Study Agricultural Science

BScAgric, 4 years (NQF 8) at Stellenbosch, UP, UKZN, UFS; BAgric, 3-4 years, is more applied. Agricultural science is a SACNASP field of practice.

Pay in South AfricaR720–770ka year · typical R750k Work abroad4.0 of 5best: Ireland, Australia AI outlookTransformingAI is reinventing the daily work

Getting inMediumcompetition for places · 4 years

R56 328 to R86 000 first-year fees 3 bursaries list Agricultural Science

School subjects: Maths required at some universitiesPhysical Sciences required at some universitiesLife Sciences recommendedMaths Literacy accepted at some institutions

Entry details and typical minimums

English at faculty minimum. Agricultural Sciences as a school subject is useful but is not usually a requirement.

Typical minimums: Varies. BScAgric at Stellenbosch and UP generally needs Mathematics and Physical Sciences at the faculty's published minimum; BAgric entry is typically lower. UFS's 2027 BAgric asks for English 4 and Mathematics 3 (AP 30), accepts Mathematical Literacy at level 7 (80%) with an AP of 31 or more for most majors (not Agricultural Economics or Irrigation Management), and does not require Physical Sciences, which is compulsory only for its BScAgric.

Sources: SACNASP registration basics · UFS Undergraduate Prospectus 2027, Natural and Agricultural Sciences: Bachelor of Agriculture (B5300) and BScAgric (PDF p. 17: Mathematical Literacy on Level 7 (80%) accepted if the AP is 31 or above, excluding Agricultural Economics)

Pay

Yearly gross pay, turned into rand at the exchange rate. The dot is the typical figure. How pay is measured

NetherlandsR1.1–1.8m^~
USAR1.1–1.9m
GermanyR1.1–1.7m
AustraliaR630k–1.4m
UKR840k–1.3m^~
CanadaR780k–1.3m
New ZealandR770k–1.4m
IrelandR800k–1.3m^~
South AfricaR720–770k

~ limited evidence

Working abroad 4.0 of 5

Score out of 5. Tap a country for steps and visas.

AI outlook

TransformingAI is reinventing the daily work

Field and farm work is physical and variable; advisory and analysis tasks are where AI tools will help most.

Hands-on In-person care Licensed & accountable

How AI changes each field

Careers

Agronomist
Agricultural consultant / extension officer
Soil scientist
Animal scientist
Food technologist
Agribusiness / farm manager

Where to study 5

First-year tuition, as published. My Matric Map can check your results against each of these. Tap a university for its entry requirements and dates. Compare study costs

Country by country: steps, exams, visas and pay sources

A practical, well-regarded degree. Unregulated in most destinations, and agronomists and agricultural scientists appear on Australian and Irish lists. Canada regulates agrology, so a P.Ag. is needed there.

Professional regulator: South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP)

Where it can take you

Agricultural Science → Australia

Overall 5/5 · Excellent prospects

Strong fit: Agricultural Consultant, Agricultural Research Scientist and Agronomist are all on the CSOL.

Recognition: 5/5 · Open door. Unregulated there, or the South African qualification is accepted as it is.
Demand: High demand

Sources: Core Skills Occupation List (Home Affairs PDF) · VETASSESS professional occupations · VETASSESS skills assessment fees for professional occupations: Full Skills Assessment online application AUD $1260.60 (includes GST) / AUD $1146.00 (applicant not a resident of Australia for tax purposes) · VETASSESS current processing times: Skills Assessment for Migration - Professional Occupations '7 weeks', which 'may take longer, depending on the complexity of the application'

Qualification and licensing guide

Pay, in rand at the exchange rate

Typical gross pay in each country, turned into rand at the exchange rate. Compare salaries switches between the exchange rate, buying power and after tax, and says how each works.

Netherlands R1.1–1.8m^*2.0× SA

United States R1.1–1.9m1.9× SA

Germany R1.1–1.7m1.8× SA

Australia R630k–1.4m1.7× SA

United Kingdom R840k–1.3m^*1.4× SA

Canada R780k–1.3m1.4× SA

New Zealand R770k–1.4m1.4× SA

Ireland R800k–1.3m^*1.4× SA

South Africa R720–770k^*

South Africa · line: the South African figure · pay range · starting pay · hover or tap a bar for details · gross pay a year, low to high estimate; the bar ends at the typical figure · * weaker figure

