State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse earn a median of $35,660 per year ($17.15/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 3.3% through 2034, with about 71,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
SOC 45-2092Farming, Fishing, and ForestryLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $35,660
- Projected growth
- -3.3%
- Openings a year
- 71,700
- Typical education
- No formal credential
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Farm Laborer, Farmer, Field Irrigation Worker, Gardener, Greenhouse Worker, Grower.
How much do Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse make?
10th percentile$32,900
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$34,320
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$35,660
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$38,840
Upper quartile
90th percentile$45,690
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $35,660 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $17.15/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $37,630 |
| People employed | 265,500 |
Versus all US occupations
At $35,660, Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse earn 30% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $15,320 a year.
Versus farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
Inside the Farming, Fishing, and Forestry group, where the middle occupation pays $46,330, this is 23% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $45,690 or more while the bottom 10% earn $32,900, a gap of 1.4×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 3% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Wyoming pays the most at $55,180, and still leads at $59,531 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $55,180 | $59,531 | 50 |
| South Dakota | $42,260 | $47,705 | 190 |
| Montana | $41,390 | $43,732 | 720 |
| Illinois | $41,050 | $41,067 | 2,850 |
| New York | $40,930 | $37,926 | 2,760 |
| Nebraska | $39,530 | $43,872 | 440 |
| Washington | $39,170 | $36,603 | 13,490 |
| Maine | $39,060 | $40,247 | 280 |
| Michigan | $38,680 | $40,201 | 5,410 |
| Maryland | $38,420 | $36,605 | 1,380 |
Is Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse a growing career?
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse-3.3%
All US occupations3.1%
-3.3% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse to change -3.3% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 16,800 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 71,700 openings are projected each year, 14.2% of the 504,800 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of agricultural workers is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of agricultural workers varies by occupation (see table).
Despite increased demand for crops and other agricultural products, demand for some types of farmworkers and agricultural workers is expected to be limited as agricultural establishments continue to use technologies that increase farmworkers’ productivity.
How to become a Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
Most agricultural workers do not need a formal educational credential to enter these occupations; however, animal breeders typically need at least a high school diploma. Agricultural workers typically receive on-the-job training.
| Typical entry-level education | No formal educational credential |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse.
- Less than a High School Diploma39.0%
- High School Diploma28.5%
- Bachelor's Degree15.3%
- Some College Courses5.3%
- Master's Degree5.1%
What does a Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse do?
Manually plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables, fruits, nuts, horticultural specialties, and field crops. Use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives. Duties may include tilling soil and applying fertilizers; transplanting, weeding, thinning, or pruning crops; applying pesticides; or cleaning, grading, sorting, packing, and loading harvested products. May construct trellises, repair fences and farm buildings, or participate in irrigation activities.
Agricultural workers maintain crops and tend livestock. They perform physical labor and operate machinery under the supervision of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers.
Day-to-day tasks
- Operate tractors, tractor-drawn machinery, and self-propelled machinery to plow, harrow and fertilize soil, or to plant, cultivate, spray and harvest crops.
- Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment.
- Harvest plants, and transplant or pot and label them.
- Identify plants, pests, and weeds to determine the selection and application of pesticides and fertilizers.
- Direct and monitor the work of casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting.
- Participate in the inspection, grading, sorting, storage, and post-harvest treatment of crops.
- Load agricultural products into trucks, and drive trucks to market or storage facilities.
- Record information about crops, such as pesticide use, yields, or costs.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Speaking3.0/5
- Active Listening2.9/5
- Reading Comprehension2.8/5
- Writing2.8/5
- Critical Thinking2.8/5
- Monitoring2.8/5
- Active Learning2.6/5
- Learning Strategies2.5/5
Transferable skills
- Operations Monitoring3.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.8/5
- Operation and Control2.8/5
- Repairing2.8/5
- Time Management2.8/5
- Equipment Maintenance2.6/5
- Troubleshooting2.6/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.6/5
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Internet browser software
- Mobile location based services software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary7.0
Investigative2.3
Artistic1.3
Social1.9
Enterprising2.4
Conventionalprimary3.4
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse: frequently asked questions
How much do Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse make?
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse earn a median of $35,660 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 30% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $17.15/hr. The middle half earn between $34,320 and $38,840. The top 10% earn $45,690 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as little or no preparation. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 39.0% hold less than a high school diploma.
Is Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 3.3% over 2024–2034, a loss of 16,800 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 71,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse do?
Agricultural workers maintain crops and tend livestock. A core O*NET task: operate tractors, tractor-drawn machinery, and self-propelled machinery to plow, harrow and fertilize soil, or to plant, cultivate, spray and harvest crops. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse the most?
The highest state medians for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse are Wyoming ($55,180), South Dakota ($42,260), Montana ($41,390) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse?
O*NET scores Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.