Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse (SOC 45-2092) earn a median $35,660 a year ($17.15 an hour) in the United States, with 265,500 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Wyoming.
What farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse do
Farmworkers and laborers in crops, nurseries, and greenhouses plant, cultivate, and harvest by hand a range of crops: vegetables, fruits, nuts, field crops, and horticultural specialties. They use hand tools including shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives. Work can involve tilling and fertilizing, transplanting, weeding, thinning, or pruning crops, applying pesticides, and cleaning, grading, sorting, packing, and loading what has been harvested. Workers harvest fruits and vegetables by hand, harvest plants and transplant or pot and label them, and set up and operate irrigation equipment. Some construct trellises, repair fences and farm buildings, or repair and maintain farm vehicles and implements. They may keep records on crops, for example pesticide use, yields, or costs, direct and monitor casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting, and tell farmers or farm managers how the crop is progressing. Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators for vegetation, graders and sorters of agricultural products, and forest, conservation, and logging workers are excluded and have their own codes.
Typical entry: O*NET survey respondents most often report less than a high school diploma as the education level for this occupation.
Also called: Agriculture Laborer, Agriculture Worker, Apple Picker, Apple Thinner, Apple Turner.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $15.82 | $16.50 | $17.15 | $18.67 | $21.96 | $18.09 | 265,500 |
| Annual | $32,900 | $34,320 | $35,660 | $38,840 | $45,690 | $37,630 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Wyoming | Hourly | $20.88 | $22.63 | $26.53 | $27.43 | $28.16 | $24.64 | 50 | 0.17 | 0.10 |
| Annual | $43,430 | $47,060 | $55,180 | $57,050 | $58,570 | $51,250 | ||||
| South Dakota | Hourly | $14.51 | $17.27 | $20.32 | $22.74 | $24.08 | $19.86 | 190 | 0.41 | 0.24 |
| Annual | $30,180 | $35,930 | $42,260 | $47,290 | $50,080 | $41,310 | ||||
| Montana | Hourly | $13.50 | $16.00 | $19.90 | $22.67 | $24.25 | $19.57 | 720 | 1.40 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $28,080 | $33,280 | $41,390 | $47,150 | $50,440 | $40,710 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.24 | $17.27 | $19.74 | $22.48 | $24.53 | $20.21 | 2,850 | 0.47 | 0.27 |
| Annual | $31,700 | $35,920 | $41,050 | $46,760 | $51,010 | $42,040 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.32 | $17.43 | $19.68 | $21.94 | $23.35 | $20.21 | 2,760 | 0.29 | 0.17 |
| Annual | $33,950 | $36,240 | $40,930 | $45,640 | $48,570 | $42,030 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.58 | $17.11 | $18.09 | $21.57 | $18.20 | 172,260 | 9.46 | 5.54 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $34,490 | $35,580 | $37,630 | $44,870 | $37,860 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $16.86 | $17.53 | $18.83 | $20.51 | $21.50 | $19.42 | 13,490 | 3.80 | 2.22 |
| Annual | $35,080 | $36,470 | $39,170 | $42,650 | $44,720 | $40,400 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.35 | $14.08 | $14.73 | $17.22 | $21.47 | $16.17 | 9,180 | 0.92 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $27,770 | $29,280 | $30,640 | $35,820 | $44,660 | $33,630 | ||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $14.79 | $14.97 | $16.86 | $17.21 | $17.98 | $16.74 | 7,110 | 2.20 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $30,770 | $31,140 | $35,080 | $35,790 | $37,400 | $34,820 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $14.76 | $15.12 | $16.38 | $17.98 | $20.99 | $17.07 | 6,780 | 3.45 | 2.02 |
| Annual | $30,700 | $31,460 | $34,070 | $37,400 | $43,670 | $35,500 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | Hourly | $15.00 | $17.00 | $23.26 | $23.61 | $26.45 | $21.55 | 130 | 1.20 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $35,360 | $48,390 | $49,100 | $55,010 | $44,830 | ||||
