Farm Labor - Survey Results

Farm
Labor
Washington, D.C.

Released November 21, 2008, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department
of Agriculture. For information on Farm Labor call Mark Aitken at 202-720-6146, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.

Hired Workers Down 3 Percent, Wage Rates up 3 Percent From a Year Ago
There were 1,117,000 hired workers on the Nation’s farms and ranches during the week of October
12-18, 2008, down 3 percent from a year ago. Of these hired workers, 801,000 workers were hired directly by
farm operators. Agricultural service employees on farms and ranches made up the remaining 316,000 workers.
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $10.70 per hour during the October 2008 reference
week, up 32 cents from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $10.05 per hour, up 43 cents from
last October, while livestock workers earned $10.19 per hour compared with $10.02 a year earlier. The field and
livestock worker combined wage rate, at $10.08 per hour, was up 35 cents from last year.
The number of hours worked averaged 41.3 hours for hired workers during the survey week, down 2 percent from
a year ago.
The largest decreases in the number of hired workers from last year occurred in California, the Corn Belt I
(Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio), Southern Plains (Oklahoma and Texas), Appalachian II (Kentucky, Tennessee, and
West Virginia), and Appalachian I (North Carolina and Virginia) regions. In California, lack of available
irrigation water caused much acreage to be left fallow. Planted acreage of cotton, dry beans, and sugar beets
declined sharply from 2007. Therefore, the demand for field workers was considerably lower. Wet conditions in
the Corn Belt I, Southern Plains, and the Appalachian I and II regions, compared with the previous year’s drier
reference week, decreased the need for field workers. Lower cattle inventories in the Appalachian regions led to
fewer livestock workers being needed.
The largest increases in the number of hired workers from last year occurred in the Pacific (Oregon and
Washington), Corn Belt II (Iowa and Missouri), Northeast I (New England and New York), Delta (Arkansas,
Louisiana, and Mississippi), and Mountain II (Colorado, Nevada, and Utah) regions. In the Pacific region,
increased acreage of cherries, berries, and grapes heightened the demand for hired workers. Despite wetter
conditions in the Corn Belt II region, compared with the previous year’s reference week, increased acreage of
major field crops kept the demand for hired workers above last year. In the Northeast I region, drier conditions
compared with the previous year’s reference week led to a stronger demand for hired workers. In the Delta
region, larger cattle and hog inventories increased the demand for livestock workers. Movement of cattle from
summer pastures in the Mountain II region was increasing. Therefore, more livestock workers were necessary.
Hired worker wage rates were generally above a year ago in most regions. The largest increases occurred in the
Mountain III (Arizona and New Mexico), Appalachian I, Mountain I (Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming), Northeast
I and Appalachian II regions. In the Mountain III and Appalachian II regions, the higher wages were due to more
salaried workers working fewer hours which pushed the average wage up. The wage increases in the Appalachian
I and Mountain I regions were because of a smaller proportion of part time workers in the work force. The higher
wages in the Northeast I region were due to a higher percentage of dairy, equine, and nursery and greenhouse
workers.
The 2008 U.S. all hired worker annual average wage rate was $10.59 per hour, up 4 percent from the 2007 annual
average wage rate of $10.23 per hour. The U.S. field worker annual average wage rate was $9.78 per hour, up 38
cents from last year’s annual average. The field and livestock worker combined annual average wage rate at the
U.S. level was $9.89 per hour, up 4 percent from last year’s annual average wage rate of $9.49 per hour.

