Agricultural Businessat Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Graduates earn $48,557/yr in their first year — about 1.0% above the national Agricultural Business average. Base-case 10-year earnings $611K; scenarios range from $552K to $624K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Virginia Tech
Graduates earn $48,557/yr, roughly in line with the $48,075 national median for Agricultural Business. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
The earnings-to-cost ratio of 9.9x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.
Some AI exposure exists in Agricultural Business's typical career paths, with 48% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 12% gap from the optimistic case.
With first-year pay of $48,557 far exceeding the $22,999 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
At #36 of 77 Agricultural Business programs, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University scores above the median — competitive but not a standout.
Five-year earnings of $73,750 show a 52% jump from the $48,557 starting point — strong upward trajectory suggesting real career acceleration.
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 Virginia Tech'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 Business
How Virginia Tech stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Virginia Tech
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Virginia Tech, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Agricultural Business offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Agricultural Business trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Agricultural Business at Virginia Tech
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Agricultural Business at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University?
A score of 65/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Agricultural Business field.
Will AI replace Agricultural Business careers?
With 48% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $551,638 in decade earnings vs $624,068 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.