Grows leafy greens, herbs and other crops indoors under LED lights in hydroponic systems, controlling every part of the environment. 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
Vertical Farm Grower 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: Controlled Environment Agriculture Grower, Indoor Farm Grower, Hydroponic Grower, CEA Specialist, Head Grower.
Pay
How much do Agricultural Technicians make?
Every vertical farm grower 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 Vertical Farm Grower 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 Vertical Farm Grower
Many growers have a degree or certificate in horticulture, plant science or agriculture, but some farms hire entry level growers with relevant experience and train them. Hydroponics and greenhouse management courses are increasingly available at community colleges and universities.
Cornell University offers a Controlled Environment Agriculture focus within its Integrative Plant Science master's program, and its CEA Works online training was developed for the indoor farming workforce. Food safety training under the FSMA Produce Safety Rule is valuable. Common entry points are harvest or growing associate roles at indoor farms and greenhouses. Mechanical aptitude for pumps and controls is valuable.
- 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 Vertical Farm Grower do?
Vertical farm growers raise crops indoors in stacked hydroponic or aeroponic systems. They manage seeding, germination, transplanting and harvest, and control the conditions plants need: light intensity and duration from LEDs, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels, and nutrient solution chemistry such as pH and electrical conductivity.
Because conditions are controlled by software and sensors, growers spend a lot of time reading data dashboards, adjusting setpoints, and troubleshooting pumps and irrigation. They scout for pests and diseases, keep food safety records, and run trials of new varieties and growing recipes. The same skills apply in high-tech greenhouses growing tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries.
Day-to-day tasks
- Seed, transplant and harvest crops on a production schedule
- Monitor and adjust nutrient solution pH and conductivity
- Set lighting, temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide levels
- Scout for pests and plant diseases
- Troubleshoot irrigation pumps and growing systems
- Record crop data and run variety trials
- Follow food safety and sanitation procedures
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Growers work indoors in clean, climate-controlled grow rooms, often wearing hairnets, gloves and other food safety gear. The work involves standing, lifting trays and repetitive tasks. Crops grow year-round, so schedules can include weekends and shifts. Farms are often located in or near cities, in converted warehouses, and growers work alongside engineers and harvest teams.
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 Vertical Farm Grower?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RIC) built on O*NET's Agricultural Technician profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Vertical Farm Grower |
|---|---|
| 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
- Investigative5.1
- Conventional4.7
- 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 Vertical Farm Grower
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
- Vertical Farm Grower$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 |
| Vertical Farm Grower | $49,630 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Vertical Farm Grower appears on
Questions
Vertical Farm Grower: 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 Vertical Farm Grower?
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 Vertical Farm Grower 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 Vertical Farm Grower do?
Vertical farm growers raise crops indoors in stacked hydroponic or aeroponic systems. A typical task: seed, transplant and harvest crops on a production schedule. 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 Vertical Farm Grower?
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.