Sp Sy 8 (11-08)

Farm Labor
November 2008

2

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

Farm Labor: Employment and Wage Rates, United States,
October 12-18, 2008, with Comparisons 1
October 7-13,
July 6-12,
Farm Employment
2007
2008
1,000

October 12-18,
2008

1,000

1,000

Hired Workers
150 Days or More
149 Days or Less

817
603
214

828
585
243

801
575
226

Agricultural Services
Workers Working on Farms

329

345

316

1,146

1,173

1,117

Hired Farm & Service Workers
Hours per Week

Hours per Week

Hours Worked
Hired

Hours per Week

42.2
Dollars per Hour

40.5
Dollars per Hour

41.3
Dollars per Hour

Wage Rate for
All Hired Workers 2 3

10.38

10.34

10.70

Type of Worker
Field & Livestock Combined
Field
Livestock

9.73
9.62
10.02

9.74
9.66
9.98

10.08
10.05
10.19

1
2
3

Excludes AK.
Benefits, such as housing and meals, are provided some workers but the values are not included in the wage rates.
Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.

Farm Labor
November 2008

3

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

U.S.
and
Region 2

Hired Workers: Number and Hours Worked by Region
and United States, October 12-18, 2008 1
Hired
Expected to be Employed

Number
of
Workers

150 Days
or More

149 Days
or Less

Number
of Hours
Worked

1,000

1,000

1,000

Hours per Week

Northeast I
Northeast II

42
33

28
21

14
12

42.1
36.8

Appalachian I
Appalachian II

37
23

28
13

9
10

38.3
35.1

Southeast
FL

31
38

23
32

8
6

39.3
39.7

Lake

66

42

24

36.2

Cornbelt I
Cornbelt II

38
32

27
25

11
7

37.2
37.0

Delta

36

26

10

42.4

Northern Plains

34

20

14

43.3

Southern Plains

60

43

17

36.7

Mountain I
Mountain II
Mountain III

23
18
21

18
13
19

5
5
2

45.6
39.2
44.5

90
173

53
139

37
34

45.5
45.8

6

5

1

38.9

801

575

226

41.3

Pacific
CA
HI
US 3
1
2
3

Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
Region map on page 17.
Excludes AK.

Farm Labor
November 2008

4

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

U.S.
and
Region 2
Northeast I
Northeast II

Hired Workers: Wage Rates for Type of Worker and All Hired Workers
by Region and United States, October 12-18, 2008 1
Type of Worker
Field

Livestock

Field & Lvstk
Combined

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Wage Rates for
All Hired Workers
Dollars per Hour

10.66
9.67

10.08
9.24

10.45
9.57

10.95
10.25

Appalachian I
Appalachian II

9.55
9.22

9.62
9.82

9.57
9.45

10.20
10.32

Southeast
FL

9.04
8.90

9.44
9.30

9.12
8.95

9.52
10.09

Lake

11.43

10.20

11.00

11.49

Cornbelt I
Cornbelt II

10.31
10.62

10.05
11.37

10.25
10.90

10.60
11.50

8.51

8.83

8.60

8.90

Northern Plains

10.66

9.89

10.40

10.94

Southern Plains

9.44

9.58

9.50

10.10

Mountain I
Mountain II
Mountain III

9.71
9.35
9.44

9.50
10.13
10.80

9.61
9.70
10.00

10.10
10.53
10.70

Pacific
CA

10.94
9.95

10.54
11.95

10.90
10.21

11.37
10.95

HI 3

11.00

11.21

13.24

US 4

10.05

10.08

10.70

Delta

1
2
3
4

10.19

Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
Region map on page 17.
Insufficient data for livestock.
Excludes AK.

Farm Labor
November 2008

5

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

U.S.
and
Region 2

Hired Workers: Number and Hours Worked by Region
and United States, July 6-12, 2008 1
Hired
Expected to be Employed

Number
of
Workers

150 Days
or More

149 Days
or Less

Number
of Hours
Worked

1,000

1,000

1,000

Hours per Week

Northeast I
Northeast II

37
35

24
20

13
15

38.0
41.5

Appalachian I
Appalachian II

35
21

26
13

9
8

40.3
33.5

Southeast
FL

41
42

29
39

12
3

36.6
40.9

Lake

64

44

20

36.5

Cornbelt I
Cornbelt II

44
28

33
21

11
7

35.0
35.6

Delta

39

31

8

39.4

Northern Plains

36

23

13

44.0

Southern Plains

57

43

14

39.0

Mountain I
Mountain II
Mountain III

30
23
20

24
15
17

6
8
3

44.0
43.0
42.0

110
160

51
127

59
33

40.6
45.5

6

5

1

37.0

828

585

243

40.5

Pacific
CA
HI
US 3
1
2
3

Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
Region map on page 17.
Excludes AK.

