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The University of Tennessee | Institute of Agriculture

Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics

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Careers in FAB

Students graduating with a major in food and agricultural business have many career options:

  • Management or marketing in the farm input supply sector, in large multinational corporations that manufacture inputs such as machinery, chemicals, and feed, as well as local retailers of such items.
  • Management of operations that produce agricultural commodities or process food products.
  • Marketing, logistics or customer service positions with food distributors or retailers.
  • Financial or marketing specialists with financial institutions, insurance agencies, or real estate companies.
  • Policy analysts or administrators with industry organizations and government agencies.
  • Various positions with businesses outside the agri-food system.
  • Graduate study in agricultural economics or agribusiness management, as well as professional programs such as law.

Salaries for graduates range from about $30,000 to well over $40,000, depending upon the type and location of the position.

Students take Ag Econ 310 (The Agricultural Employment Process) during the fall semester of their junior year, which focuses exclusively on career preparation and placement.

The UT Career Services Office provides a wide array of information and services to assist students in this area, and facilitates the on-campus recruitment process.

Below is a sample of employment positions taken by recent FAB graduates:

  Product Development, Syngenta
  Zone Manager, AGCO
  District manager, John Deere Landscape
  Financial Services Officer, Farm Credit Services
  Trust Investments Manager, Suntrust Bank
  Regional Supervisor, TN Farm Bureau
  Marketing Director, TN Dept. of Agriculture
  Distribution Supervisor, Frito Lay
  Training and Development Director, Procter & Gamble
  Vice President, Andrew Johnson Bank
  Commodities Broker, Sparks Refco
  Sales Manager, Syngenta
  Agent, TN Farmers Insurance
  Plant Manager, Bartlett Flour Milling
  Sales Manager, McKee Foods
  Manager, Tractor Supply Co.
  Animal Product Sales Director, TN Farmers Coop
  Sales Manager, McMinn-Loudon Coop
  Manager, Southern States Coop
  Fleet Manager, Covenant Transport
  Sales Manager, American Cyanamid
  Regional Distribution Center Manager, Wal-Mart
  Logistics Manager, Caterpillar
  Grain Merchandiser, Archer Daniels Midland
  Administrator, USDA

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