CompGeo Salary Survey Benchmark Job Summary and Competencies

Agricultural Equipment Operators

The Benchmark Job Description below represents the specific Position Characteristics of the job used in the Salary Survey. Benchmark Job Descriptions should be inspected carefully to review the degree of matching between an organizations' Job and the Salary Survey Benchmark. Matching internal Jobs to Salary Survey Benchmark Jobs should not be done on Job Title alone. A thorough comparison of Salary Survey Benchmark to Internal Job Descriptions is recommended. A good overlap should exist on any comparisons used on critical Job Dimensions and Competencies.
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Animal
Job Family: Farming
Benchmark Title: Agricultural Equipment Operators
 
Summary Job Description Tasks
Drive and control farm equipment to till soil and to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops. May perform tasks, such as crop baling or hay bucking. May operate stationary equipment to perform post-harvest tasks, such as husking, shelling, threshing, and ginning. Adjust, repair, and service farm machinery and notify supervisors when machinery malfunctions.
 
Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions.
 
Irrigate soil, using portable pipes or ditch systems, and maintain ditches or pipes and pumps.
 
Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery.
 
Operate or tend equipment used in agricultural production, such as tractors, combines, and irrigation equipment.
 
Manipulate controls to set, activate, and adjust mechanisms on machinery.
 
Direct and monitor the activities of work crews engaged in planting, weeding, or harvesting activities.
 
Load hoppers, containers, or conveyors to feed machines with products, using forklifts, transfer augers, suction gates, shovels, or pitchforks.
 
Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.
 
Attach farm implements such as plows, discs, sprayers, or harvesters to tractors, using bolts and hand tools.
 
Operate towed machines such as seed drills or manure spreaders to plant, fertilize, dust, and spray crops.
 
Drive trucks to haul crops, supplies, tools, or farm workers.
 
Walk beside or ride on planting machines while inserting plants in planter mechanisms at specified intervals.
 
Weigh crop-filled containers, and record weights and other identifying information.
 
Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.
 
Guide products on conveyors to regulate flow through machines, and to discard diseased or rotten products.
 
Position boxes or attach bags at discharge ends of machinery to catch products, removing and closing full containers.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Animal
Job Family: Farming
Benchmark Title: Agricultural Equipment Operators
 
Important Knowledge Competencies Competency Description
Food Production Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
 
Personnel and Human Resources Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
 
Chemistry Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
 
Administration and Management Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 
English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 
Customer and Personal Service Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 
Economics and Accounting Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
 
Telecommunications Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
 
Building and Construction Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Animal
Job Family: Farming
Benchmark Title: Agricultural Equipment Operators
 
Important Skill Competencies Competency Description
Operation Monitoring Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
 
Operation and Control Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
 
Troubleshooting Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
 
Repairing Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
 
Quality Control Analysis Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
 
Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
 
Social Perceptiveness Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
 
Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively.
 
Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
 
Equipment Maintenance Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
 
Complex Problem Solving Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Animal
Job Family: Farming
Benchmark Title: Agricultural Equipment Operators
 
Important Ability Competencies Competency Description
Control Precision The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
 
Multilimb Coordination The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
 
Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
 
Arm-Hand Steadiness The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
 
Manual Dexterity The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
 
Depth Perception The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
 
Oral Comprehension The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
 
Finger Dexterity The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
 
Reaction Time The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
 
Hearing Sensitivity The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
 
Oral Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
 
Problem Sensitivity The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
 
Selective Attention The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
 
Rate Control The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
 
Far Vision The ability to see details at a distance.
 
Auditory Attention The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
 
Response Orientation The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
 
Speech Recognition The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
 
Speech Clarity The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
 
Deductive Reasoning The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
 
Inductive Reasoning The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
 
Information Ordering The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
 
Flexibility of Closure The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
 
Category Flexibility The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
 
Static Strength The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
 
Trunk Strength The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
 
Extent Flexibility The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
 
Visual Color Discrimination The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Animal
Job Family: Farming
Benchmark Title: Agricultural Equipment Operators
 
Tools/Technology Example Product Category
Farm Management Software Hay and Crop Manager Enterprise resource planning ERP software
 
Martens Farms Farm Site Mate Map creation software
 
Martens Farms Farm Trac Data base user interface and query software
 
2-point sprayers Sprayers
 
3-point sprayers Sprayers
 
Air carts Seed drills
 
Air drill seeders Seed drills
 
Air reels Combine harvesters
 
Air seeders Seed drills
 
All terrain vehicle ATV discs Disks
 
All terrain vehicle ATV harrows Harrows
 
All terrain vehicle ATV manure spreaders Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
 
All terrain vehicle ATV plows Ploughs
 
All terrain vehicle ATV post hole diggers Hole diggers
 
All terrain vehicle ATV rakes Graders or land levelers
 
All terrain vehicle ATV seeders Seeder attachment
 
All terrain vehicle ATV sprayers Sprayers
 
All terrain vehicles ATV All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled
 
