Annual Salary
£22,500 to £60,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Animal or Environment or go back to all job sectors or go to green jobs
Swap to Animal or Environment or go back to all job sectors or go to green jobs
Agronomists advise farmers on soil health, disease prevention and how to improve crop production and quality.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: 9am to 5pm; as customers demand
There will be
2.4% more Agronomist jobs in 2027.
In your day-to-day duties you may:
Green job
As an agronomist, you'll help farmers to produce crops in a more efficient and sustainable way. This can have a positive impact on the environment.
Find out more about green careers
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work in an office, on a farm, at a research facility or visit sites.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time and you'll travel often.
You can get into this job through:
You'll usually need qualifications relevant to agriculture like a higher national diploma, foundation degree or degree in:
Some employers may also look for relevant postgraduate qualifications in subjects like:soil science; genetics; crop technology
With a degree or postgraduate qualification you can apply for a graduate training scheme with organisations, such as:independent consultancies; companies selling agrochemicals, seed or fertiliser products; land and farming charities; government departments
You'll usually need:
You could get relevant skills and knowledge by taking a course like:
Courses like these can help you move on to further training at university or an apprenticeship.
You'll usually need:
You could start your career by doing an Agriculture Professional Adviser Level 6 Higher Apprenticeship.
When you're on this apprenticeship, you'll need to follow the agronomy option.
This apprenticeship can take up to 3 years to complete.
Most people following this route have:
You could study for the BASIS Foundation Award in Agronomy if you're new to the industry and have limited crop experience and knowledge. This will give you an introduction to agronomy, crop protection and crop nutrition.
You'll need to:
You'll have an advantage when applying for jobs or training, if you have some experience of farm work. Agricultural colleges, universities and local farms may be able to help with this.
For professional recognition and training opportunities you could join the Association of Independent Crop Consultants or BASIS.
You can find out more about a career as an agronomist from:Tasty Careers; The Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture; BASIS
You could specialise in precision farming methods, like laser weeding, or developing nutrition plans for fruit or vegetable crops.
You could also study for a postgraduate master's degree, like soil science or genetics and become a consultant.
You'll need: