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Agricultural Products Grader/Sorter

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AVG. SALARY

$36,620

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EDUCATION

No standard requirement

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JOB OUTLOOK

Decreasing

What To Learn

High School

What high school courses should you take if you're interested in this career? Get your answers from the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources cluster Food Products and Processing Systems pathway.

Beyond High School

Here's a list of programs that you should consider if you're interested in this career:

Education Level

Education training and experience are required at different levels for success in different occupations.

No standard requirement

Agricultural workers typically receive on-the-job training. No formal educational requirement is needed for most jobs as an agricultural worker.

Insider Info

Additional Information

Many graders have a college education, but it's not imperative. School is less important than understanding how the industry works, says grader Jeffrey Honey.

"People with degrees tend to over-analyze. On-the-job training is what's required."

Rob Huttenlocker works with the fresh products branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). He says that degrees in agriculture, food science or related fields are helpful, but not essential.

To train new fresh fruit and vegetable graders, the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has opened a national training center in Virginia.

All new graders must attend the program in their first year on the job. Current inspectors attend a two-week refresher program every year.

Contact

  • Email Support
  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900
  • North Dakota Career Resource Network
    ndcrn@nd.gov | (701) 328-9733

Support