AMES, Iowa — The news continues to be good regarding salaries for many recent college graduates seeking jobs in agriculture-related fields.

For the past several years, entry-level salary data for recent graduates has been collected from universities with agricultural programs. The most recent study for the 2014-15 academic year was divided into nine majors such as agricultural economics and business, horticulture and biological sciences. The results were released Aug. 24.

The survey found average starting salaries ranged from $54,652 in the category of technical and biosystems engineering, industrial technology and packaging services, to $33,220 in environmental sciences, fisheries, forestry and wildlife biology. Last year, those were $51,830 and $30,051, respectively.

In addition to listing the average salaries for each category, the survey also noted high and low pay for more specific job classifications. For example, under tech-nical and biosytems, the highest average salary was $63,750 for research and development, and the lowest, $22,000, for jobs in water quality and soil conservation.

The highest salary in the environmental sciences category was $47,000 in timber procurement. The lowest was $18,360 in the companion animal industry.

Seventeen schools participated in the most recent survey, including the University of Illinois, Iowa State University, University of Kentucky, Michigan State University, The Ohio State University and Purdue University.

Agricultural business, animal sciences and technologies all saw solid average salary increases, said Mike Gaul, director of career services for Iowa State’s College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. "A lot of those in traditional agriculture have really done well for themselves," he noted. "It’s a great time to be in a lot of those areas."

Average salaries for jobs in agricultural economics and business were $47,759, up from $45,407 last year. In animal and dairy sciences, salaries averaged $37,232, up from $34,862.

"When you look at some of the mainly production agriculture areas out there, they’re pretty strong," he said. "That’s reflective of supply and demand. It’s the same in ag business. Those increases are attributed solely to supply and demand."

Salary numbers for environmental sciences, horticulture and agronomy were skewed by significant changes in the number of reported salaries, he said. There was a 30 percent increase in agronomy salaries, and a 31 percent drop in horticulture.

The average salary for agronomy and crop sciences was $43,947, down from last year’s $45,986. Horticulture jobs paid an average of $36,080, up from last year’s $33,588. Salaries in agricultural education, biological sciences and food science were flat, Gaul noted.

Jobs in agricultural education, commu-nication and studies paid an average of $41,092, up slightly from last year’s $41,018. Average salaries in biological sciences dipped from $35,020 last year, to $34,280. In food science, human nutrition and dietetics, average salaries rose from $43,996 last year to $44,371 this year.

Students generally look at more than just salaries when considering whether to take a job, he stated. "Some are driven solely by the dollar sign, which is sad, but understandable when you consider the amount of debt they have," Gaul explained. "Others look at where the job is, such as if it’s close to home.

"Some do see the big picture. They know it’s not about a job but about a career. I hope many are looking at career advancement with an organization. I hope they don’t take a job for the sake of taking a job."

A 2012 Insight survey by AgCareers.com found job seekers were most concerned with job duties and responsibilities, said Ashley Collins, education and marketing manager for the company.

Also ranking high were location, salary and benefits. As for job perks, potential employees said they’re most interested in health insurance, flexible work hours and retirement savings.

"We haven’t seen significant change (from previous surveys) in what’s most important to job seekers, but the biggest change has been in the desire for flexible working hours," said Mary Barefoot, HR services manager. "These things have evolved over time. But job duties and responsibilities have always been No. 1."

AgCareers.com started more than 15 years ago. The site features an online job board specific to the agriculture and food industry.

In its 2015 Intern and New Grad Hiring and Compensation Report, it listed annual salaries for new graduates in eight areas. Those with research jobs topped the list with an average of $59,333, while engineering jobs were second at $57,666. Marketing was next at $50,500; followed by sales, $47,364; finance, $46,273; human resources, $44,333; customer service, $41,625; and production/operations, $40,294.

"Salaries in the ag industry are very competitive," Collins said. "There’s a boom in the ag and health care fields. Students have the opportunity to leverage great starting salaries. I wouldn’t say that about some other industries."

In addition to traditional benefits such as health care and retirement savings, companies may offer education reimbursement, expense accounts, clothing allowances and a company car to lure employees.

"Companies are looking for ways to stand apart," Barefoot noted. "They’re offering unique benefits such as training and development and wellness programs, which you wouldn’t have seen in the past."

As for what careers may grow in the near future, Collins said, "If a high school student had an interest in agriculture, I’d steer them toward technology and engineering in drones, automated steering systems and GPS. Not just building and repairing them, but sales. It’s a huge area in agriculture."