# Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians

US SOC code 49-3041. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/49-3041

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **37,870** US farm equipment mechanics and service technicians, with median pay of **$56,550** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2012, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [a BLS Current Population Survey count](https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/occupational-outlook-handbook-3964/occupational-outlook-handbook-1980-81-edition-498765) of **72,000** from 1980, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for farm equipment mechanics and service technicians: GPS guidance, precision agriculture sensors, telematics, 2000 to 2018.

Figures: Official statistic (latest count and pay, highest count); Researched context (earliest figure).

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 10.7% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=49-3041&ioType=o) (Official statistic).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1920
- Latest US employment: 37,870 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [2]
- Latest US median pay: $56,550 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Outlook: +10.7% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [16]

### All 24 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1980 | 72,000 | $13,000 (average) | BLS CPS 2075 [1] |
| 2003 | 33,310 | $27,470 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [2] |
| 2004 | 30,770 | $27,860 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [2] |
| 2005 | 30,800 | $28,730 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [2] |
| 2006 | 29,500 | $29,460 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [2] |
| 2007 | 29,660 | $30,690 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [2] |
| 2008 | 30,240 | $31,860 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [2] |
| 2009 | 30,250 | $32,970 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [2] |
| 2010 | 30,300 | $33,640 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [2] |
| 2011 | 32,100 | $34,230 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [2] |
| 2012 | 34,150 | $34,760 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [2] |
| 2013 | 34,840 | $35,470 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [2] |
| 2014 | 35,320 | $36,150 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [2] |
| 2015 | 37,080 | $37,050 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [2] |
| 2016 | 35,110 | $37,820 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [2] |
| 2017 | 34,410 | $39,340 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [2] |
| 2018 | 34,300 | $40,630 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [2] |
| 2019 | 36,290 | $42,200 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [2] |
| 2020 | 35,720 | $43,880 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [2] |
| 2021 | 35,030 | $46,910 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [2] |
| 2022 | 35,280 | $48,010 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [2] |
| 2023 | 36,830 | $49,210 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [2] |
| 2024 | 36,880 | $52,080 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [2] |
| 2025 | 37,870 | $56,550 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [2] |

## Sources (71)

### Employment series

1. [Occupational Outlook Handbook 1980-81 Edition (BLS Bulletin 2075), farm equipment mechanics employment, via FRASER / St. Louis Fed](https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/occupational-outlook-handbook-3964/occupational-outlook-handbook-1980-81-edition-498765), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
2. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

3. [Occupational Outlook Handbook 1980-81 Edition (BLS Bulletin 2075) -- farm equipment mechanics wage range, FRASER / St. Louis Fed](https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/occupational-outlook-handbook-3964/occupational-outlook-handbook-1980-81-edition-498765), Bureau of Labor Statistics / FRASER
4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

