysis, cost containment, capacity enhancement, routing and shipment optimization, or information management. 

  • Agricultural Engineer: Apply knowledge of engineering technology and biological science to agricultural problems concerned with power and machinery, electrification, structures, soil and water conservation, and processing and agricultural products. 

  • Project Engineer: Plan, organize, and oversee the construction of civil engineering projects. Direct the construction of roads, bridges, dams, pipelines, airports and other structures, and gas, water, and sewer systems. 

  • Geospatial Engineer: Use modern mapping technologies, such as GIS and GPS, to map, collect, and analyze geographic data. Create 2D or 3D maps of building sites, national parks, or other locations of interest. 

  • Field Engineer: Manage technical functions, test equipment, handle repairs, manage engineering projects, and conduct site inspections. Maintain infrastructure outside of centralized operations center. 

  • Engineers in Natural Resources/Environmental Systems: Determine crop water requirements, design irrigation systems; agricultural hydrology principles (controlling drainage, soil erosion, effects of sediment on stream quality); water control structures (reservoirs, floodways, channels). 

  • Engineers in Power Systems & Machinery Design: Design advanced equipment (food processing, crop spraying, agricultural commodity/waste transport, turn and landscape maintenance) that makes it more efficient and less damaging of natural resources. 

  • Engineers in Structures & Environment: Design animal housing, storage structures, greenhouses with ventilation systems, temperature and humidity controls, structural strength appropriate for climate and purpose; systems for storing, reusing, recovering, and transporting waste products. 

  • Food and Bioprocess Engineers: versatile career path that applies to virtually all other engineering specialty areas (ex. Geographic information systems, global positioning systems, machine instrumentation and controls, electromagnetics, “bioinformatics”). 

  • Engineers in Forest Engineering: Solve natural resource and environment problems in forest production systems and related manufacturing industries. 

  • Engineers in Energy Systems: Identify and develop viable energy sources – biomass, methane, vegetable oil, etc.; develop energy conservation strategies to reduce costs and protect the environment. 

  • Engineers in Aquacultural Engineering: Design farm systems for raising fish and shellfish; specialize in water quality, biotechnology, machinery, natural resources, feeding and ventilation systems, sanitization 

  • Engineers in Nursery & Greenhouse Engineering: Design equipment for transplantation, control systems for temperature, humidity, and ventilation; plant biology issues (hydroponics, tissue culture, seedling propagation methods). 

Other Job Titles: production engineer, physical science technician 


Additional Career Research Resources

O*NET Online – The O*NET database includes information on skills, abilities, knowledge, work activities, and interests associated with over 900 occupations.  

My Next Move – An interactive tool for students and job seekers to learn more about their career options.  

Occupational Outlook Handbook – The OOH is a career resource offering information on the hundreds of occupations that provide most of jobs in the United States.  

Vault – Vault.com provides in-depth intelligence on what it’s really like to work in an industry, company, or profession – and how to position yourself to land that job.  

Candid Career – This resource provides you with access to thousands of informational video interviews with real professionals through an easy-to-use website.  

UGA Mentor Program – Connect with a mentor (alumni, faculty, staff) to research and explore industries and careers. Research industries and careers by connecting with a mentor for a quick chat or formal 16-week mentorship through the UGA Mentor Program.  

Interstride - Interstride is an interactive tool for both international and domestic students to enhance their international experience and employment potential. The platform consists of job-listings, hiring trends, employer information, self-assessments, and up-to-date immigration guidance. 

Glassdoor - Glassdoor is a free jobs and career community that offers an inside look at jobs and companies through "employee generated content" – anonymous salaries, company reviews, interview questions, and more – all posted by employees and job seekers.  

Steppingblocks - Research your future career with real-world stats about your major, your interests, and your dream job title with career and education searches designed to find your best path based on millions of others. It’s data-powered career exploration for doers like you.


Employment Websites

GENERAL:

  • Handshake (scroll down to the bottom of the page; login with your UGA MyID and password)  

  • LinkedIn (this popular networking site also has a job board!) 

  • Idealist (non-profit jobs) 

  • USAJobs (federal jobs) 

MAJOR/ENGINEERING-SPECIFIC, OPEN TO ALL:


Professional Associations/Resources


Employers/Position Title Reported by Class of 2023 Agricultural Engineering majors

The information below represents employers and position titles from the Class of 2023 Career Outcomes Survey. To view historical Career Outcomes for this major, click here and select "Historical Data" from the navigation menu.

Employer Position Title(s)
Hart EMC Distribution Engineer
Kelley Manufacturing Design Engineer
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Field Engineer
* denotes no responses received.

*Source: Areas above marked with an Asterisk (*) have been created utilizing data taken from the UGA Career Outcomes Survey. The "Employers Hiring...," "Job Titles of...," "Career Outcomes for...," and "Graduate/Professional Schools and Programs..." information listed above represent UGA Class of 2023 Graduates. The lists are not exhaustive and therefore do not represent all potential career options. Click here for more detailed Career Outcomes information regarding this major.

Graduate/Professional Schools attended by Class of 2023 Agricultural Engineering majors

The information below represents graduate/professional schools and programs reported through the Class of 2023 Career Outcomes Survey. To view historical Career Outcomes for this major, click here and select "Historical Data" from the navigation menu.

Graduate School Program(s)
University of Georgia Business Administration, MBA
University of Georgia Civil and Environmental Engineering, MS
University of Georgia Mechanical Engineering, MS
* denotes no responses received.