| Portland-South Portland, ME | Hourly | $17.50 | $20.32 | $23.18 | $28.19 | $35.38 | $24.71 | 60 | 0.20 | 0.12 |
| Annual | $36,400 | $42,260 | $48,210 | $58,640 | $73,590 | $51,410 | ||||
| Bloomington, IL | Hourly | $15.35 | $18.00 | $22.70 | $22.70 | $24.01 | $21.23 | 40 | 0.48 | 0.28 |
| Annual | $31,930 | $37,440 | $47,210 | $47,220 | $49,940 | $44,150 | ||||
| Helena, MT | Hourly | $15.79 | $18.22 | $22.41 | $23.25 | $29.57 | $21.75 | 60 | 1.32 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $32,840 | $37,890 | $46,610 | $48,360 | $61,500 | $45,240 | ||||
| Lincoln, NE | Hourly | $16.33 | $16.75 | $21.77 | $29.83 | $29.83 | $22.69 | 60 | 0.31 | 0.18 |
| Annual | $33,970 | $34,850 | $45,280 | $62,040 | $62,040 | $47,200 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.50 | $16.64 | $16.95 | $17.46 | $17.19 | 32,500 | 96.08 | 56.27 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $34,320 | $34,620 | $35,260 | $36,330 | $35,760 | ||||
| Fresno, CA | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.50 | $16.64 | $16.95 | $18.44 | $17.54 | 28,570 | 59.90 | 35.08 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $34,320 | $34,610 | $35,260 | $38,360 | $36,480 | ||||
| Salinas, CA | Hourly | $16.90 | $17.27 | $17.64 | $20.22 | $22.81 | $19.36 | 26,830 | 143.93 | 84.30 |
| Annual | $35,140 | $35,920 | $36,700 | $42,060 | $47,450 | $40,270 | ||||
| Visalia, CA | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.50 | $16.73 | $16.93 | $18.38 | $17.48 | 21,420 | 125.15 | 73.29 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $34,320 | $34,800 | $35,210 | $38,240 | $36,360 | ||||
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | Hourly | $16.50 | $17.09 | $17.42 | $19.00 | $20.12 | $18.14 | 11,020 | 54.87 | 32.14 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $35,550 | $36,230 | $39,520 | $41,860 | $37,730 | ||||
Top industries employing farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
Support Activities for Crop Production employ 73.7% of farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse nationally (195,600 jobs) at a median $35,260 a year ($16.95 an hour), followed by Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) (5.4%) and Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Retailers (5.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support Activities for Crop Production NAICS 115100 | 195,600 | 73.7% | $35,260 | $16.95 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) NAICS 4240A3 | 14,310 | 5.4% | $36,400 | $17.50 |
| Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Retailers NAICS 444200 | 13,610 | 5.1% | $35,560 | $17.10 |
| Other Miscellaneous Retailers NAICS 459900 | 5,950 | 2.2% | $36,590 | $17.59 |
| Beverage Manufacturing NAICS 312100 | 5,300 | 2.0% | $38,540 | $18.53 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (265,500). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $29,630 for farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse in May 2021 and $35,660 in May 2025, with employment of 277,200 and 265,500.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $29,630 | $14.25 | 277,200 |
| May 2022 | $33,000 | $15.87 | 284,000 |
| May 2023 | $34,470 | $16.57 | 258,730 |
| May 2024 | $35,690 | $17.16 | 261,690 |
| May 2025 | $35,660 | $17.15 | 265,500 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
50 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming profile | $26.53 | $55,180 | $43,430 | $58,570 | 50 | 0.17 | 0.10 |
| 2 | South Dakota profile | $20.32 | $42,260 | $30,180 | $50,080 | 190 | 0.41 | 0.24 |
| 3 | Montana profile | $19.90 | $41,390 | $28,080 | $50,440 | 720 | 1.40 | 0.82 |
| 4 | Illinois profile | $19.74 | $41,050 | $31,700 | $51,010 | 2,850 | 0.47 | 0.27 |
| 5 | New York profile | $19.68 | $40,930 | $33,950 | $48,570 | 2,760 | 0.29 | 0.17 |
| 6 | Nebraska profile | $19.01 | $39,530 | $28,950 | $60,700 | 440 | 0.43 | 0.25 |
| 7 | Washington profile | $18.83 | $39,170 | $35,080 | $44,720 | 13,490 | 3.80 | 2.22 |
