Agricultural equipment operators
May 2005 employment and annual earnings distribution, wage and salary workers
Agricultural Equipment Operators: Drive and control farm equipment to till soil and to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops. May perform tasks, such as crop baling or hay bucking. May operate stationary equipment to perform post-harvest tasks, such as husking, shelling, threshing, and ginning.
Agricultural workers held about 834,000 jobs in 2004. Of these, farmworkers were the most numerous, holding about 690,000 jobs. Graders and sorters held about 45,000 jobs, agricultural inspectors 14,000 jobs, agricultural equipment operators 60,000 jobs, and animal breeders 12,000 jobs. More than 66 percent of all agricultural workers worked for crop and livestock producers, while more than 5 percent worked for agricultural service providers, mostly farm labor contractors.
Median hourly earnings in May 2004 for each of the occupations found in this statement are as follows:
| Agricultural inspectors | $14.92 |
| Animal breeders | 13.55 |
| Agricultural workers, all other | 10.15 |
| Agricultural equipment operators | 8.88 |
| Farmworkers, farm and ranch animals | 8.31 |
| Graders and sorters, agricultural products | 7.90 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse | 7.70 |
Few agricultural workers are members of unions.
(from the Occupational Outlook Handbook: Agricultural Workers)
See more recent statistics for employed workers below.
May 2005 employment and annual earnings distribution, wage and salary workers
National Occupational Employment and Earnings by Industry (NAICS sector and 3-digit industry group)
| Agricultural equipment operators | |||||
| Percentile earnings distribution | |||||
| 10th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting employment: 13,820 mean earnings: $19,140 (def) (IG) | $12,810 | $14,810 | $17,540 | $21,830 | $27,870 |
| Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry employment: 13,770 mean earnings: $19,120 | $12,800 | $14,810 | $17,540 | $21,810 | $27,800 |
| Manufacturing employment: 940 mean earnings: $24,780 (EC) (def) (IG) | $16,440 | $20,080 | $24,390 | $27,990 | $33,870 |
| Food Manufacturing employment: 750 mean earnings: n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing employment: 160 mean earnings: $26,300 | $19,290 | $21,780 | $25,900 | $31,000 | $34,600 |
| Wholesale Trade employment: 3,410 mean earnings: $25,740 (EC) (def) (IG) | $18,200 | $20,630 | $24,570 | $28,530 | $35,210 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods employment: 3,300 mean earnings: $25,980 | $18,500 | $20,850 | $24,740 | $28,660 | $35,330 |
| Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers employment: 100 mean earnings: $17,200 | $12,090 | $13,490 | $16,410 | $20,840 | $24,830 |
| Retail Trade employment: 420 mean earnings: $24,760 (EC) (def) (IG) | $17,660 | $19,490 | $21,980 | $27,380 | $35,820 |
| Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers employment: 410 mean earnings: $24,750 | $17,980 | $19,550 | $21,980 | $27,300 | $35,270 |
| Transportation and Warehousing employment: 310 mean earnings: $20,380 (EC) (def) (IG) | $15,510 | $17,510 | $19,790 | $22,040 | $26,360 |
| Truck Transportation employment: n.a. mean earnings: $19,630 | $15,380 | $17,000 | $19,250 | $21,640 | $25,020 |
| Warehousing and Storage employment: n.a. mean earnings: $22,490 | $18,100 | $19,290 | $21,120 | $23,280 | $31,650 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing employment: n.a. mean earnings: $26,000 (EC) (def) (IG) | $19,250 | $20,920 | $24,680 | $30,340 | $35,300 |
| Real Estate employment: n.a. mean earnings: $24,460 | $19,110 | $20,580 | $23,390 | $28,030 | $32,530 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services employment: 80 mean earnings: $20,830 (EC) (def) (IG) | $15,650 | $17,500 | $20,450 | $24,420 | $27,340 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services employment: 80 mean earnings: $20,830 | $15,650 | $17,500 | $20,450 | $24,420 | $27,340 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises employment: n.a. mean earnings: $19,500 (EC) (def) (IG) | $13,850 | $16,350 | $19,750 | $22,330 | $25,920 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises employment: n.a. mean earnings: $19,500 | $13,850 | $16,350 | $19,750 | $22,330 | $25,920 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services employment: 320 mean earnings: $25,960 (EC) (def) (IG) | $14,560 | $18,050 | $22,350 | $30,370 | $45,190 |
| Administrative and Support Services employment: n.a. mean earnings: $26,220 | $14,430 | $17,840 | $22,430 | $31,270 | $45,790 |
| Educational Services employment: 200 mean earnings: $25,930 (EC) (def) (IG) | $17,430 | $21,180 | $25,730 | $30,840 | $34,870 |
| Educational Services employment: 200 mean earnings: $25,930 | $17,430 | $21,180 | $25,730 | $30,840 | $34,870 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation employment: 50 mean earnings: $17,670 (EC) (def) (IG) | $12,320 | $13,710 | $17,370 | $21,230 | $23,250 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation) employment: 60 mean earnings: $30,240 (def) (IG) | $17,180 | $23,690 | $28,650 | $37,620 | $43,990 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation) employment: 60 mean earnings: $30,240 | $17,180 | $23,690 | $28,650 | $37,620 | $43,990 |
source: Occupational Employment Statistics Program; about these estimates
The (EC) links lead to data from the Economic Census from the Census Bureau.
The (def) links lead to 2002 NAICS industry definitions from the Census Bureau.
The (IG) links lead to Industry at a Glance industry profiles from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.