Country	Typical gross pay	Range and starting pay	Occupation and source
South Africa	ZAR 745 900 Middle of the pay scale, as gross pay 2026	ZAR 719 600 to 772 200 lowest and highest point of the pay scale, 2026 · DPSA Circular 15 of 2026 OSD salary scales (1 Apr 2026), Appendix E · Converted to gross like the typical figure. PUBLIC, TCE package. Same Scientist (Production) Gr A scale; posts 31/264-266 (agronomy, horticulture, aquaculture) advertised at R791,604. Starting ZAR 624 500 Candidate Scientist (SACNASP candidate, pre-professional registration), usually after an Honours degree, 2026 · DPSA Circular 15 of 2026 OSD salary scales (1 Apr 2026), Appendix E · Converted to gross (x0.909). Candidate scale R687,036-R729,195 TCE. Not discipline-specific.	Scientist (Production) Grade A (agronomy/crop science), OSD Appendix E DPSA Circular 15 of 2026 Appendix E + DPSA Public Service Vacancy Circular 31 of 2026 · Gross pay: package midpoint R820,565 x 0.909 (less the State's GEPF contribution, 13% of the 70% basic). PUBLIC-SECTOR, scale quoted as total-cost packages; amounts below are as quoted. Same scale as natural scientist: R791,604-R849,525. Advertised post 31/264 'Scientist Production Grade A: Agronomy' = R791,604. Private-sector cross-check: PayScale South Africa median R309,100 (crowd-sourced, low confidence).
United Kingdom	GBP 45 382 Median 2025	GBP 35 629 to 56 957 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a Annual pay - Gross, full-time · SOC 2112 (Biological scientists) p75 suppressed (p25 31,080), so minor group 211 Natural and social science professionals p25-p75 used (median 45,333). NCS agronomist range 27,000-60,000. Starting GBP 27 000 Graduate agronomist/agricultural scientist, 2026 · National Careers Service job profile: agronomist ('Starter' salary) · NCS agronomist starter 27,000; experienced 60,000.	SOC2020 2112 Biological scientists (includes 2112/01 Agricultural scientists) ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a Annual pay - Gross, full-time · No separate published agri-science figure; SOC2020 index codes 'agronomist' to 2112/01. Figure is for all biological scientists. CV 15%.
Ireland	EUR 49 920 Median 2023	EUR 39 780 to 64 740 25th to 75th percentile, 2023 · CSO Higher Education Outcomes, table HEO12 Graduate Earnings (NFQ Level 8, 2013 graduates, year 10) · P25 EUR765/wk, P75 EUR1,245/wk x52, same population as typical (P50 960). Field of study, not occupation; includes vet graduates. Starting EUR 31 980 First year after an L8 agriculture-related degree, 2023 · CSO Higher Education Outcomes, table HEO12 Graduate Earnings (NFQ Level 8, 2022 graduates, year 1): Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Veterinary · EUR615/wk x52. Median, earned 2023. Broad field of study; includes part-time workers, so understates full-time pay.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Veterinary graduates (field of study, not occupation) CSO Higher Education Outcomes, table HEO12 Graduate Earnings · P50 weekly earnings EUR960 x52 for NFQ Level 8 graduates of 2013 measured 10 years after graduation. Field of study, not an occupational median; no agronomist pay is published.
Netherlands	EUR 72 176 Median 2025	EUR 55 328 to 91 104 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · CBS StatLine 86355NED Werknemers; uurloon en beroep (p25/p75 gross hourly) · low confidence · BRC 2014 0711 Biologen, wiskundigen en natuurwetenschappers, employees, 2025: p25 26.60/h, p75 43.80/h x2080, excl. holiday pay (as typical). Proxy group as typical. Starting EUR 48 984 New wo-master graduate, 1 year after leaving university, 2024 · CBS StatLine 83815NED Uitstromers ho; uurloon na verlaten onderwijs (median, cohort 2022/'23, 1 yr after leaving) · Wo-master 'Landbouw en natuurlijke omgeving': median 23.55/h x2080, Oct 2024, employees. Mostly Wageningen graduates.	BRC 2014 0711 Biologen, wiskundigen en natuurwetenschappers CBS StatLine 86355NED Werknemers; uurloon en beroep · Median gross hourly x2080 (40h x52). Hourly excl. holiday pay, NL full-time ~36-38h; errors largely offset. Agrarisch deskundigen coded here; not a standalone agronomist figure.