Farm Labor
November 2008

6

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

U.S.
and
Region 2

Hired Workers: Wage Rates for Type of Worker and All Hired Workers
by Region and United States, July 6-12, 2008 1
Type of Worker
Field

Livestock

Field & Lvstk
Combined

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Wage Rates for
All Hired Workers
Dollars per Hour

Northeast I
Northeast II

9.68
9.66

9.89
8.68

9.75
9.50

10.50
10.10

Appalachian I
Appalachian II

9.04
9.80

9.29
9.38

9.10
9.65

9.60
10.72

Southeast
FL

8.56
8.84

8.27
9.25

8.50
8.90

9.00
9.90

Lake

10.10

10.09

10.10

10.75

Cornbelt I
Cornbelt II

10.27
10.29

10.87
9.23

10.43
9.90

10.90
10.25

Delta

9.18

9.74

9.42

9.88

Northern Plains

9.89

10.17

10.00

10.27

Southern Plains

8.60

10.12

9.20

9.80

10.49
10.39
9.21

8.98
11.14
11.44

9.78
10.65
9.85

10.00
11.00
10.55

9.85
9.85

10.22
11.00

9.87
10.00

10.35
10.74

11.21

13.33

9.74

10.34

Mountain I
Mountain II
Mountain III
Pacific
CA
HI 3

11.10

US 4

9.66

1
2
3
4

9.98

Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
Region map on page 17.
Insufficient data for livestock.
Excludes AK.

Farm Labor
November 2008

7

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

U.S.
and
Region 2

Hired Workers: Number and Hours Worked by Region
and United States, October 7-13, 2007 1
Hired
Expected to be Employed

Number
of
Workers

150 Days
or More

149 Days
or Less

Number
of Hours
Worked

1,000

1,000

1,000

Hours per Week

Northeast I
Northeast II

34
38

23
30

11
8

39.8
41.8

Appalachian I
Appalachian II

43
31

30
18

13
13

37.7
38.0

Southeast
FL

28
43

21
39

7
4

37.1
41.8

Lake

67

42

25

38.9

Cornbelt I
Cornbelt II

50
23

33
19

17
4

42.7
41.0

Delta

30

20

10

43.0

Northern Plains

35

23

12

46.3

Southern Plains

69

55

14

39.0

Mountain I
Mountain II
Mountain III

22
13
22

16
11
21

6
2
1

50.7
43.7
46.1

75
188

45
152

30
36

40.7
45.5

6

5

1

40.0

817

603

214

42.2

Pacific
CA
HI
US 3
1
2
3

Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
Region map on page 17.
Excludes AK.

Farm Labor
November 2008

8

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

U.S.
and
Region 2

Hired Workers: Wage Rates for Type of Worker and All Hired Workers
by Region and United States, October 7-13, 2007 1
Type of Worker
Field

Livestock

Field & Lvstk
Combined

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Wage Rates for
All Hired Workers
Dollars per Hour