Auger wagons Wagons
 
Backhoes Backhoes
 
Batch grain dryers Air dryers
 
Bed shapers Graders or land levelers
 
Bedding hippers Graders or land levelers
 
Bucket elevators Bucket conveyors
 
Cargo trucks Cargo trucks
 
Chaff spreaders Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
 
Chisel disks Disks
 
Chisel plows Ploughs
 
Combine cylinders Harvester parts or accessories
 
Combine draper headers Harvester parts or accessories
 
Combine grain headers Harvester parts or accessories
 
Combine headers Harvester parts or accessories
 
Compact tractors Agricultural tractors
 
Compost turners Composter
 
Continuous flow grain dryers Air dryers
 
Coulter disks Disks
 
Coulter drills Seed drills
 
Coulter rippers Harrows
 
Crop dividers Crop dividers
 
Crop lifters Crop dividers
 
Crop shredders Power chippers
 
Disk rippers Harrows
 
Ditch systems Ditchers
 
Dry bulk storage tanks Silos
 
Farm tractors Agricultural tractors
 
Feed conveyors Conveyor screw
 
Feed grinders Grinding mills
 
Feed mixer wagons Container trailers
 
Fertilizer blenders Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
 
Fertilizer spreaders Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
 
Field cultivators Cultivators
 
Field rollers Agricultural rollers
 
Flat-ended shovels Shovels
 
Flotation sprayers Sprayers
 
Forage blowers Power blowers
 
Forage boxes Container trailers
 
Forage harvesters Harvesters
 
Forage tractors Agricultural tractors
 
Forage wagons Container trailers
 
Forklifts Forklifts
 
Garlic harvesters Harvesters
 
Grain augers Conveyor screw
 
Grain bin aeration fans Fans
 
Grain combines Combine harvesters
 
Grain drills Seed drills
 
Grain heaters Air dryers
 
Grain pumps Vacuum pumps
 
Grain vacuums Vacuum pumps
 
Grain wagons Container trailers
 
Granular applicators Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
 
Grass drills Seed drills
 
Grass seeders Seeder attachment
 
Gravity wagons Container trailers
 
Hammermills Hammer mills
 
Harrow baskets Harrows
 
Hay bale accumulators Haymaking machinery
 
Hay bale compressors Haymaking machinery
 
Hay bale conveyors Chain conveyors
 
Hay bale elevators Chain conveyors
 
Hay bale feeders Haymaking machinery
 
Hay bale forks Garden forks
 
Hay bale loaders Skid steer loaders
 
Hay bale movers Skid steer loaders
 
Hay bale shredders Haymaking machinery
 
Hay bale spears Haymaking machinery
 
Hay bale stackers Haymaking machinery
 
Hay bale trailers Flatbed trailers
 
Hay bale unrollers Haymaking machinery
 
Hay bale wrappers Haymaking machinery
 
Hay balers Haymaking machinery
 
Hay conditioners Haymaking machinery
 
Hay tedders Haymaking machinery
 
Haybines Haymaking machinery
 
Header carriers Flatbed trailers
 
Horizontal feed mixers Feed mixers
 
Land finishers Graders or land levelers
 
Land levelers Graders or land levelers
 
Land planes Graders or land levelers
 
Land rollers Agricultural rollers
 
Land scrapers Graders or land levelers
 
Lime spreaders Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
 
Liquid ferilizer applicators Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
 