| 8 | Maine profile | $18.78 | $39,060 | $34,220 | $58,410 | 280 | 0.44 | 0.26 |
| 9 | Michigan profile | $18.60 | $38,680 | $30,550 | $44,080 | 5,410 | 1.23 | 0.72 |
| 10 | Maryland profile | $18.47 | $38,420 | $33,280 | $49,030 | 1,380 | 0.50 | 0.29 |
| 11 | Massachusetts profile | $18.38 | $38,220 | $34,950 | $50,430 | 1,340 | 0.37 | 0.22 |
| 12 | Colorado profile | $18.35 | $38,170 | $33,210 | $53,360 | 2,450 | 0.85 | 0.50 |
| 13 | Minnesota profile | $18.31 | $38,080 | $29,760 | $50,380 | 1,200 | 0.41 | 0.24 |
| 14 | New Jersey profile | $18.13 | $37,710 | $33,520 | $49,330 | 2,430 | 0.57 | 0.33 |
| 15 | Iowa profile | $18.07 | $37,590 | $29,120 | $46,700 | 930 | 0.60 | 0.35 |
| 16 | Rhode Island profile | $18.05 | $37,540 | $31,200 | $49,630 | 230 | 0.46 | 0.27 |
| 17 | Ohio profile | $18.01 | $37,470 | $26,740 | $54,100 | 1,990 | 0.36 | 0.21 |
| 18 | Kansas profile | $17.80 | $37,020 | $28,440 | $46,980 | 900 | 0.62 | 0.37 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania profile | $17.80 | $37,010 | $24,960 | $51,680 | 2,940 | 0.49 | 0.28 |
| 20 | Hawaii profile | $17.79 | $36,990 | $30,750 | $52,190 | 700 | 1.12 | 0.66 |
| 21 | Indiana profile | $17.78 | $36,980 | $27,220 | $52,140 | 910 | 0.28 | 0.17 |
| 22 | Connecticut profile | $17.77 | $36,950 | $34,010 | $49,610 | 460 | 0.27 | 0.16 |
| 23 | Alaska profile | $17.68 | $36,780 | $29,660 | $62,400 | 120 | 0.38 | 0.22 |
| 24 | Missouri profile | $17.44 | $36,280 | $29,160 | $47,980 | 2,600 | 0.88 | 0.52 |
| 25 | New Hampshire profile | $17.27 | $35,920 | $24,410 | $48,510 | 220 | 0.32 | 0.19 |
| 26 | California profile | $17.11 | $35,580 | $34,320 | $44,870 | 172,260 | 9.46 | 5.54 |
| 27 | Virginia profile | $17.10 | $35,580 | $29,130 | $45,700 | 1,590 | 0.39 | 0.23 |
| 28 | Wisconsin profile | $17.00 | $35,360 | $28,640 | $49,200 | 1,490 | 0.51 | 0.30 |
| 29 | Vermont profile | $16.91 | $35,170 | $33,770 | $47,840 | 220 | 0.71 | 0.41 |
| 30 | South Carolina profile | $16.88 | $35,110 | $27,350 | $49,060 | 680 | 0.30 | 0.17 |
| 31 | Arizona profile | $16.86 | $35,080 | $30,770 | $37,400 | 7,110 | 2.20 | 1.29 |
| 32 | Idaho profile | $16.57 | $34,470 | $30,630 | $44,600 | 2,420 | 2.82 | 1.65 |
| 33 | Oregon profile | $16.38 | $34,070 | $30,700 | $43,670 | 6,780 | 3.45 | 2.02 |
| 34 | Alabama profile | $16.28 | $33,870 | $27,520 | $41,090 | 740 | 0.35 | 0.20 |
| 35 | North Carolina profile | $16.28 | $33,870 | $27,600 | $43,930 | 2,510 | 0.51 | 0.30 |
| 36 | Utah profile | $16.10 | $33,490 | $17,250 | $44,540 | 670 | 0.39 | 0.23 |
| 37 | Nevada profile | $16.00 | $33,280 | $28,090 | $39,050 | 660 | 0.43 | 0.25 |
| 38 | Louisiana profile | $15.99 | $33,260 | $22,860 | $43,680 | 570 | 0.29 | 0.17 |
| 39 | Delaware profile | $15.91 | $33,090 | $31,200 | $38,800 | 220 | 0.46 | 0.27 |
| 40 | Oklahoma profile | $15.91 | $33,090 | $23,040 | $48,890 | 1,080 | 0.63 | 0.37 |
| 41 | Kentucky profile | $15.89 | $33,050 | $26,490 | $49,240 | 510 | 0.26 | 0.15 |
| 42 | Arkansas profile | $15.85 | $32,970 | $24,160 | $39,540 | 390 | 0.30 | 0.18 |
| 43 | Texas profile | $15.79 | $32,840 | $24,530 | $44,020 | 4,290 | 0.31 | 0.18 |
| 44 | New Mexico profile | $14.98 | $31,150 | $24,960 | $45,530 | 1,960 | 2.25 | 1.32 |
| 45 | North Dakota profile | $14.94 | $31,080 | $26,380 | $39,530 | 60 | 0.15 | 0.09 |
| 46 | West Virginia profile | $14.93 | $31,050 | $24,180 | $44,000 | 100 | 0.14 | 0.08 |
| 47 | Tennessee profile | $14.91 | $31,020 | $23,490 | $42,060 | 1,080 | 0.33 | 0.19 |
| 48 | Florida profile | $14.73 | $30,640 | $27,770 | $44,660 | 9,180 | 0.92 | 0.54 |
| 49 | Georgia profile | $14.57 | $30,300 | $24,880 | $43,930 | 1,610 | 0.33 | 0.19 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $14.55 | $30,250 | $25,950 | $40,100 | 300 | 0.26 | 0.15 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (45-2090), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 45-2092 Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 45-2092, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 45-2092.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.