Agricultural Engineers vs Civil Engineer: Similar Median Pay, Different Work

Agricultural Engineers vs Civil Engineer: what changes?

Consider Agricultural Engineers if you want to apply knowledge of engineering technology and biological science to agricultural problems concerned with power and machinery, electrification, structures, soil and water conservation, and processing of…. Consider Civil Engineer if you would rather perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams…. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Agricultural Engineers and Civil Engineer. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Agricultural Engineers

National median pay (2025): $98,590
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Prepare reports, sketches, working drawings, specifications, proposals, and budgets for proposed sites or systems.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 100

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (1,500 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Agricultural Engineers brief

Civil Engineer

National median pay (2025): $100,840
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 22,700

Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Civil Engineer brief

How the national numbers differ

Civil Engineer has the edge on annual openings

Civil Engineer is at 22,700 annual openings, compared with 100 annual openings for Agricultural Engineers.

Agricultural Engineers has the edge on projected growth

Agricultural Engineers is at 6.9% projected growth, compared with 6.4% projected growth for Civil Engineer.

Civil Engineer has the edge on median pay

Civil Engineer is at $100,840, compared with $98,590 for Agricultural Engineers.

49.6/ 100

Agricultural Engineers

73.3/ 100

Civil Engineer

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Agricultural Engineers vs Civil Engineer

Dimension	Agricultural Engineers	Civil Engineer
Median pay (2025)	$98,590	$100,840
Pay percentile	81.6 percentile	83.4 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	6.9%	6.4%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	100	22,700
2025 employment	1,500	380,600
How you qualify	Bachelor's degree	Bachelor's degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 4	Job Zone 4
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Agricultural Engineers brief Read Civil Engineer brief

Agricultural Engineers vs Civil Engineer: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Agricultural Engineers

Civil Engineer

How the national numbers differ

Civil Engineer has the edge on annual openings

Agricultural Engineers has the edge on projected growth

Civil Engineer has the edge on median pay

Agricultural Engineers vs Civil Engineer

Try another comparison

Agricultural Engineers vs Electrical Engineer

Civil Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer

Civil Engineer vs Electrical Engineer