A study was conducted to identify and verify the professional competencies needed by extension agents in Florida. Closed form opinionnaires were used to survey 254 extension agents and fifteen state staff members concerning 158 competencies. Among the findings was that state staff members rated all competency categories higher than did incumbent extension agents. State staff members rated the most important to the least important competency categories as follows: program planning, maintaining professionalism, understanding human behavior, communication, program execution, public relations, teaching, research, evaluation, administration, and 4-H. Extension agents rated the most important to the least important competency categories as follows: maintaining professionalism, public relations, program planning, communication, program execution, understanding human behavior, teaching, evaluation, administration, research, and 4-H. Previous enrollment in 4-H was not a factor that influenced incumbent agents' perceptions regarding the importance of the competency categories. (LRA)