💡 Why it matters: Many farmers never hear about better seeds or safer methods. Extension officers visit farming communities, teach what works and carry farmers' problems back to researchers.
🌍 Around the world
- Nigeria: Many Nigerian farmers never hear about better seeds or safer methods, which is why extension officers matter.
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦1.2M – ₦2.8M
- Mid-career
- ₦3M – ₦6M
- Senior
- ₦6M – ₦14M
≈ ₦250k – ₦500k a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Closest UK job profile: Agronomist (agricultural adviser and consultant are alternative titles). Typical starter to experienced salary. National Careers Service, 2026
🇺🇸 United States
Closest US category: Farm and home management educators (OEWS). Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023
🇨🇦 Canada
Closest Job Bank occupation: Agricultural Representative. Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Visit farms and demonstrate better growing methods
- Hold training sessions for farmer groups
- Help farmers get seeds, fertiliser and loans
- Collect farmers' problems and share them with researchers
- Keep records of what is working in each community
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Communication
- Patience
- Farm knowledge
- Teaching
- Local languages
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Apply to state agricultural agencies as a field officer
- Volunteer with an NGO that supports farmers
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Graduate training schemes with consultancies, seed or fertiliser companies and charities
- Agriculture apprenticeships, then move into advisory work
🇺🇸 United States
- Cooperative Extension offices run by land-grant universities (requirements vary by state)
- Start as a technician or assistant and work up
🇨🇦 Canada
- Provincial agriculture ministries and farm organizations hire agricultural representatives
- Start in farm or crop-supply jobs and add college courses
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Study Agricultural Science and English in school
- 2Help out on a farm and learn local farming practice
- 3Earn a degree in agricultural extension or agronomy
- 4Join a state agency, NGO or agribusiness as a field officer
- 5Move up to programme manager or work with international agencies
⏰ A day in the life
You ride out to a village to show a farmer group how to plant in rows to boost yield. You answer their questions, help one woman apply for a small loan, and file a short report back at the office.