Liquid storage tanks Storage tanks
 
Litter spreaders Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
 
Manure augers Conveyor screw
 
Manure chopper pumps Sludge shredders
 
Manure injection systems Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
 
Manure scrapers Pulled scrapers
 
Manure separators Dewatering equipment
 
Manure spreaders Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
 
Manure storage tanks Collection tanks
 
Min-till cultivators Cultivators
 
Min-till drills Seed drills
 
Min-till planters Planters
 
Mist blowers Fog or mist generators
 
Mower conditioners Mowers
 
Novariant AutoFarm RTK AutoSteer Global positioning system receivers
 
Nurse tanks Storage tanks
 
Offset disks Disks
 
Pasture renovators Cultivators
 
Peanut digger inverters Harvesters
 
Peanut digger shakers Harvesters
 
Peanut diggers Harvesters
 
Peanut dryers Air dryers
 
Peanut dump carts Container trailers
 
Peanut harvesters Harvesters
 
Plows Ploughs
 
Portable sprayers Hand sprayers
 
Post drivers Post hole digger
 
Post hole diggers Post hole digger
 
Power winches Winches
 
Rock windrowers Grapples
 
Roller packers Agricultural rollers
 
Rotary hay rakes Haymaking machinery
 
Rotary hoes Hoeing machines
 
Rotary tillers Cultivators
 
Row crop cultivators Cultivators
 
Seed bins Container trailers
 
Seed conveyors Conveyor screw
 
Seed drills Seed drills
 
Seed dryers Air dryers
 
Seed hoppers Container trailers
 
Seed mixers Seed treating equipment
 
Seed scales Floor or platform scales
 
Seed strippers Harvesters
 
Seed tenders Conveyor screw
 
Seed vacuums Vacuum pumps
 
Self-propelled sprayers Sprayers
 
Shavings spreaders Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
 
Silage baggers Animal husbandry equipment
 
Silage bins Container trailers
 
Silage boxes Container trailers
 
Silage distributors Animal husbandry equipment
 
Silage feeders Metallic bins
 
Silage mills Grinding mills
 
Silage wagons Container trailers
 
Silage wrappers Animal husbandry equipment
 
Silo spreaders Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
 
Skid sprayers Sprayers
 
Skid steer hay bale spears Haymaking machinery
 
Skid steer loaders Skid steer loaders
 
Skid steer post drivers Post hole digger
 
Skid steer post hole diggers Post hole digger
 
Skid steer post pullers Post hole digger
 
Skid steer rock grapples Grapples
 
Skid steer rotary tillers Cultivators
 
Skid steer tree cutters Forestry saws
 
Soybean combine harvesters Combine harvesters
 
Sprayer booms Sprayers
 
Sprayer chassis Sprayers
 
Straw and chaff spreaders Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
 
Stump grinders Power grinders
 
Subcompact tractors Agricultural tractors
 
Subsoilers Subsoilers
 
Swath turners Haymaking machinery
 
Tandem disks Disks
 
Telehandlers Forklifts
 
Threshers Threshing machines
 
Tomato harvesters Harvesters
 
Tower grain dryers Air dryers
 
Track tractors Agricultural tractors
 
Tractor guidance systems Global positioning system receivers
 
Transfer augers Conveyor screw
 
Utility vehicles All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled
 
V hay rakes Haymaking machinery
 
Weed wipes Weeders
 
Wheel loaders Wheel loaders
 
Windrow inverters Mowers
 
Windrowers Mowers
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Animal
Job Family: Farming
Benchmark Title: Agricultural Equipment Operators
 
Prerequisite Qualification Category Education and Experience Level
Related Work Experience Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months
 
Required Level of Education High School Diploma (or GED or High School Equivalence Certificate)
 
On-Site or In-Plant Training Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months
 
Required Level of Education Less than a High School Diploma
 
On-the-Job Training Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
 
On-Site or In-Plant Training Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
 
On-the-Job Training Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Animal
Job Family: Farming
Benchmark Title: Agricultural Equipment Operators
 
Alternate Job Title(s)
Agricultural Plow Operator
Baler
Baler Operator
Bean Picker Machine Operator
Berry Picker Machine Operator
Broomcorn Thresher
Bulbs Farmworker
Cane Flume Chute Operator
Cane Flume Feeding Machine Operator
Cane Piler
Chopper Operator
Combine Driver
Combine Operator
Corn Cutter
Corn Detasseler Machine Operator
Corn Husker Machine Operator
Cotton Baler
Cotton Chopper
Cotton Ginner
Cotton Picker Operator
Cotton Stripper
Cultivator
Custom Harvester
Cutter Operator
Dairy Machine Operator Farmworker
Diversified Crops Farmworker
Equipment Operator
Equipment Operator Wage Hand
Farm Equipment Operator
Farm Hand
Farm Laborer
Farm Machine Tender
Farm Manager
Farm Tractor Operator
Farm Worker
Farmer
Fertilizer Applicator
Fertilizing Machine Operator
Field Crop Farmworker
Field Crops Harvest Machine Operator
Field Hauler
Fruit Farmworker
Fruit Harvest Machine Operator
Fruit Harvester, Machine Operator
Fruit Loader, Machine Operator
Fruit Picker, Machine Operator
Fruit Thinner, Machine Operator
General Farmworker
Gin Operator
Ginner
Ginning Operator
Grain Combine Driver
Grain Combiner
Grain Farmworker
Grain Thresher
Harvester Operator
Hay Baler
Hay Chopper
Hay Rake Operator
Hay Stacker Operator
Irrigation Worker
Laborer
Lime Spreader
Liquid Fertilizer Servicer
Loader Operator
Machine Farmworker
Machine Milker
Machine Operator Cane Cutter
Machine Operator Farmworker
Machine Operator Hay Stacker
Machine Operator Hop Picker
Machine Operator Hop Worker
Machine Operator Picker
Machine Operator Replanter
Machine Operator Transplanter
Machine Pecan Gatherer
Machine Pecan Picker
Machine Tender
Mechanic
Milking Machine Operator
Mushroom Growth Media Mixer
Nut Sheller Machine Operator
Orange Picker Machine Operator
Packing Tractor Machine Operator
Peanut Picker
Peanut Shaker
Picker Operator
Planter
Planting Machine Crewman
Planting Machine Operator
Plowman
Portable Feed Mill Operator
Potato Bucker
Potato Picker
Rake Operator
Raking Machine Operator
Replanting Machine Crewman
Replanting Machine Operator
Rice Farmworker
Seed Potato Arranger
Sprayer
Straw Baler
Sugar Cane Planter Machine Operator
Sugar Cane Planting Equipment Operator
Thresher
Tobacco Primer Machine Operator
Tractor Driver
Tractor Operator
Tractor Operator Helper
Truck Driver
Vegetable Farmworker
Vegetable Harvest Machine Operator
Vegetable Loader Machine Operator
Wheat Combine Driver
Windrower Operator
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing/Animal
Job Family: Farming
Benchmark Title: Agricultural Equipment Operators
 
 
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