Agricultural Business and Management at Lake Area Technical College
Watertown, SD · Public · Associate Degree
TradeSchoolWorth Score (Base Case)
69
Strong Growth
66
Base Case
61
Conservative
Earnings
$41,340/yr (14% vs median)
AI-Proof
Moderate (52% shielded)
Job Market
Very Large (398,100 openings/yr)
Future-Proof Earnings
Three scenarios modeling future earnings based on technology adoption rates and job market trends for Agricultural Business and Management graduates.
| Strong Growth Full Stability |
Base Case Moderate Changes |
Conservative Max Disruption |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $490K | $388K | $302K |
| Earnings Multiple | 36.5x | 28.9x | 22.5x |
| Viable Career Paths | 9 of 9 | 9 of 9 | 8 of 9 |
| TradeSchoolWorth Score | 69 | 66 | 61 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as technology and market conditions evolve over time.
Program Tuition
$13,436
Median Debt at Graduation
$12,000
3.5 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$47,845
16% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Agricultural Business and Management graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 398,100 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economics teachers, postsecondary | $119,980 | 1,200 | +2.1% | 52% |
| Economists | $115,440 | 900 | +1.2% | 39% |
| Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers | $87,980 | 85,500 | -1.3% | 63% |
| Agricultural sciences teachers, postsecondary | $86,350 | 800 | +4.1% | 50% |
| Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products | $66,780 | 114,800 | +0.3% | 38% |
| First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers | $66,140 | 144,500 | -0.3% | 51% |
| Computer user support specialists | $60,340 | 40,800 | -3.7% | 39% |
| First-line supervisors of farming, fishing, and forestry workers | $59,330 | 8,500 | +2.5% | 72% |
Compare & Explore
Agricultural Business and Management Overview
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the TradeSchoolWorth Score for Agricultural Business and Management at Lake Area Technical College?
This program scores 66/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 61 (conservative) to 69 (strong growth) depending on market conditions.
How AI-proof is a career in Agricultural Business and Management?
We model three scenarios: Strong Growth (full career stability), Base Case (moderate changes), and Conservative (maximum disruption). In the base case, Agricultural Business and Management graduates retain 9 of 9 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $302,236 (conservative) to $489,958 (strong growth).
How many job openings are there for Agricultural Business and Management graduates?
The career paths mapped to Agricultural Business and Management have roughly 398,100 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a very large job market.
Is Agricultural Business and Management at Lake Area Technical College worth it?
In the Base Case, this program earns 28.9x its tuition over 10 years. Even in the Conservative scenario, the multiple is 22.5x. The narrow spread between scenarios shows how stable trade careers are compared to desk jobs.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios model earnings resilience using AI exposure data and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2026.