Job Titles & Salaries

Careers

Agriculture is the driving and stabilizing force for California's economy. As the leading industry in the state, it contributes over $500 billion annually! Careers in agriculture are exciting, rewarding, well-paying and plentiful.

Job Titles

Graduates may be employed in many fields, including:

  • Agents in the production and marketing of certified seeds
  • Agronomists
  • Botanic Garden and Arboretum Specialist
  • Contractors
  • Crop Production Consultants
  • Entomologists
  • Farm Insurance Agents
  • Farm Managers
  • Field Representatives for food processing companies
  • Floriculturist
  • Greenhouse Management
  • Greens Keeper
  • Managers of farm service centers for cooperatives and elevators
  • Marketing Experts for pesticide and ag. chemical companies
  • Marketing Experts for private seed companies
  • Natural Resource Conservations and Agents
  • Nursery / Landscape Managers
  • Pest Control Advisors
  • Plant Pathologists
  • Plant Propagator
  • Research Associates for private plant breeding companies
  • Research Associates for pesticide and ag. chemical companies
  • Research Technicians for private companies, universities, and other governmental agencies
  • Sports Turf Managers
  • Weed Scientists

Alumni Careers

Agronomy Graduates

  • Maricela Barbosa - USDA - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Port of Long Beach
  • Sharon McCrorey - Ag Commissioner's Office, Weights and Measures, Monterey Park, CA
  • Christina Smith - Strawberry breeder at Smalls Nursery, Red Bluff, CA
  • Janet Rivas - Science teacher, Baldwin Park Unified School District
  • Pedro Torres - Organic Grower, Aguanga CA
  • Fermin Lopez - Ag Commissioner's Office, Ag Biologist, El Centro, CA
  • Nikki Grieci - USDA Natural Resources Conservation -Conservation Specialist, Lancaster, CA
  • Evan Kirby-Smith -Independently contracted organic inspector and consultant, Temecula CA.

Agricultural Biology Graduates

  • Efrain Velasco - Forensic Entomologist, Ventura County Sheriff's Department
  • Christy Diggins-Richey - Dole, Quality Assurance
  • Jenny Chai - Environmental Health Specialist, Long Beach, CA
  • Brad Baker - United Horticultural Supply, Sales, Corona, CA
  • Richard (Tim) O'Neill - Monrovia Nursery Company, Pest Mgmt, Azusa, CA
  • Laura Petro - Economic Entomologist, CDFA

Horticulture Graduates

  • Natsuyo Aoyama - Seed Physiology Laboratory Manager, Cal Poly Pomona
  • Otto Aumack - Disneyland, Facilities Management
  • Robert Hertzing - Valencia Country Club, Superintendent
  • Olga Lichten - Self-employed, Fruit Crop Grower, Fallbrook, CA
  • Brian Takemoto - APHIS - Chicago, O'Hare Airport, Inspector
  • Seth Young - Water Concern, Orange County, CA
  • Gabriel Siapin - Siapin Landscape, Estimator
  • Thanh Pham - Horticulturist, LA County Arboretum, Conservancy, Arcadia, CA
  • Gavin Sherman - Self-Employed, Bee Keeper, Cal Poly Pomona Instructor

Soil Science Graduates

  • Andrea Souther - Mission Resource Conservation District Cons. Specialist, Fallbrook, CA
  • Gina MacLyman - Fruit Grower's Laboratory, Santa Paula, CA
  • Christopher Wilson - Staff Scientist, QST Environmental, Fountain Valley, CA
  • Sam Liu - USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, North Carolina

Landscape Irrigation Science Graduates

  • Marcos Quezada - Metropolitan Water District, Water Conservation Consultant
  • James Caringella - Area Specification Manager, Rain Bird Inc.
  • Peter Hamann - Cal Sense, Technician Representative, Irrigation
  • Anson Beattie - Environmental Care, Irrigation Specialist
  • Jason Smith - Irrigation Designer, ETP Landscape Architecture
  • Kevin McGourty - City of LA, Parks and Recreation Dept.