Land-based machinery operator
Also known as: forest tractor driver, agricultural machinery operator, combined driver, tractor driver, land-based machinery operators, forestry tractor driver
About this occupation
Land-based machinery operators operate specialised equipment and machinery for agricultural production and maintenance of landscape.
Essential skills and knowledge
- understand instructions
- harvest cover crops
- road traffic laws
- herbicides
- work in a land-based team
- handle chemical products for soil and plants
- implement instructions
- pesticides
- operate agricultural machinery
- identify plants characteristics
- tow a tractor implement using the power take-off
- harvest crop
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Agricultural Equipment Operators (O*NET 45-2091.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Load and unload crops or containers of materials, manually or using conveyors, handtrucks, forklifts, or transfer augers.
- Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery.
- Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers.
- Observe and listen to machinery operation to detect equipment malfunctions.
- Manipulate controls to set, activate, and adjust mechanisms on machinery.
- Operate or tend equipment used in agricultural production, such as tractors, combines, and irrigation equipment.
- Typical education (US)
- Less than a High School Diploma
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Active Listening, Equipment Maintenance, Repairing
US median pay: US$41,730 a year (2025), 28,500 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageImportant (3.4)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- Less than a High School Diploma
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
- Machine Feeders and Offbearers
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Conveyor Operators and Tenders
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
- Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.