5. [Smithsonian Institution -- "Five Ways the Tractor Changed American Farming" (tractor history and mechanization)](https://www.si.edu/stories/five-ways-tractor-changed-american-farming), Smithsonian Institution
6. [Ohio State University ACEL -- "Talking Shop: The Growing Need for Farm Mechanics in the Early Years of Agricultural Education" (1920s vocational context)](https://u.osu.edu/acel/2018/02/13/talking-shop-the-growing-need-for-farm-mechanics-in-the-early-years-of-agricultural-education/), Ohio State University
7. [EH.net Encyclopedia -- "Economic History of Tractors in the United States" (diesel adoption, 1940s-1960s fleet growth)](https://eh.net/encyclopedia/economic-history-of-tractors-in-the-united-states/), EH.net / Economic History Association
8. [FFA History -- National FFA Organization (agricultural mechanics proficiency awards)](https://www.ffa.org/ffa-history/), National FFA Organization
9. [John Deere TECH Program -- Heritage Tractor (history of the Deere dealer technician training partnership with community colleges, est. 1989)](https://heritagetractor.com/john-deere-tech/), Heritage Tractor / John Deere
10. [Occupational Outlook Handbook 1988-89 Edition (BLS Bulletin 2300) -- farm equipment mechanics evolution, FRASER / St. Louis Fed](https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/title/occupational-outlook-handbook-3964/occupational-outlook-handbook-1988-89-edition-583131/fulltext), Bureau of Labor Statistics / FRASER
11. [Farm Progress -- "Telematics 2.0" (history of JDLink and agricultural telematics evolution)](https://www.farmprogress.com/farm-operations/telematics-2-0), Farm Progress
12. [farmdoc daily (Univ. Illinois) -- "The People Behind the Machines: Precision Agriculture and Farm Service Technician Demand" (2026)](https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2026/01/the-people-behind-the-machines-precision-agriculture-and-farm-service-technician-demand.html), farmdoc daily / University of Illinois
13. [PIRG -- "John Deere and Right to Repair over the years" (timeline of the right-to-repair dispute)](https://pirg.org/resources/john-deere-and-right-to-repair-over-the-years/), US PIRG
14. [Adafruit Blog -- "John Deere to Pay $99 million in monumental Right-to-Repair settlement" (April 2026)](https://blog.adafruit.com/2026/04/09/john-deere-to-pay-99-million-in-monumental-right-to-repair-settlement/), Adafruit Industries
15. [Investigate Midwest -- "Farmers have clamored for the Right to Repair for years" (Colorado 2023 law, access barriers)](https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/04/10/farmers-have-clamored-for-the-right-to-repair-for-years-its-getting-little-traction-in-john-deeres-home-state/), Investigate Midwest

### Forecasts and exposure studies

16. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 49-3041 Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians (2025: 41.9 thousand; 2035: 46.4 thousand; +10.7%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=49-3041&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Historical notes

17. [National FFA Organization -- "1917: Smith-Hughes Act" (timeline entry)](https://www.ffa.org/timeline/1917-smith-hughes-act/), National FFA Organization
18. [The Henry Ford -- "Fordson Tractor, 1917-1918, Used by Luther Burbank" (Fordson production history)](https://www.thehenryford.org/collections/explore/artifact/219291), The Henry Ford Museum
19. [National FFA Organization -- "FFA History" (founding 1928, agricultural mechanics proficiency)](https://www.ffa.org/ffa-history/), National FFA Organization
20. [EH.net Encyclopedia -- "Economic History of Tractors in the United States" (tractors outnumber horses by 1960, diffusion complete)](https://eh.net/encyclopedia/economic-history-of-tractors-in-the-united-states/), EH.net / Economic History Association
21. [Heritage Tractor -- "John Deere Tech Program" (program history, origin 1989)](https://heritagetractor.com/john-deere-tech/), Heritage Tractor / John Deere
22. [Farm Progress -- "Telematics 2.0" (JDLink history, 2002 introduction)](https://www.farmprogress.com/farm-operations/telematics-2-0), Farm Progress
23. [Investigate Midwest -- "Farmers have clamored for the Right to Repair for years" (Colorado 2023 law, MOU history)](https://investigatemidwest.org/2024/04/10/farmers-have-clamored-for-the-right-to-repair-for-years-its-getting-little-traction-in-john-deeres-home-state/), Investigate Midwest

### Predecessors & successors

24. [Ohio State University ACEL -- "Talking Shop: The Growing Need for Farm Mechanics" (transition from blacksmithing to mechanical repair)](https://u.osu.edu/acel/2018/02/13/talking-shop-the-growing-need-for-farm-mechanics-in-the-early-years-of-agricultural-education/), Ohio State University
25. [FFA History -- National FFA Organization (agricultural mechanics as early FFA proficiency category)](https://www.ffa.org/ffa-history/), National FFA Organization

### Present-day analysis

- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-21
- [O\*NET 30.3 — US Department of Labor](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), accessed 2026-05-21

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.