All About Crop Farmworkers and Laborers
Job Description: Manually plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables, fruits, nuts 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, packing, and loading harvested products. May construct trellises, repair fences and farm buildings, or participate in irrigation activities.
Crop Farmworker or Laborer Responsibilities
- Set up and operate irrigation equipment.
- Apply pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers to crops.
- Clear and maintain irrigation ditches.
- Harvest fruits and vegetables by hand.
- Identify plants, pests, and weeds to determine the selection and application of pesticides and fertilizers.
- Load agricultural products into trucks, and drive trucks to market or storage facilities.
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Skills Needed to be a Crop Farmworker or Laborer
When polled, Crop Farmworkers and Laborers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Types of Crop Farmworker or Laborer Jobs
- Celery Packer
- Smudger
- Hop Trainer
- Pear Picker
- Plant Puller
Job Demand for Crop Farmworkers and Laborers
In the United States, there were 503,700 jobs for Crop Farmworker or Laborer in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 1.1% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 5,500 new jobs for Crop Farmworker or Laborer by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 76,800 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Crop Farmworker or Laborer are Alaska, Nevada, and Vermont. Watch out if you plan on working in South Carolina, Florida, or Hawaii. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Crop Farmworkers and Laborers Salary
The typical yearly salary for Crop Farmworkers and Laborers is somewhere between $21,900 and $35,200.

Crop Farmworkers and Laborers who work in District of Columbia, Wyoming, or Vermont, make the highest salaries.
How much do Crop Farmworkers and Laborers make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $22,820 |
Alaska | $26,030 |
Arizona | $25,120 |
Arkansas | $22,020 |
California | $26,240 |
Colorado | $31,870 |
Connecticut | $29,760 |
Delaware | $28,390 |
District of Columbia | $38,760 |
Florida | $24,520 |
Georgia | $23,410 |
Hawaii | $32,740 |
Idaho | $24,340 |
Illinois | $30,020 |
Indiana | $24,820 |
Iowa | $30,630 |
Kansas | $28,450 |
Kentucky | $27,180 |
Louisiana | $26,060 |
Maine | $29,520 |
Maryland | $31,900 |
Massachusetts | $34,500 |
Michigan | $25,130 |
Minnesota | $31,510 |
Mississippi | $25,040 |
Missouri | $29,010 |
Montana | $24,850 |
Nebraska | $31,430 |
Nevada | $24,720 |
New Hampshire | $28,640 |
New Jersey | $27,810 |
New Mexico | $21,360 |
New York | $32,720 |
North Carolina | $24,770 |
North Dakota | $30,830 |
Ohio | $25,730 |
Oklahoma | $29,930 |
Oregon | $26,440 |
Pennsylvania | $29,270 |
South Carolina | $27,700 |
South Dakota | $28,560 |
Tennessee | $22,700 |
Texas | $22,120 |
Utah | $26,870 |
Vermont | $31,680 |
Virginia | $27,910 |
Washington | $29,430 |
West Virginia | $25,430 |
Wisconsin | $26,870 |
Wyoming | $35,260 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Crop Farmworkers and Laborers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Crop Farmworkers and Laborers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Web browser software
- Global positioning system GPS software
- BCL Landview Systems WinCrop
- Farm Works Software Trac
Becoming a Crop Farmworker or Laborer
Are there Crop Farmworkers and Laborers education requirements?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Crop Farmworker or Laborer?

Crop Farmworkers and Laborers Sector

The table below shows the approximate number of Crop Farmworkers and Laborers employed by various industries.

You May Also Be Interested In…
Those interested in being a Crop Farmworker or Laborer may also be interested in:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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