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Agricultural Grader information

What does an agricultural grader do?

An Agricultural Grader is responsible for inspecting and grading agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, or grains to determine their quality and ensure they meet industry standards. They use specific criteria, such as size, color, maturity, and absence of defects, to classify products. Agricultural Graders often work in warehouses, processing plants, or shipping areas, and their evaluations help determine the value and marketability of the produce. Their work is essential for ensuring that consumers receive safe and high-quality food products.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an agricultural grader?

To thrive as an Agricultural Grader, you need a keen eye for detail, strong knowledge of grading standards, and typically a high school diploma or equivalent. Familiarity with inspection tools, grading equipment, and computerized record-keeping systems is often required. Attention to detail, effective communication, and integrity help ensure precise assessments and accurate reporting. These skills are crucial for maintaining product quality, meeting regulatory standards, and supporting fair market practices.

What are some common challenges agricultural graders face during peak harvest seasons?

During peak harvest seasons, Agricultural Graders often encounter high workloads and tight timeframes as large volumes of produce need to be assessed quickly and accurately. This can lead to long shifts and the need to maintain focus to ensure quality standards are met without errors. Adapting to variations in produce quality and collaborating with other team members, such as farm workers and quality control supervisors, is essential to keep operations running smoothly. Effective communication and time management skills help graders overcome these challenges while maintaining product consistency.

What is the difference between Agricultural Grader vs Agricultural Inspector?

AspectAgricultural GraderAgricultural Inspector
CertificationsTypically requires agricultural or grading certificationsRequires agricultural or food safety certifications
Work EnvironmentOn farms, packing facilities, or grading stationsField inspections, processing plants, or regulatory agencies
Employer & Industry UsageUsed by farms, packing houses, and agricultural companiesEmployed by government agencies, food safety organizations, or farms

While both roles involve working with agricultural products, an Agricultural Grader primarily assesses and grades produce for quality, often working directly in packing or processing facilities. An Agricultural Inspector focuses on ensuring compliance with safety and quality standards, often working in the field or regulatory settings. Both roles require agricultural knowledge and certifications but differ in their focus and work environment.

How to get a job as an agricultural grader?

To become an agricultural grader, candidates typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and relevant experience in agriculture or food processing. Training is often provided on the job, and knowledge of quality standards and grading procedures is important; some positions may require certification or familiarity with grading tools and equipment.
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Agricultural Grader jobs near you
Infographic showing various Agricultural Grader job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 82% Full Time, 11% Part Time, 1% Temporary, 1% Contract, and 4% Nights. Highlights an 93% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution.

Agricultural Commodity Grader (Meat) (Relief Grader)

Grand Island, NE • On-site, Remote

Agricultural Marketing Service
5 - 10K employees

6.2

Company rating: 6.2 out of 10

Based on 5 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

71st of 74 rated research

Learn more about Agricultural Marketing Serviceexternal

$67K - $88K/yr

Full-time

Posted 5 days ago

Job description

Summary
This position is located with the Livestock and Poultry Program, Quality Assessment Division, Grading Services Branch, which is responsible for developing, implementing, and administering programs for the grading, certification, and inspection of QAD commodities. The incumbent typically serves as the sole grader for a shift or assignment; and is responsible for all phases of grading, inspection, and certification activities, including those involving complex or borderline determinations.
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Duties
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  • The duties may include, but are not limited to:
  • Monitors the plant and processing operations to assure that the plant remains in compliance with regulations.
  • Assigned to provide service in a large geographic area and is subject to TDY assignments or details to different geographical areas.
  • Maintains relations with plant management and employees.
  • Prepares and maintains a variety of reports and records.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment
  • You must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Individuals who were born male after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served. Refer to the Next Steps section for more information.
  • Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/.
  • Valid state driver's license is required at the time of application.
  • Prior to an official offer, selectee will be required to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) acknowledging/accepting that geographic mobility is a condition of employment. Failure to sign the MOU will result in withdrawal of the job offer.
  • All USDA employees are required to be enrolled in Continuous Vetting, which authorizes government agencies to receive notifications of criminal activity on individuals who hold low risk, public trust, or national security positions.

Qualifications
Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement including time-in-grade restrictions, specialized experience and/or education, as defined below.
TIME-IN-GRADE: Current federal employees applying for a promotion opportunity must meet time-in-grade (TIG) requirement of 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.
FOR THE GS-10 LEVEL: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-09 level) that may have been obtained in the private or public (local, county, state, Federal) sectors which demonstrates:
  • Independently grading and/or inspecting primary products in the commodity group and performing difficult assignments such as: regularly making borderline grading decisions on a variety of products; or applying the full range of grading skills at an extremely fast pace requiring instant determinations.
  • Performing the full range of grading and/or inspection tasks involved in supplying grading services to producers or members of the trade in the commodity specialization.
  • Inspecting or evaluating more complicated processing equipment and procedures, and conditions of storage or transportation and advising industry employees on product quality control methods.
  • Serving as technical expert, performing final grading on reviews, making appeal determinations, resolving controversies, or providing broad technical guidance.
  • Inspecting complex formulations, processing procedures, and sanitation conditions in order to generate and review reports, ensure uniform application by staff, and make recommendations for improvement, as needed.

OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Agriculture, Mathematics, Engineering, Economics, Business, Science or related field.
OR 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree.
OR LL.M., if related.
Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for this grade level.
TRANSCRIPTS are required if:
  • You are qualifying for the position based on education.
  • You are qualifying for this position based on a combination of experience and education.
  • This education must have been successfully completed and obtained from an accredited school, college, or university.

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE AT THE GS-10 GRADE LEVEL: Applicants may have combinations of successfully completed education and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify for that grade level.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
This position does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
  • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, or ICTAP eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP candidates must be rated and determined to be well qualified (or above) based on an evaluation of the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section. CTAP/ICTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100 to receive selection priority.
  • Veterans who are preference eligible or who have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions after three years or more of continuous active service are eligible for consideration under the Veteran's Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA).
  • For more information on applying under special hiring authorities such as the Veteran's Recruitment Act (VRA), 30 percent disabled veterans, Schedule A Disabled, etc., explore the different Hiring Paths on the USAJOBS website.
  • Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Employees: Permanent County employees without prior Federal tenure who are selected for a Civil Service position under Public Law 105-277 will be given a career-conditional appointment and must serve a 1-year probationary period.
  • First time hires to the federal government normally start at the lowest rate of the salary range for the grade selected.
  • Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses may be paid.
  • A final salary determination will be made upon selection.
  • Prolonged standing, walking, stooping, bending, twisting, and climbing; physical coordination and balance on ladders, elevated and non-elevated apparatus, and when required to get in and out of chilling/freezing, holding, and storage facilities.
  • Finger dexterity in at least one or both hands/fingers to perform digital examinations of commodities, and grasping/handling or moving equipment.
  • Normal or corrected vision in at least one eye for distance, depth perception, and color to detect abnormalities in product.
  • Work environment includes regular and reoccurring moderate discomforts working in and exposure to: freezing, humid, and/or hot temperatures dust; odors; and wet and/or slippery surfaces.
  • Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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