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Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse

Median Salary
34,470
Job Outlook
-2%

Overview

What are the responsibilities of this role?

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.

What is the job outlook?

Overall employment of agricultural workers is projected to decline 2 percent from 2023 to 2033. About 116,400 openings for agricultural workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Compensation

What is the typical salary range?

$20,800

10%

$34,470

Median

$40,160

90%

How does location impact how much salary?

Education

What level of education do professionals in this role have?

Education Level

  • Less than high school

    38%

  • High school

    28%

  • Bachelor's degree

    15%

  • Some college

    5%

  • Master's degree

    5%

  • Associate's degree

    2%

  • First professional degree

    2%

  • Post baccalaureate

    1%

Skills and Interest

Which skill sets are the most valuable to possess?

Skills

  • Equipment Operation and Maintenance

    High

  • Verbal Skills

    Low

  • Leadership

    Low

  • Math and Science Skills

    Low

  • Technology Design and Control

    Mid

  • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

    Low

What knowledge should you bring to the table?

  • Biology
  • Mechanical
  • Chemistry
  • Food Production
  • Administration and Management

What challenges will you likely face in the workplace?

Workplace

  • Exposure to Job Hazards

    High

  • Physical Activity

    High

  • Time Pressure

    Mid

  • Repetitiveness

    Low

  • Responsibility

    Low

  • Decision Making

    Low

  • Level Of Competition

    Low

What personality traits help people thrive in this role?

Realistic

You love hands-on work and solving practical problems — like fixing things and building stuff.

Conventional

You like structure, staying organized, and working with systems to get things done efficiently.

RIASEC represents six broad interest areas—Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional—helping individuals identify careers that match their skills and preferences.

Take the RIASEC Test

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Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.