MEET THE PRO: Jase Hambrick, Agricultural Equipment Technician
By Arkansas Next on Thursday, September 15, 2022
Hometown: Batesville
Age: 20
Where I Trained: Arkansas State University-Beebe
What I Earned: Associate degree in Diesel Technology
Job: Service technician on agriculture equipment
Employer: Greenway Equipment
Jase enjoys learning something new every day at his job. One day, he could be replacing a hydraulic line on a skid-steer loader, and the next, he’s splitting tractor cases for repair.
Jase earned his associate degree from ASU-Beebe’s John Deere program, which trains young professionals to better understand the operation of different machine systems and learn exactly how they operate. Technical schooling and hands-on learning are important when preparing for a career in agriculture equipment tech.
“With new technology by John Deere always being developed, there is always room to further your training,” Jase said. “We are lucky at Greenway to have an in-house training department that is always willing to help us anytime we need.”
Jase decided to enroll in the John Deere program because he wanted to be able to apply what he learned not just to John Deere equipment, but also to construction and forestry machines.
He enjoys putting in the hard work at his job, and is grateful for the on-the-job training offered by Greenway, which also sponsored him in the program. A nice perk has been having the know-how to tap into outside of work, too—like when he needs to repair his own vehicles. That's money in the bank!
WHAT DOES AN AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT TECHNICIAN DO?
Assemble, maintain and repair agricultural equipment both in the shop and in the field.
Education needed:
A high school diploma, a degree from a technical school and hands-on experience.
Job Outlook
► 760 annual projected job openings in Arkansas
This option is for you if
- You love to fix things
- You're a problem-solver
- You never tire of learning
- You have an interest in agriculture
High-end earners in Arkansas (top 10%) make
$61,170
Mean wages in Arkansas
$45,380 Annual
$21.82 Hourly
START YOUR TRAINING
- Arkansas State University-Beebe
- Arkansas State University-Newport
- Greenway Equipment
- Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas
- Simmons Foods
- Stribling Equipment
- University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville
READY TO HIRE YOU
- Arkansas Department of Agriculture
- Greenway Equipment
- OK Foods
- Riceland
- Simmons Foods
- Stribling Equipment
Source: bls.gov
