Minnesota / Agriculture Department

Agency file

Agriculture Department

Source file: Minnesota — State Employee Payroll / ingested Jun 18, 2026

The Agriculture Department supports agriculture — farming, food safety, livestock, and rural development programs.

In 2025, this agency had 611 employees with median total compensation of $80,497; the highest distinct record was $178,228.

Year: 2025
Total payroll: $44.2M
Employees: 611
Median total: $80,497
Highest record: $178,228

What the records show

Compensation analytics

These summaries compare pay within the agency before listing individual records.

Salary distribution

$262$144,327+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How 2025 total compensation is spread across the 611 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($80,497) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Average pay composition

Base — $70,980 (98%)
Overtime — $268 (0%)
Other — $1,155 (2%)
Benefits — $0 (0%)

What an average paycheck here is made of — base salary versus overtime, other pay (bonuses, allowances), and benefits. A large overtime or other-pay share means take-home often exceeds base salary.

Pay percentiles

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$7,399

$55,828

$80,497

$97,734

$110,939

The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $110,939 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $7,399. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).

Largest job titles

Agricultural Technician

55 · $4,693

State Program Administrative Principal

40 · $92,505

Agricultural Advisor

39 · $83,785

Agricultural Consultant

36 · $97,736

State Program Administrative Senior

26 · $84,522

The most common job titles in this department by headcount, with the median total compensation for each. Click a title to see everyone who holds it.

Trend

Year over year

How this department's total payroll, headcount, and median pay changed across the 2 published years.

Year	Total payroll	Employees	Median pay
2024	$40.5M —	561 —	$78,246 —
2025	$44.2M ▲ 9.1%	611 ▲ 8.9%	$80,497 ▲ 2.9%

Record list

Employees

Page 1

Mark Magnusson

Agricultural Consultant/Agriculture Department

2024 total comp

$46,998

Sub-department: Inspection Unit 1 Staff
Base pay: $10,625
Overtime: $85
Other pay: $36,288
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $46,998
Hire date: 1988-06-27
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 14
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2024: No
Agency Number: B04
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Mark Magnusson is a Agricultural Consultant at Agriculture Department within Inspection Unit 1 Staff. They have served since 1988 (about 36 years), working full-time. 2024 total compensation came to $46,998. Union affiliation: MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Hunter Buntjer

Livestock Weigher 1/Agriculture Department

2025 total comp

$45,071

Sub-department: D&M Livestock Staff
Base pay: $37,281
Overtime: $4,928
Other pay: $2,863
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $45,071
Hire date: 2023-12-20
Employment type: Intermittent
Pay grade: 60
Union / bargaining unit: Service
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 0.1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: B04
Bargaining Unit Number: 203
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Hunter Buntjer holds the role of Livestock Weigher 1 at Agriculture Department within D&M Livestock Staff. Hired in 2023, they have about 2 years of service as a intermittent, 0.1 FTE employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $45,071. Their bargaining unit is Service.

Cassandra Ward

Laboratory Scientist 1/Agriculture Department

2025 total comp

$45,033

Sub-department: Plant Analysis Unit Staff
Base pay: $44,844
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $189
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $45,033
Hire date: 2023-03-01
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 7
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: No
Agency Number: B04
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Cassandra Ward works as a Laboratory Scientist 1 for Agriculture Department within Plant Analysis Unit Staff. Hired in 2023, they have about 2 years of service as a full-time employee. Cassandra earned $45,033 in 2025. They are represented by MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Kajsa Beatty

State Program Administrative Coordinator/Agriculture Department

2025 total comp

$44,081

Sub-department: Ag Conservation Services Staff
Base pay: $44,061
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $20
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $44,081
Hire date: 2019-09-09
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 18
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: B04
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Kajsa Beatty works as a State Program Administrative Coordinator for Agriculture Department within Ag Conservation Services Staff. They have served since 2019 (about 6 years) as a full-time employee. Kajsa earned $44,081 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Richard Bruecker

Food Stndrds Compliance Office/Agriculture Department

2025 total comp

$44,073

Sub-department: Retail Food Plan Review Staff
Base pay: $7,406
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $36,667
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $44,073
Hire date: 1992-06-22
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 14
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: No
Agency Number: B04
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Richard Bruecker works as a Food Stndrds Compliance Office for Agriculture Department within Retail Food Plan Review Staff. Hired in 1992, they have about 33 years of service as a full-time employee. Richard earned $44,073 in 2025. They are represented by MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Carlos Sanchez Barahona

Agricultural Advisor/Agriculture Department

2025 total comp

$43,256

Sub-department: Enforcement Unit Staff
Base pay: $42,406
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $850
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $43,256
Hire date: 2024-03-13
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 10
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: B04
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

At Agriculture Department, Carlos Sanchez Barahona serves as a Agricultural Advisor within Enforcement Unit Staff. Hired in 2024, they have about a year of service, working full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $43,256. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Coltin Wingert

Agricultural Specialist/Agriculture Department

2025 total comp

$43,214

Sub-department: Retail Food Safety A Staff
Base pay: $39,990
Overtime: $835
Other pay: $2,390
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $43,214
Hire date: 2024-03-27
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 7
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: No
Agency Number: B04
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Coltin Wingert works as a Agricultural Specialist for Agriculture Department within Retail Food Safety a Staff. They have served since 2024 (about a year) as a full-time employee. Coltin earned $43,214 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

See Lee

Agricultural Advisor/Agriculture Department

2024 total comp

$43,010

Sub-department: Retail Food Safety D Staff
Base pay: $41,892
Overtime: $346
Other pay: $772
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $43,010
Hire date: 2013-08-21
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 10
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Ramsey

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2024: No
Agency Number: B04
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

See Lee works as a Agricultural Advisor for Agriculture Department within Retail Food Safety D Staff. Their tenure dates to 2013, about 11 years as a full-time employee. See earned $43,010 in 2024. Union affiliation: MN Assoc of Professional Empl.