Occupation

Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians

Human Advantage 66%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Moderate Risk
3.5 / 10

Some tasks in this role may be augmented by AI, but human oversight and interpersonal skills remain important.

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, dairy equipment, and irrigation systems.

Also Known As: Agricultural Equipment Mechanic, Agricultural Mechanic, Agriculture Mechanic, Assembly Repairer, Combine Mechanic, Dairy Equipment Installer, Dairy Equipment Mechanic, Dairy Equipment Repairer +38 more

Video

Core Tasks

  1. Maintain, repair, and overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, and irrigation systems.
  2. Dismantle defective machines for repair, using hand tools.
  3. Record details of repairs made and parts used.
  4. Reassemble machines and equipment following repair, testing operation and making adjustments, as necessary.
  5. Clean and lubricate parts.
  6. Test and replace electrical components and wiring, using test meters, soldering equipment, and hand tools.
  7. Tune or overhaul engines.
  8. Examine and listen to equipment, read inspection reports, and confer with customers to locate and diagnose malfunctions.
  9. Repair or replace defective parts, using hand tools, milling and woodworking machines, lathes, welding equipment, grinders, or saws.
  10. Drive trucks to haul tools and equipment for on-site repair of large machinery.
  11. Fabricate new metal parts, using drill presses, engine lathes, and other machine tools.
  12. Repair bent or torn sheet metal.

Supplemental Tasks (2)

  1. Calculate bills according to record of repairs made, labor time, and parts used.
  2. Install and repair agricultural irrigation, plumbing, and sprinkler systems.

Education & Training

Job Zone 3 Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
On-the-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.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
42%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
34%
Some College Courses
8%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
8%
Less than a High School Diploma
5%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.
3%

Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft Word

Software (8)

  • Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
  • FarmLogic FarmPAD
  • ServiceMax
  • Web browser software

Tools & Equipment (116)

  • Adjustable end wrenches
  • Air wrenches
  • Angle grinders
  • Arc welders
  • Automated lathes
  • Automatic center punches
  • Aviation snips
  • Bearing pullers
  • Bench grinders
  • Bench mount drill presses
  • C clamps
  • Circular wire gauges
  • Clamp-on bench vises
  • Clamping dial indicator
  • Click type torque wrenches
  • Clutch head screwdrivers
  • Combination pliers
  • Combination spanners
  • Countersink drill bits
  • Crimping tools
  • Curved claw hammers
  • Diagnostic scan units
  • Diagonal cutting pliers
  • Diamond point chisels
  • Digital multimeters
  • Digital ohmmeters
  • Digital oscilloscopes
  • Digital pyrometers
  • Digital tachometers
  • Digital tire pressure gauges
  • Digital torque screwdrivers
  • Digital vacuum gauges
  • Digital voltmeters
  • Disk grinders
  • Drill bit sets
  • Dual temperature heat guns
  • Electric drills
  • Engine analyzers
  • Engine compression testers
  • Engine dynamometers
  • Engine timing lights
  • Extension sockets
  • External gear pullers
  • Flat bastard files
  • Flat cold chisels
  • Flat feeler gauges
  • Flex handle sockets
  • Flex head ratchets
  • Fuel flow gauges
  • Fuel pressure gauges
  • Gas powered air compressors
  • Grinding wheel dressers
  • Groove joint pliers
  • Handsaws
  • Heavy duty bolt cutters
  • Hose clamp pliers
  • Inductive ammeters
  • Inside calipers
  • Inside micrometers
  • Insulation resistance testers
  • Internal gear pullers
  • Laptop computers
  • Lineman's pliers
  • Lining-up punches
  • Locking chain pliers
  • Machinist's hammers
  • Mechanic's levels
  • Metal inert gas MIG welders
  • Mini hacksaws
  • Nail sets
  • Needle nose pliers
  • Offset box wrenches
  • Offset screwdrivers
  • Oil injectors
  • Oil stones
  • Outside calipers
  • Outside micrometers
  • Oxyacetylene welders
  • Personal computers
  • Phillips screwdrivers
  • Pie dies
  • Pipe cutters
  • Pipe taps
  • Pop riveters
  • Portable cranes
  • Portable power hacksaws
  • Rawhide hammers
  • Reversible ratches
  • Ripping hammers
  • Rivet guns
  • Round nose chisels
  • Router bit sets
  • Screw thread pitch gauges
  • Screwdriver bit sets
  • Sheet metal gauges
  • Short chassis jacks
  • Slide hammers
  • Slip joint pliers
  • Small hole gauges
  • Soldering guns
  • Spade drill bits
  • Spark plug feeler gauges
  • Spark plug sockets
  • Speed indicators
  • Spiral pipe reamers
  • Spiral screw extractors
  • Standard screwdrivers
  • Steel squares
  • Straight jaw locking pliers
  • T-handle nut drivers
  • Tap and die sets
  • Tungsten inert gas TIG welders
  • Universal socket wrenches
  • Valve core removal tools
  • Vernier calipers
  • Wire stripper pliers

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Agricultural Technology & Automation Agriculture

Zone 2
Zone 3
Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians You are here
Zone 4

Water Systems Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 3
Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians You are here
Zone 5
Hydrologists 75% match

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