Agricultural Production Operationsat North Dakota State University-Main Campus
Graduates earn $62,869/yr in their first year — about 58.0% above the national Agricultural Production Operations average. Base-case 10-year earnings $589K; scenarios range from $540K to $598K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at North Dakota State
Your strong earnings potential from this program is tied directly to NDSU's deep roots in the regional economy. As North Dakota's land-grant university, its reputation and recruiting pipelines with major agribusiness players like John Deere, Case IH, and commodity traders are unparalleled. You're not just learning theory; you're being trained for the realities of modern, large-scale agriculture technology and management that define the Northern Plains. While the high AI risk score reflects the automation of manual tasks, this program positions you for the management and data-analysis roles that oversee those automated systems. To maximize your value, focus your coursework and internships on precision agriculture and data analytics. This ensures you'll be the one managing the technology, not being replaced by it, securing a strong future in this evolving industry.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to North Dakota State's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Agricultural Production Operations
How North Dakota State stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at North Dakota State
Other highest-scoring programs offered at North Dakota State, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Agricultural Production Operations offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Agricultural Production Operations trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Agricultural Production Operations at North Dakota State
How does North Dakota State University-Main Campus's Agricultural Production Operations program score?
This program scores 68/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Agricultural Production Operations graduates.
How vulnerable is Agricultural Production Operations to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Agricultural Production Operations careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 38% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.