Tests seed samples for germination, purity and weed seeds so farmers and seed companies know exactly what they are planting. BLS does not publish separate figures for agricultural technicians; it counts them within agricultural technician (SOC 19-4012), whose median pay is $49,630 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Associate's degree.
- SOC 19-4012
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Seed Analyst in four numbers
- Median pay
- $49,630a year, or $23.86/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $36KTop 10% $76K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.4%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 2,80019,500 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202519.5K
- Projected 203520.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 19.5K Projected 2035 20.6K - Typical education
- Associate'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school41.3%
- Some college5.5%
- Associate's13.2%
- Bachelor's18.2%
- Post-bacc certificate6%
- Doctorate7.2%
Highest education held by agricultural technicians Segment Value High school 41.3% Some college 5.5% Associate's 13.2% Bachelor's 18.2% Post-bacc certificate 6% Doctorate 7.2%
Also advertised as: Seed Technologist, Registered Seed Technologist, Seed Testing Technician, Seed Lab Analyst, Seed Quality Analyst.
Pay
How much do Agricultural Technicians make?
Every seed analyst in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$49,630
Middle half earn $40,950 to $63,630
- 10th
- $35,980
- 25th
- $40,950
- 75th
- $63,630
- 90th
- $76,480
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $35,980 |
| 25th | $40,950 |
| Median | $49,630 |
| 75th | $63,630 |
| 90th | $76,480 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $49,630
- Median hourly wage
- $23.86/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $53,840
- People employed
- 15,130
Versus all US occupations
At $49,630, Agricultural Technicians earn 3% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $1,350 a year.
Versus life, physical, and social science occupations
Inside the Life, Physical, and Social Science group, where the middle occupation pays $82,220, this is 40% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $76,480 or more while the bottom 10% earn $35,980, a gap of 2.1×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 21% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Iowa pays the most at $64,070, and still leads at $73,004 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Agricultural Technicians the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Iowa | $64,070 | $73,004 | N/A |
| 2Wyoming | $63,120 | $68,097 | 30 |
| 3Arizona | $62,990 | $62,566 | N/A |
| 4California | $60,320 | $54,480 | 2,420 |
| 5Kentucky | $59,860 | $66,394 | 210 |
| 6Minnesota | $57,310 | $58,111 | 530 |
| 7New Jersey | $54,370 | $49,970 | N/A |
| 8Missouri | $54,060 | $59,526 | 420 |
| 9Delaware | $52,510 | $52,611 | N/A |
| 10North Carolina | $51,470 | $54,566 | 550 |
Job outlook
Is Seed Analyst a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Agricultural Technicians | +5.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Agricultural Technicians to change 5.4% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 1,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 2,800 openings are projected each year, 14.4% of the 19,500 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Seed Analyst
A bachelor's degree in agronomy, plant science, botany or biology is helpful but some labs hire technicians with an associate's degree and train them on the job. Seed identification skills are built through practice and workshops.
The Society of Commercial Seed Technologists and the Association of Official Seed Analysts offer professional credentials, including the Certified Viability Technologist and the Registered Seed Technologist, earned through work experience, training points and exams. Iowa State University's Seed Science Center and Colorado State University offer seed technology training that prepares candidates for these exams.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Associate's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as agricultural technicians.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)41.3%
- Bachelor's Degree18.2%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree13.2%
- Doctoral Degree7.2%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 41.3% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 18.2% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 13.2% |
| Doctoral Degree | 7.2% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 6% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Seed Analyst do?
Seed analysts work in seed testing laboratories run by states, universities and seed companies. They test samples for purity, separating crop seed from other crop seeds, weed seeds and inert matter, and they run germination and vigor tests that show how much seed will sprout under field conditions.
Their results go on the seed labels required under federal and state seed laws, so the work must follow official testing rules from the Association of Official Seed Analysts. Analysts also identify noxious weed seeds, run tetrazolium viability tests, and in some labs perform genetic purity and trait testing. Accuracy and careful recordkeeping are central to the job.
Day-to-day tasks
- Run purity tests separating seed, weed seed and inert matter
- Set up and evaluate germination tests
- Identify crop and weed seeds by shape and structure
- Perform tetrazolium viability and vigor tests
- Screen samples for noxious weed seeds
- Record results and prepare official test reports
- Calibrate lab equipment and follow official testing rules
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Seed analysts work in laboratories, often seated at magnifiers and microscopes for long periods. The work is detailed and repetitive. Labs are busiest before planting season, when seed lots need test results for labeling. Most seed labs operate on regular weekday schedules, though peak season can bring overtime. Labs are located in agricultural regions, at state departments of agriculture, universities and seed companies.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension3.4
- Active Listening3.3
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Writing3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Speaking3.0
- Mathematics2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.4 |
| Active Listening | 3.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Mathematics | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Instructing3.0
- Operations Monitoring3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Social Perceptiveness2.9
- Complex Problem Solving2.9
- Operation and Control2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.9 |
| Operation and Control | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Geographic information system
- Internet browser software
- Mobile location based services software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Seed Analyst?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RCI) built on O*NET's Agricultural Technician profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Seed Analyst |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Realistic6.8
- Investigative4.9
- Conventional4.8
- Enterprising2.0
- Social1.5
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Seed Analyst
O*NET related occupations
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Architecture and Engineering
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Management
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
More life, physical, and social science careers
Median annual pay, with agricultural technicians highlighted
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologist$193,950
- Physicist$172,250
- Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists$103,410
- Chemist$91,240
- Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health$82,220
- Conservation Scientist$73,010
- Chemical Technician$60,390
- Biological Technician$57,510
- Seed Analyst$49,630
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Industrial-Organizational Psychologist | $193,950 |
| Physicist | $172,250 |
| Medical Scientist, Except Epidemiologists | $103,410 |
| Chemist | $91,240 |
| Environmental Scientist and Specialist, Including Health | $82,220 |
| Conservation Scientist | $73,010 |
| Chemical Technician | $60,390 |
| Biological Technician | $57,510 |
| Seed Analyst | $49,630 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Seed Analyst appears on
Questions
Seed Analyst: frequently asked questions
How much do Agricultural Technicians make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for agricultural technicians. It counts them within agricultural technician, whose median pay is $49,630 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $40,950 and $63,630, and the top 10% earn $76,480 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Seed Analyst?
Usually a two-year degree rather than a four-year one. BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical entry-level education for Agricultural Technicians. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 41.3% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Seed Analyst a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.4% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 2,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Seed Analyst do?
Seed analysts work in seed testing laboratories run by states, universities and seed companies. A typical task: run purity tests separating seed, weed seed and inert matter. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software.
Which states pay Agricultural Technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Agricultural Technicians are Iowa ($64,070), Wyoming ($63,120), Arizona ($62,990) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Seed Analyst?
O*NET scores Agricultural Technicians highest on the Realistic, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.