Northeast I
Northeast II

9.96
9.81

9.22
9.86

9.70
9.82

10.35
10.63

Appalachian I
Appalachian II

8.66
9.24

8.60
9.53

8.64
9.35

8.97
9.75

Southeast
FL

8.53
8.70

8.33
8.95

8.47
8.74

9.08
9.76

Lake

10.75

10.64

10.70

11.30

Cornbelt I
Cornbelt II

10.24
10.69

9.75
10.90

10.10
10.80

10.60
11.25

8.26

8.24

8.25

8.53

Northern Plains

10.68

9.82

10.45

10.78

Southern Plains

8.59

10.46

9.45

10.05

Mountain I
Mountain II
Mountain III

8.31
9.80
8.26

9.10
10.69
9.91

8.56
10.05
8.85

9.00
10.66
9.21

Pacific
CA

10.48
9.70

11.07
11.00

10.55
9.89

11.30
10.74

HI 3

11.00

11.13

13.19

US 4

9.62

9.73

10.38

Delta

1
2
3
4

10.02

Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
Region map on page 17.
Insufficient data for livestock.
Excludes AK.

Farm Labor
November 2008

9

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

Region 2

Field and Livestock Workers Combined: Wage Rates, by Type
of Farm, by Region and 48 States 1
October 7-13, 2007
Field
Crops
Dollars per Hour

Northeast
Appalachian
Southeast
Lake
Cornbelt
Delta
Northern Plains
Southern Plains
Mountain
Pacific
48 States
1
2

3

Livestock &
Poultry

All
Farms

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

3

Northeast
Appalachian
Southeast
Lake
Cornbelt
Delta
Northern Plains
Southern Plains
Mountain
Pacific
48 States

Region 2

Other
Crops
( )
8.58
7.97
11.30
10.03
7.56
10.67
8.27
(3)
9.87
9.44

9.89
9.20
8.71
10.69
10.34
7.90
11.41
8.77
8.58
9.85
9.59

9.48
8.96
8.62
10.61
10.64
9.18
9.45
10.15
9.82
11.09
10.02

9.76
8.94
8.64
10.70
10.32
8.25
10.45
9.45
9.12
10.04
9.72

Field and Livestock Workers Combined: Wage Rates, by Type
of Farm, by Region and 48 States 1
October 12-18, 2008
Field
Crops

Other
Crops

Livestock &
Poultry

All
Farms

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

10.02
10.21
8.96
10.70
10.66
(3)
12.07
9.28
9.68
10.30
10.15

10.36
8.88
8.91
(3)
10.21
8.17
9.84
9.32
9.54
10.43
9.91

10.13
9.45
9.76
10.13
10.82
8.91
10.20
9.43
9.81
11.18
10.06

10.09
9.53
9.03
11.00
10.55
8.60
10.40
9.50
9.77
10.44
10.08

Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
Regions consist of the following States:
Northeast: CT, DE, MD, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT.
Appalachian: KY, NC, TN, VA, WV.
Southeast: AL, FL, GA, SC.
Lake: MI, MN, WI.
Cornbelt: IA, IL, IN, MO, OH.
Delta: AR, LA, MS.
Northern Plains: KS, NE, ND, SD.
Southern Plains: OK, TX.
Mountain: AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY.
Pacific: CA, OR, WA.
48 States: All States, excluding AK and HI.
Insufficient data.

Farm Labor
November 2008

10

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

All Hired Workers: Wage Rates, by Economic Class of Farm
by Region and 48 States 1
October 7-13, 2007
Region 2

N. East
Appal.
S. East
Lake
Cornbelt
Delta
N. Plains
S. Plains
Mountain
Pacific
48 States

Gross Value Sales-$1,000's
<50

50-99

100-249

250-499

500-999

1,000+

All
Farms

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

10.42
9.22
9.19
(3)
10.49
(3)
(3)
9.37
10.30
10.15
10.32

9.70
8.56
9.39
11.45
8.93
9.21
8.01
10.74
10.77
10.81
10.10

10.18
8.80
8.03
11.27
9.80
9.01
10.26
10.86
9.14
11.07
10.05

9.40
8.82
8.47
10.46
11.87
8.01
10.32
10.22
8.61
10.70
10.07

10.86
9.28
9.22
11.77
10.66
7.75
10.79
8.70
8.94
10.83
10.13

10.72
9.77
9.90
11.39
11.16
8.00
10.94
10.56
9.71
10.73
10.57

10.50
9.30
9.51
11.30
10.80
8.53
10.78
10.05
9.43
10.76
10.31

All Hired Workers: Wage Rates, by Economic Class of Farm
by Region and 48 States 1
October 12-18, 2008
Region 2

