Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products earn a median of $35,730 per year ($17.18/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 3.4% through 2035, with about 5,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
- SOC 45-2041
- Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products in four numbers
- Median pay
- $35,730a year, or $17.18/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $30KTop 10% $44K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -3.4%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−3.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −3.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 5,80045,400 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202545.4K
- Projected 203543.8K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 45.4K Projected 2035 43.8K - Typical education
- No formal credentialneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school63.8%
- High school26.7%
- Certificate4.7%
- Associate's4.9%
Highest education held by graders and sorters, agricultural products Segment Value Less than high school 63.8% High school 26.7% Certificate 4.7% Associate's 4.9%
Also advertised as: Agriculture Laborer, Apple Sorter, Corn Lab Technician, Distribution Technician, Egg Grader, Egg Worker.
Pay
How much do Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products make?
Every grader and sorter, agricultural products in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$35,730
Middle half earn $34,320 to $38,260
- 10th
- $29,580
- 25th
- $34,320
- 75th
- $38,260
- 90th
- $44,490
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $29,580 |
| 25th | $34,320 |
| Median | $35,730 |
| 75th | $38,260 |
| 90th | $44,490 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $35,730
- Median hourly wage
- $17.18/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $36,430
- People employed
- 25,180
Versus all US occupations
At $35,730, Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products earn 30% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $15,250 a year.
Versus farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
Inside the Farming, Fishing, and Forestry group, where the middle occupation pays $45,005, this is 21% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $44,490 or more while the bottom 10% earn $29,580, a gap of 1.5×. 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 2% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Colorado posts the highest raw median ($48,740), but once local prices are taken into account North Dakota leads at $51,248 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products the most?
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.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Colorado | $48,740 | $47,297 | 230 |
| 2Minnesota | $47,540 | $48,205 | 30 |
| 3Maine | $45,810 | $47,202 | 40 |
| 4North Dakota | $45,590 | $51,248 | 260 |
| 5Nebraska | $45,560 | $50,564 | 330 |
| 6Utah | $42,710 | $43,201 | 100 |
| 7Iowa | $42,450 | $48,369 | 170 |
| 8Massachusetts | $41,770 | $39,496 | 40 |
| 9Maryland | $41,740 | $39,768 | 430 |
| 10Illinois | $41,670 | $41,688 | 220 |
Job outlook
Is Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -3.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products | −3.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products to change -3.4% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 1,500 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 5,800 openings are projected each year, 12.8% of the 45,400 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products
- 1
Typical entry-level education
No formal educational credential
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as graders and sorters, agricultural products.
- Less than a High School Diploma63.8%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)26.7%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree4.9%
- Post-Secondary Certificate4.7%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Less than a High School Diploma | 63.8% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 26.7% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 4.9% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 4.7% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products do?
Grade, sort, or classify unprocessed food and other agricultural products by size, weight, color, or condition.
Day-to-day tasks
- Discard inferior or defective products or foreign matter, and place acceptable products in containers for further processing.
- Weigh products or estimate their weight, visually or by feel.
- Grade and sort products according to factors such as color, species, length, width, appearance, feel, smell, and quality to ensure correct processing and usage.
- Place products in containers according to grade and mark grades on containers.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantLittle or no dealing with customers or the public.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Monitoring2.9
- Active Listening2.8
- Speaking2.8
- Critical Thinking2.5
- Reading Comprehension2.3
- Writing2.3
- Active Learning2.1
- Mathematics1.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | 2.9 |
| Active Listening | 2.8 |
| Speaking | 2.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.5 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.3 |
| Writing | 2.3 |
| Active Learning | 2.1 |
| Mathematics | 1.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Coordination2.5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.3
- Time Management2.3
- Social Perceptiveness2.1
- Complex Problem Solving2.1
- Persuasion1.9
- Service Orientation1.9
- Quality Control Analysis1.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Coordination | 2.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.3 |
| Time Management | 2.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.1 |
| Persuasion | 1.9 |
| Service Orientation | 1.9 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 1.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
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.
- Realistic5.6
- Conventional5.0
- Investigative2.5
- Enterprising2.2
- Artistic1.7
- Social1.5
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.
Explore further
Careers related to Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products
O*NET related occupations
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Production
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operator and Tender
$44,810median a year
Most earn $33K to $63K
+0.4%No formal credential - Production
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutter and Trimmer
$38,300median a year
Most earn $30K to $48K
+5.7%No formal credential - Production
- Production
Packaging and Filling Machine Operator and Tender
$43,220median a year
Most earn $33K to $60K
+4.1%High school - Production
More farming, fishing, and forestry careers
Median annual pay, with graders and sorters, agricultural products highlighted
- First-Line Supervisor of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers$59,320
- Cannabis Cultivation Director$59,320
- Faller$52,100
- Animal Breeder$51,130
- Agricultural Inspector$49,940
- Logging Equipment Operator$49,740
- Agricultural Equipment Operator$41,730
- Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products$35,730
- Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse$35,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisor of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers | $59,320 |
| Cannabis Cultivation Director | $59,320 |
| Faller | $52,100 |
| Animal Breeder | $51,130 |
| Agricultural Inspector | $49,940 |
| Logging Equipment Operator | $49,740 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operator | $41,730 |
| Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products | $35,730 |
| Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | $35,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products appears on
Questions
Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products: frequently asked questions
How much do Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products make?
Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products earn a median of $35,730 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 30% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $17.18/hr. The middle half earn between $34,320 and $38,260. The top 10% earn $44,490 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products?
No. BLS lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry requirement for Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products, 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, 63.8% hold less than a high school diploma.
Is Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 3.4% over 2025–2035, a loss of 1,500 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 5,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products do?
Grade, sort, or classify unprocessed food and other agricultural products by size, weight, color, or condition. A core O*NET task: discard inferior or defective products or foreign matter, and place acceptable products in containers for further processing. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products the most?
The highest state medians for Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products are Colorado ($48,740), Minnesota ($47,540), Maine ($45,810) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, North Dakota moves to the top at $51,248.
What personality type suits a Grader and Sorter, Agricultural Products?
O*NET scores Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products 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 1,731 careers in the bank.