Agricultural Careers

Equipment Dealer

By: Dr. Frank Flanders and Anna Burgess

Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office

Georgia Department of Education

June 2005

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What does an Equipment Dealer do?

•Hire and fire employees

•Commit to selling a high quality product at an affordable price to local producers

•Look after the inventory of equipment parts

•Regularly learn more about new equipment through courses held by equipment manufacturers

•May travel to various places, including farms, to sell equipment and represent dealers and manufacturers

Qualities & Skills Needed

An equipment dealer needs to have the knowledge of farm equipment, both large and small.

Good communication skills and a friendly personality are a must. They do a lot of work with the public.

Good business and money management skills are a necessary to ensure ones business is successful

Work Environment & Salary

Work Environment:•Generally clean and pleasant•Standing most of the time•Traveling equipment dealers may spend a good deal of time driving•Traveling dealers spend much of their time outdoors in various weather conditions•Outdoors work will be done when dealing with customers and much indoor work is done at a computer.

Salary: The average salary for a beginning equipment dealer is $27,625 to $36,000 a year. Dealership owners and dealers with experience can earn much more. Paid holidays, paid vacations, health insurance, and other benefits are included. Traveling dealers are usually given a vehicle for business use and are paid back for using their own car.

Education & Projected Growth

Education:A high school education is required in addition to specialized training in agriculture. Experience on a farm is very advantageous to a person desiring to be an equipment dealer. Although not required, employers desire candidates to have an associates degree or two years of post-secondary schooling.

Projected Growth:The growth of this field is expected to grow slower than average in the number of dealers through the year 2008. Because of the decrease in wholesale trade in farm machinery, equipment dealers will be needed more for replacing retired employees or those who leave their job.

Becoming an Equipment Dealer

•Take agricultural, marketing and business classes

•Some colleges in farming areas offer degrees in farm equipment technology or applied engineering technology. Either would be extremely beneficial

•Work at a local equipment dealership to get to know the basics of the company and find out if that is what you really want to do.

Related Organizations

Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association1000 Executive Parkway, Suite 100

St. Louis, MO 63141Internet: http://www.farmequip.org

North American Equipment Dealers Association1195 Smizer Mill Road

Fenton, MO 63026Internet: http://www.naeda.com

Association of Equipment Manufacturers111 E. Wisconsin Ave. Suite 1000

Milwaukee, WI 53202-4806Internet: http://www.aem.org