Occupation Profile

Farm Equipment Mechanics

(SOC Code : 49-3041)

in California

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, dairy equipment, and irrigation systems. Exclude "Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists" (49-3031).

Employers are usually looking for candidates with Post secondary vocational training .

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Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$18.46	$13.96	$17.99	$22.51

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	3,300	3,600	300	9.1	120

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Enter a Zip Code Find a Zip code in California

Within miles of Zip Code.

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Machinery & Supply Merchant Wholesalers

8,676

37.9%

Commercial Machinery Repair/Maintenance

3,513

17.5%

Misc Nondurable Goods Merchant Whsle

4,253

3.3%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Agricultural Mechanics & Equipment/Machine Technology

Agricultural Mechanization, General

Agricultural Mechanization, Other

Agricultural Power Machinery Operation

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Record details of repairs made and parts used.

Reassemble machines and equipment following repair; test operation; and make adjustments as necessary.

Maintain, repair, and overhaul farm machinery and vehicles, such as tractors, harvesters, and irrigation systems.

Examine and listen to equipment, read inspection reports, and confer with customers to locate and diagnose malfunctions.

Dismantle defective machines for repair, using hand tools.

Test and replace electrical components and wiring, using test meters, soldering equipment, and hand tools.

Repair or replace defective parts, using hand tools, milling and woodworking machines, lathes, welding equipment, grinders, or saws.

Clean and lubricate parts.

Tune or overhaul engines.

Drive trucks to haul tools and equipment for on-site repair of large machinery.

More Tasks for Farm Equipment Mechanics

Top Skills used in this Job

Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Equipment Selection - Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

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.

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.

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.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

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