Agricultural & Biological Engineering:
An Evolving Profession
Traditionally, agricultural engineering
has emphasized tractors, field implements,
and other types of machinery first, and structures
and indoor environments second. However,
because other fields of engineering such
as chemical, mechanical, civil, and electrical
have limited experience with biological systems,
agricultural and biological engineering is
now recognized for the field's unique contributions
to the food and agricultural sciences.
Most university agricultural engineering
departments have added “biological” or
some variant of that to their titles. In
addition to the traditional areas of concentration,
these departments now offer a wide variety
of specializations:
- Biological engineering.
- Food and bioprocess engineering.
- Information and electrical systems.
- Natural resources and environment.
- Forest engineering.
- Aquacultural engineering.
- Energy systems.
- Safety and health.
- Nursery and greenhouse engineering.
Estimating the number of employed agricultural
and biological engineers is difficult. The
Society for Engineering in Agricultural,
Food, and Biological Systems (ASAE), the
agricultural and biological engineers' professional
society in the United States, has approximately
9,000 members. In 2001, CSREES reported agricultural
engineering department student enrollment
in land-grant universities at about 3,300.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS), however, only 2,000 to 3,000 employed
U.S. citizens identify themselves as agricultural
engineers, or about 0.1% of the domestic
architecture and engineering workforce.
BLS does not collect information on biological
engineers. This difference between membership
and employed status illustrates the importance
of sub-specialties to these engineers. Compare
these tallies to civil engineering, perhaps
a more recognizable discipline, which claims
membership in its main professional society
at 131,000 and in which the BLS employment
estimate is at 232,000. BLS reports that
the average agricultural engineer earns about
$54,300 per year, just slightly less than
the average salary for all architects and
engineers.
Universities provide a significant base
for agricultural engineering employment opportunities.
According to CSREES, in 2001 agricultural
engineering faculty appointments numbered
about 1,800. Even if not every faculty member
identifies himself or herself as an agricultural
and biological engineer, academia still employs
a significant percentage of the agricultural
engineering workforce.
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