Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
May 2005 employment and annual earnings distribution, wage and salary workers
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse: 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; cleaning, grading, sorting, packing and loading harvested products. May construct trellises, repair fences and farm buildings, or participate in irrigation activities.
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)
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse | |||||
| Percentile earnings distribution | |||||
| 10th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting employment: 161,690 mean earnings: $16,560 (def) (IG) | $13,770 | $14,930 | $16,210 | $17,480 | $19,980 |
| Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry employment: 161,620 mean earnings: $16,560 | $13,770 | $14,930 | $16,210 | $17,480 | $19,980 |
| Mining employment: 110 mean earnings: $21,490 (EC) (def) (IG) | $13,440 | $15,430 | $18,440 | $25,390 | $34,570 |
| Support Activities for Mining employment: n.a. mean earnings: $20,420 | $13,010 | $14,910 | $17,130 | $23,260 | $34,840 |
| Utilities employment: 90 mean earnings: $18,590 (EC) (def) (IG) | $12,650 | $14,500 | $16,970 | $21,370 | $28,880 |
| Utilities employment: 90 mean earnings: $18,590 | $12,650 | $14,500 | $16,970 | $21,370 | $28,880 |
| Construction employment: 250 mean earnings: $20,260 (EC) (def) (IG) | $13,560 | $16,120 | $19,590 | $22,320 | $28,240 |
| Construction of Buildings employment: 50 mean earnings: $17,870 | $14,790 | $15,810 | $17,510 | $20,290 | $21,850 |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction employment: 180 mean earnings: $19,770 | $12,800 | $15,890 | $19,730 | $22,550 | $27,810 |
| Manufacturing employment: 6,150 mean earnings: $21,010 (EC) (def) (IG) | $15,000 | $16,560 | $19,580 | $23,600 | $29,400 |
| Food Manufacturing employment: 1,400 mean earnings: $19,450 | $14,140 | $15,300 | $17,310 | $21,730 | $27,580 |
| Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing employment: 4,410 mean earnings: $21,780 | $15,590 | $17,320 | $20,370 | $24,770 | $30,560 |
| Chemical Manufacturing employment: n.a. mean earnings: $17,420 | $14,530 | $15,510 | $17,140 | $19,560 | $21,360 |
| Wholesale Trade employment: 20,600 mean earnings: $18,210 (EC) (def) (IG) | $12,880 | $14,680 | $16,980 | $20,650 | $25,820 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods employment: 20,190 mean earnings: $18,240 | $12,880 | $14,680 | $16,990 | $20,690 | $25,900 |
| Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers employment: n.a. mean earnings: $17,070 | $13,120 | $15,030 | $16,740 | $18,440 | $21,800 |
| Retail Trade employment: 15,340 mean earnings: $19,200 (EC) (def) (IG) | $13,710 | $15,550 | $17,990 | $21,730 | $26,930 |
| Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers employment: 11,980 mean earnings: $19,400 | $14,120 | $15,690 | $18,020 | $21,920 | $27,280 |
| Food and Beverage Stores employment: 910 mean earnings: $18,650 | $12,940 | $15,100 | $17,740 | $21,210 | $25,860 |
| Miscellaneous Store Retailers employment: 1,840 mean earnings: $18,380 | $12,680 | $14,140 | $17,460 | $21,400 | $26,170 |
| Nonstore Retailers employment: n.a. mean earnings: $18,320 | $14,130 | $16,440 | $18,630 | $20,640 | $21,840 |
| Transportation and Warehousing employment: 200 mean earnings: $18,870 (EC) (def) (IG) | $12,640 | $14,720 | $16,520 | $21,100 | $31,780 |
| Truck Transportation employment: n.a. mean earnings: $24,440 | $15,330 | $17,500 | $23,310 | $31,620 | $33,860 |
| Warehousing and Storage employment: 120 mean earnings: $15,240 | $11,990 | $13,770 | $15,400 | $16,760 | $17,570 |
| Finance and Insurance employment: n.a. mean earnings: $18,870 (EC) (def) (IG) | $12,630 | $14,840 | $17,760 | $22,690 | $26,890 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities employment: 50 mean earnings: $18,870 | $12,630 | $14,840 | $17,760 | $22,690 | $26,890 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing employment: 680 mean earnings: $20,560 (EC) (def) (IG) | $14,900 | $16,510 | $19,810 | $23,010 | $28,210 |
| Real Estate employment: 360 mean earnings: $19,100 | $14,560 | $15,540 | $17,180 | $21,860 | $27,710 |
| Rental and Leasing Services employment: 310 mean earnings: $22,000 | $17,080 | $19,240 | $21,200 | $23,320 | $28,200 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services employment: 2,190 mean earnings: $20,170 (EC) (def) (IG) | $14,190 | $15,820 | $18,290 | $21,650 | $30,550 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services employment: 2,190 mean earnings: $20,170 | $14,190 | $15,820 | $18,290 | $21,650 | $30,550 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises employment: 2,980 mean earnings: $21,190 (EC) (def) (IG) | $15,210 | $16,250 | $17,990 | $24,310 | $32,700 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises employment: 2,980 mean earnings: $21,190 | $15,210 | $16,250 | $17,990 | $24,310 | $32,700 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services employment: 13,910 mean earnings: $19,030 (EC) (def) (IG) | $13,340 | $14,460 | $16,860 | $22,650 | $27,820 |
| Administrative and Support Services employment: 13,910 mean earnings: $19,030 | $13,340 | $14,460 | $16,860 | $22,650 | $27,820 |
| Educational Services employment: 810 mean earnings: $22,920 (EC) (def) (IG) | $13,020 | $15,780 | $21,500 | $28,430 | $35,280 |
| Educational Services employment: 810 mean earnings: $22,920 | $13,020 | $15,780 | $21,500 | $28,430 | $35,280 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance employment: 440 mean earnings: $20,590 (EC) (def) (IG) | $12,710 | $15,080 | $19,360 | $25,610 | $27,890 |
| Nursing and Residential Care Facilities employment: 70 mean earnings: $16,050 | $11,480 | $12,160 | $13,300 | $14,570 | $30,080 |
| Social Assistance employment: 360 mean earnings: $21,350 | $14,450 | $15,980 | $22,730 | $25,870 | $27,760 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation employment: 790 mean earnings: $19,720 (EC) (def) (IG) | $13,920 | $15,190 | $17,180 | $22,500 | $31,010 |
| Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries employment: 70 mean earnings: $19,690 | $14,330 | $16,270 | $19,440 | $23,160 | $26,520 |
| Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions employment: 200 mean earnings: $23,010 | $15,030 | $16,970 | $21,230 | $28,260 | $34,550 |
| Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries employment: 520 mean earnings: $18,430 | $13,660 | $14,760 | $16,420 | $18,570 | $29,320 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) employment: 260 mean earnings: $18,040 (EC) (def) (IG) | $13,160 | $13,850 | $16,720 | $20,380 | $25,340 |
| Repair and Maintenance employment: 70 mean earnings: $16,870 | $13,240 | $14,370 | $16,490 | $18,470 | $21,620 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations employment: n.a. mean earnings: $18,500 | $13,150 | $13,740 | $16,900 | $21,010 | $29,070 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation) employment: 1,160 mean earnings: $26,330 (def) (IG) | $13,220 | $18,230 | $25,700 | $33,560 | $41,190 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation) employment: 1,160 mean earnings: $26,330 | $13,220 | $18,230 | $25,700 | $33,560 | $41,190 |
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.