Agricultural Workers

How to become a Farmworker or Laborer

Official title: Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse

Also called: Farm Laborer, Farmer, Field Irrigation Worker, Gardener, Greenhouse Worker, Grower, Harvester, Nursery Worker, Orchard Worker, Picker

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.

Main 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.

How to become one

Most agricultural workers do not need a formal educational credential to enter these occupations; however, animal breeders typically need a high school diploma. Agricultural workers typically receive on-the-job training.

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Licence: A licence is required in 10 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $35,660 a year The middle half earn $34,320 to $38,840.
About 546,800 people work in this job now, and about 533,600 are projected by 2035. (-2.4%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Farmworker or Laborer?

How much does a Farmworker or Laborer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $35,660 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $34,320 to $38,840.

Is a Farmworker or Laborer a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 2% by 2035, from about 546,800 to about 533,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Farmworker or Laborer?

Usually not. Only 9% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Farmworker or Laborer?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.