Farming and Agricultural Worker Salaries: Where Rural Work Pays

Agriculture employs a broad range of workers — from seasonal crop workers earning near minimum wage to highly paid agricultural scientists, engineers, and farm managers. BLS OEWS data captures this range across the Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations group and adjacent management categories.

Farmworkers and Crop/Livestock Workers

Agricultural laborers — crop workers, irrigation workers, and livestock workers — represent the largest share of farm employment by headcount and earn near the bottom of the wage distribution. Many are seasonal workers; BLS OEWS captures annualized wages, which can understate actual hourly rates for seasonal employment.

Farm Managers

Farmers, ranchers, and agricultural managers earn significantly more — and as self-employed business owners, their net income from farm operations often exceeds what BLS employee wages would suggest. BLS captures the employed-manager portion of this occupation.

Agricultural Scientists

Agricultural scientists, food scientists, and soil scientists in the Life, Physical, and Social Science group earn professional-level wages and typically require at least a bachelor's degree in agricultural science or a related field.

Geographic Concentration

California employs the most agricultural workers of any state and also shows the highest agricultural wages, driven by high cost of living and strong labor advocacy. Browse all state wages for agricultural occupations.