The competencies necessary for entry and advancement in cotton production were determined by surveying people in the cotton production industry from nine of the ten leading cotton producing states. A preliminary listing of competencies was developed from a review of the literature and from a survey of specialized personnel in soil and crop sciences. The 43 respondents, identified by state directors of agricultural education, rated each specific competency for cotton production in terms of the relative importance associated with employability at the entry and first advancement levels. Responses were summarized in table form, indicating the number of responses for each degree of relative importance, the number of people not responding, and the weighted mean for each duty and specific and general competency. The relative importance of 158 specific competencies and two general competencies for cotton production were rank ordered with the weighted mean given for each. Appendixes contain membership lists of advisory and validating committees, the number of respondents from the ten leading cotton producing states, a rank order of cotton production duties with component general competencies rank ordered within the duty, and a cotton production employee job description. (NJ)