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Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse

Job Zone 2 - Some preparation needed

Compare to another career

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.

Pay & job outlook

Median pay: $35,660/yr (U.S. national, May 2025)

$32,900$45,690

Typical range nationwide (10th–90th percentile). This is a population snapshot, not a personal prediction - actual pay varies by location, employer, and experience.

Job outlook: -3.3% projected growth, 2024–2034 — declining.

About 71,700 openings per year, on average, over the decade.

Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS and Employment Projections.

Top skills
SpeakingOperations MonitoringActive ListeningSocial PerceptivenessWritingCritical ThinkingMonitoringReading ComprehensionOperation and ControlRepairing
Top knowledge areas
BiologyFood ProductionMechanicalAdministration and ManagementChemistryMathematicsEnglish LanguageProduction and Processing
Core tasks

• Record information about crops, such as pesticide use, yields, or costs.

• 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.

• Harvest plants, and transplant or pot and label them.

• Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment.

• Harvest fruits and vegetables by hand.

• Set up and operate irrigation equipment.

• Inform farmers or farm managers of crop progress.

Frequently asked questions

What's the median pay for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse?

The median pay for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse is $35,660 per year, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What's the job outlook for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse?

Employment for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse is projected to change -3.3% from 2024 to 2034 - declining.

What education is typically required for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse?

Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.

How many job openings are there each year for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse?

About 71,700 openings per year, on average, over the decade.