Gross Value Sales-$1,000's
<50

50-99

Dollars per Hour

N. East
Appal.
S. East
Lake
Cornbelt
Delta
N. Plains
S. Plains
Mountain
Pacific
48 States
1
2

3

3

( )
10.34
9.52
8.96
9.86
(3)
(3)
10.59
9.76
10.73
9.72

Dollars per Hour
3

( )
9.92
9.17
10.43
11.81
8.26
7.36
9.26
11.01
10.36
10.17

100-249

250-499

500-999

1,000+

All
Farms

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

9.71
8.42
9.34
8.98
10.48
8.52
10.47
11.51
9.90
11.88
10.19

10.11
9.52
9.86
9.98
8.69
8.50
10.77
10.37
9.97
10.84
10.00

9.90
8.99
10.51
11.74
11.28
8.77
10.90
9.90
10.53
11.39
10.72

11.03
11.99
10.07
12.23
11.59
9.61
11.96
9.64
10.61
11.02
11.03

10.66
10.24
9.84
11.49
11.01
8.90
10.94
10.10
10.42
11.09
10.68

Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
Regions consist of the following States:
Northeast: CT, DE, MD, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT.
Appalachian: KY, NC, TN, VA, WV.
Southeast: AL, FL, GA, SC.
Lake: MI, MN, WI.
Cornbelt: IA, IL, IN, MO, OH.
Delta: AR, LA, MS.
Northern Plains: KS, NE, ND, SD.
Southern Plains: OK, TX.
Mountain: AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY.
Pacific: CA, OR, WA.
48 States: All States, excluding AK and HI.
Insufficient data.

Farm Labor
November 2008

11

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

Type of
Farm

Field and Livestock Workers: Distribution
by Type of Farm, 48 States 1 2 3
October 7-13,
July 6-12,
2007
2008
Percent of Field and Livestock Workers

Field Crops
Other Crops
Livestock, Dairy,
& Poultry

Gross Value
of Sales

Percent of Field and Livestock
Workers

13
56

15
51

32

31

34

Hired Workers: Distribution by Economic
Class of Farm, 48 States 1 3
October 7-13,
July 6-12,
2007
2008

Less than $50,000
$50,000-$99,999
$100,000-$249,999
$250,000-$499,999
$500,000-$999,999
$1,000,000 and over

9
5
10
13
13
50

3

Percent of Hired Workers

11
5
10
11
13
50

10
4
10
12
15
49

Hired Workers: Distribution by Category, United States, 1 3
October 7-13,
July 6-12,
2007
2008

Employed on Farms Hiring
1 Worker
2 Workers
3-6 Workers
7-10 Workers
11-20 Workers
21-50 Workers
51 or more Workers
2

October 12-18,
2008

Percent of Hired Workers

Percent of Hired Workers

1

Percent of Field and Livestock
Workers

14
54

Percent of Hired Workers

Category

October 12-18,
2008

10
9
17
10
9
16
29

October 12-18,
2008

Percent of Hired Workers

Percent of Hired Workers

10
9
19
9
11
14
28

9
10
21
8
12
14
26

48 States, excluding AK and HI.
Field and Livestock Workers combined.
Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.

Farm Labor
November 2008

12

Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

Agricultural Services
Agricultural service operations provided 316,000 workers for the Nation's farms and ranches during the week of
October 12-18, 2008. Agricultural service workers in California numbered 132,000 this October, down 2 percent
from last year. Florida's number of agricultural service workers was 3,000, down 25 percent from last year.
The average wages received by agricultural service workers in California and Florida were $10.75 and
$10.05 per hour, respectively. Comparable wages in October 2007 were $10.40 per hour in California and $9.55
per hour in Florida.

