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Agricultural Grader Jobs (NOW HIRING)

LUMA

Butter Grader

Burley, ID · On-site

$40/hr

The Idaho State Department of Agriculture is currently recruiting for a part time Butter Grader in the Animal division. The duty station will be located in the Magic Valley. Apply today! SPECIAL ...

State of Maryland

MD · On-site

$46K - $72K/yr

Introduction The Maryland Department of Agriculture is a department under Maryland's Executive ... Forest Pest Management Program GRADE GRADE 10 This position offers a salary range of $46,279.00-$72 ...

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Agricultural Grader information

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 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 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.

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.

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 inspection procedures is important. Certification may be required for certain commodities or regions.
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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, 10% Part Time, 1% Temporary, 2% Contract, and 4% Nights. Highlights an 94% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution.

Agricultural Commodity Grader (Dairy)

Agricultural Marketing Service

Eagan, MN • On-site, Remote

$67K - $110K/yr

Full-time

Posted 2 days ago

New

Agricultural Research Service rating

6.2

Company rating: 6.2 out of 10

Based on 5 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

69th of 73 rated research

Job description

Summary
Serves as an Agricultural Commodity Grader responsible primarily for conducting plant survey inspections of dairy processing plants by evaluating plant premises, equipment, operations and products to determine compliance with official specifications/requirements and eligibility for official plant approval status. Performs verification audits according to established procedures and will also perform grading and inspection of dairy food products.
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Duties
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  • The duties may include, but are not limited to:
  • Plans, schedules, conducts, and reports the results of verification audits according to established procedures.
  • The audits may require interpretation of complex quality system documentation as it relates to generic or program specific standards.
  • Conducts a methodical check and evaluation of facilities, processing equipment, processing and packaging methods, sanitation procedures, and quality improvement program at dairy plants.
  • Prepares detailed inspection reports covering a large number of carefully examined items in each inspection to determine plant compliance with the specifications and overall program requirements.
  • Meets with plant management to explain plant evaluation findings and makes recommendations for correction of conditions that are not in compliance with specifications.
  • Selects representative samples of product for test weighing and for container and product quality examination, and prepares samples for transmittal to designated laboratory analysis.
  • Determines the final U.S. Grade according to official Grade Standards for each lot and unit thereof, and prepares graders' memoranda, sampling reports and/or official certificates for product,

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/.
  • Selectee will be subject to a pre-employment medical statement and/or exam.
  • 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.
  • This position requires the selected candidates' participation in a 32 hour ISO 9001 Lead Auditor Course and the successful completion of the final exam.

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:
  • Inspect products for compliance with all types of contract specifications, to recognize all product defects.
  • Make, explain, or defend nearly all inspection determinations, only rarely requiring technical assistance in borderline cases.
  • Inspect or evaluate complicated processing equipment and procedures, and conditions of storage or transportation, such as is typical of most dairy products production and advising industry employees on product quality control methods.

OR OR Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in Dairy Science, Food Science, Animal Science, Biology, Microbiology, Agriculture, Life Sciences, or related fields. 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
Please see above for education qualification requirement information.
Additional information
  • Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), Visit the OPM website for information on how to apply as a CTAP, RPL, eligible. To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP 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. When assessed through a score-based category rating method, CTAP applicants must receive a rating of at least 85 out of a possible 100.
  • Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expense associated with reporting for duty will be the responsibility of the selected employee.
  • Locality pay will vary based upon the selectee's duty location. A final salary determination will be made upon selection.
  • 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.
  • This position involves Mobile Work: Mobile work is characterized by routine and regular travel to conduct work in customer or other worksites as opposed to a single authorized alternative worksite. Examples of mobile work include site audits, site inspections, investigations, property management, and work performed while commuting, traveling between worksites, or on Temporary Duty (TDY).
  • If selected for this position, you will remain in your current official duty station of record unless you are in the National Capital Region. Selectees with a current duty station in the National Capital Region defined as the District of Columbia; Montgomery and Prince George's Counties of Maryland; Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William Counties of Virginia and all cities and towns included within the outer boundaries of those counties will need a new duty station established prior to entrance on duty. Selectees located anywhere else will not be able to voluntarily change their duty station as part of this selection process.

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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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