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Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Purchase farm products either for further processing or resale. Includes tree farm contractors, grain brokers and market operators, grain buyers, and tobacco buyers. May negotiate contracts.

Kinds of work

  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $77,710 Median per year · $37.36/hr Most earn $48,380–$128,870

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Negotiate contracts with farmers for the production or purchase of farm products.
  • Arrange for processing or resale of purchased products.
  • Maintain records of business transactions and product inventories, reporting data to companies or government agencies as necessary.
  • Arrange for transportation or storage of purchased products.
  • Maintain records of business transactions and product inventories, reporting data to companies or government agencies as necessary.
  • Coordinate or direct activities of workers engaged in cutting, transporting, storing, or milling products and maintaining records.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 47,200 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't break this career out by industry.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Buyers and purchasing agents for farm products usually need a bachelor's degree and about 2 to 4 years of related work before landing this job, so it's not usually an entry-level role straight out of school. Many people start in a related job like a logistics, sales, or agricultural operations role and build up from there.

  1. Bachelor's degree in agricultural business, agricultural economics, or a related field

    4 years

    A degree gives you a foundation in crops, markets, contracts, and business, which employers look for in this field.

  2. Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing

    2-4 years

    Working in sales teaches you how to negotiate, build supplier and customer relationships, and understand product pricing, all key skills for buying farm products.

  3. Grain Buyer or Farm Products Purchasing Assistant

    1-3 years

    Hands-on buying work with grain elevators, cooperatives, or food processors lets you learn quality grading, contract terms, and market timing.

  4. Buyer, Farm Products

    Ongoing

    In this role you purchase farm products for processing or resale and may negotiate contracts with growers and suppliers.

Where it can lead

  1. Purchasing Manager

    2-4 years of experience first

    You move from buying products yourself to overseeing buying teams, setting purchasing strategy, and managing supplier contracts across a company.

  2. Supply Chain Manager

    6-8 years of experience first

    You take on responsibility for the full flow of materials from farm to market, coordinating buying, logistics, and inventory, which usually requires several years of experience across purchasing and logistics.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and economics classesStrong math and an understanding of supply and demand will help you think about pricing and contracts.
  • Join FFA or a similar agriculture clubAgriculture clubs teach farm business basics, public speaking, and leadership, and many offer hands-on projects.
  • Get a job on a farm or at a feed or farm supply storeWorking with customers and products gives you real experience with agricultural goods and prices.
  • Enter agriculture or business speaking and debate competitionsCompetitions build the confidence and clear communication you will need when negotiating deals.
  • Volunteer at a local farmers marketHelping run a market shows you how products move from growers to buyers and customers.

In college

  • Major in agricultural business or agricultural economicsThese majors cover markets, commodity trading, and farm finance, which directly support buying farm products.
  • Take courses in contracts, accounting, and statisticsContract knowledge and number skills help you evaluate offers and manage purchasing budgets.
  • Pursue a summer internship at a grain company, co-op, or food processorInternships show you how buying teams work and can lead to a job after graduation.
  • Work a campus job in sales or customer serviceSales experience builds negotiation and relationship skills that employers value in buyers.
  • Join an agriculture or business clubClubs offer networking with industry professionals and leadership roles that look good on a resume.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for summer or part-time work at a grain elevator, co-op, or farm supply business to learn how buying actually works.
  • Practice negotiation and math skills, since contracts and pricing are central to this job.
  • Keep an eye on local farm markets and commodity prices; being curious about how they move is a big plus in interviews.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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