Germany	EUR 67 284 Median 2025	EUR 51 912 to 82 728 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · BA Entgeltatlas (Beschaeftigungsstatistik), Stichtag 31.12.2025, Vollzeit, all ages, Germany · KldB 11104, monthly p25-p75 x12. No official starting figure published (public agricultural grades cover vocational levels only).	KldB 2010 11104 Berufe in der Landwirtschaft (ohne Spezialisierung) - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten BA Entgeltatlas (Beschäftigungsstatistik), Stichtag 31.12.2025 · Median monthly gross full-time x12. Employees in social insurance only (no self-employed/Beamte); capped at 8,050 EUR/mo. Graduate-level agricultural occupations. n=3,123.
United States	USD 78 850 Median 2025	USD 61 660 to 103 740 25th to 75th percentile, 2025 · BLS OEWS May 2025 national (via BLS Public Data API) · OEWS May 2025 national annual 25th/75th percentile for SOC 19-1013; p10 $48,680, p90 $138,120; not top-coded. Starting USD 45 200 1 year after a bachelor's in plant or soil sciences (CIP 01.11 + 01.12), 2022 · College Scorecard field-of-study data (Jun 2026 release), EARN_MDN_1YR · low confidence, not shown on the chart · Grad-weighted median of program medians, earnings 1 yr after completion (2018-20 grads, CY2020-21, 2022 $; working & not enrolled, incl. part-time). Small cohort (2,036 grads).	19-1013 Soil and Plant Scientists BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 national · OEWS national median annual wage, May 2025. Agronomist-equivalent code; broad group 19-1010 Agricultural and Food Scientists is $81,970.
Canada	CAD 83 200 Median 2024	CAD 61 027 to 101 338 25th to 75th percentile, 2024 · Job Bank wage data 2025 release (LFS 2023-2024), national quartiles · Job Bank Q1/Q3 hourly C$29.34/C$48.72 x2080, NOC 21112, LFS 2023-24. Low/high (~p10/p90): C$53,498/C$115,003. Starting CAD 59 700 2 years after a bachelor's in agricultural sciences (CIP 01), 2024 · Statistics Canada Table 37-10-0281 (ELMLP), graduates two years after graduation · Median employment income 2 yrs after graduation (2022 grads, measured 2024, 2024 $); excludes full-time students, includes part-time/part-year workers. Small cohort (~660 grads).	21112 Agricultural representatives, consultants and specialists Job Bank wage data (open data), Labour Force Survey · Closest agronomist/agricultural-scientist code in NOC 2021. National median hourly wage C$40.00 x 2080 h. Job Bank/LFS reference period 2023-2024, published 19 Nov 2025.
Australia	AUD 107 848 Median 2025	AUD 54 600 to 118 100 25th to 75th percentile, estimated from tax statistics (includes part-time), 2024 · ATO Taxation Statistics 2023-24, Individuals Table 14A (occupation unit group x taxable income range); medians from Table 15B · low confidence · p25/p75 interpolated from 5 taxable-income bands (linear density matched to band means). Includes part-time/part-year earners and non-wage income; 2023-24 dollars, not uprated. Starting AUD 75 200 About 4 months after completing the bachelor's degree, full-time employed domestic graduates, 2025 · QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025 national report tables: median full-time salary, undergraduates, by 45 study areas ('Agriculture and forestry') · Agriculture and forestry graduates, 2025 survey (2024: 72,000).	Agricultural and Forestry Scientists (ANZSCO 2341) ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025 (customised report), via JSA Occupation Profiles · Median $2074/wk x52; FT non-managerial adult-rate employees, before tax. Group covers agricultural consultants, agricultural scientists and foresters.
New Zealand	NZD 100 000 Median 2026	NZD 74 000 to 131 000 careers service range, 2026 · Tahatu Career Navigator job profile: Soil and plant scientist ('most common' pay range) · Tahatu 'most common' band (full published range 55,000-165,000); Stats NZ IDI/Census + IR data, percentiles not defined, no vintage stated. Starting NZD 65 000 Graduate, year 1 after the bachelor's, 2026 · Tahatu Career Navigator study page 'Bachelors degrees in agricultural, environmental and soil science': median employed income 1 year after completion (Stats NZ IDI + IR) · Published in $ thousands; vintage not stated; includes part-year/part-time earners. Year-1 p25-p75 57k-75k.	Soil and plant scientist Tahatu Career Navigator (Ministry of Education / Tertiary Education Commission careers service) · Published range $55,000-$165,000, most common $74,000-$131,000. Soil and plant scientist (agronomist) used as the agricultural-scientist proxy.

General information, not immigration or legal advice. Researched 2026-10-07.