An economist of food and farming, you study how agricultural markets, policy, and resources actually work — and teach it to university students while running your own research. Data, fieldwork, and the economics of how we eat.
Research projects anchor much of the role — designing studies, analyzing data, and publishing — alongside teaching and advising. The work spans the desk and the field, moving between models and the realities growers face. Grant funding shapes what you can pursue, and lectures and graduate mentoring fill the rest.
The friction few expect is publish-or-perish pressure on top of teaching and service. Funding cycles can be unpredictable, the job market is tight, and policy-relevant work invites political crosswinds. How the role tilts — more research or more teaching — varies sharply by institution and department.
Strong ag economists in academia tend to be analytical, curious about food systems, patient with slow results. If you need fast, tidy outcomes, the academic pace can frustrate. But if you like applying economics to something as concrete as farming — and teaching it — the work tends to satisfy.
Remember “your permanent record”?
This time it works for you.
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
An economist of food and farming, you study how agricultural markets, policy, and resources actually work — and teach it to university students while running your own research. Data, fieldwork, and the economics of how we eat.
Median pay for an Agricultural Economics Professor is about $103K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $49K to $217K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Instructing, Speaking, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, and Learning Strategies.
Most people in this role hold a professional degree.
Employment in this field is projected to grow about 3.1% through 2034, with roughly 21,120 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Finance Professor, Marketing Professor, and Accounting Professor.
Remember “your permanent record”?
This time it works for you.