State

Agricultural Service Workers: Number, Hours Worked, and Wage Rates,
for California, Florida, and United States 1
Wage
Number of Workers
Hours
Rates 2 3
Working on Farms
Worked 2
Oct
2007

Jul
2008

Oct
2008

Oct
2007

Jul
2008

Oct
2008

Oct
2007

Jul
2008

Oct
2008

1,000

1,000

1,000

Hours

Hours

Hours

Dollars per
Hour

Dollars per
Hour

Dollars per
Hour

10.40
9.55

10.00
9.85

10.75
10.05

CA
FL

135.0
4.0

113.0
2.0

132.0
3.0

US

329.0

345.0

316.0

1

2
3

36.0
42.0

38.0
43.0

38.6
42.0

Data are for Agricultural Services performed on the farm by custom service units such as crew leaders or custom crews.
These statistics are not included in the State-Regional tables.
United States data not available.
Benefits, such as housing and meals, are provided to some workers but the values are not included in the wage rates.

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NASS, USDA

State
and
Region 2

Hired Workers: Annual Average Number and Hours Worked
By Region and United States, 2007-08 1
Hired Workers
Hours Worked
2007

2008

2007

2008

1,000

1,000

Hours per Week

Hours per Week

Northeast I

31.5

34.5

40.7

41.2

Northeast II

33.3

29.8

39.7

38.2

Appalachian I

31.5

30.5

36.8

38.4

Appalachian II
Southeast
FL

25.8
29.5
46.8

25.0
31.5
45.0

34.9
36.8
40.3

33.5
37.5
41.1

Lake

59.8

55.5

38.6

36.4

Cornbelt I
Cornbelt II
Delta
Northern Plains

46.5
23.3
27.3
31.8

38.3
27.0
28.8
30.3

39.5
38.7
38.2
42.9

36.2
36.8
39.7
42.3

Southern Plains

54.8

55.3

39.0

38.8

Mountain I
Mountain II

22.0
18.3

23.3
19.3

43.9
42.3

43.4
41.4

Mountain III

20.8

18.3

45.7

44.0

Pacific

70.5

77.5

39.0

42.1

CA
HI

167.0
6.5

155.3
6.0

45.1
39.1

44.1
38.2

US 3

746.5

730.8

40.8

40.4

1
2
3

Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
Region map on page 17.
Excludes AK.

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November 2008

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NASS, USDA

U.S.
and
Region

Hired Workers: Annual Average Wage Rates
By Region and United States, 2007-08 1 3
All Hired
Field

Field & Livestock

2007

2008

2007

2008

Dollars per
Hour

Dollars per
Hour

Dollars per
Hour

Dollars per
Hour

2007

2008

Dollars per Hour Dollars per Hour

Northeast I
(CT, ME, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT)

10.49

10.96

9.92

10.35

9.70

10.20

Northeast II
(DE, MD, NJ, PA)

10.62

10.32

9.88

9.72

9.70

9.50

Appalachian I
(NC, VA)

9.36

9.94

8.78

9.24

8.85

9.34

Appalachian II
(KY, TN, WV)

9.75

10.30

8.79

9.14

9.13

9.41

Southeast
(AL, GA, SC)
FL

9.15

9.27

8.50

8.74

8.53

8.77

9.73

10.06

8.82

9.04

8.82

9.08

Lake
(MI, MN, WI)

10.87

11.25

10.12

10.80

10.01

10.63

Cornbelt I
(IL, IN, OH)

10.55

11.10

10.08

10.36

9.90

10.45

Cornbelt II
(IA, MO)

11.10

11.24

9.89

10.57

10.44

10.77

8.78

9.38

8.28

8.77

8.41

8.92

10.36

10.87

10.13

10.47

9.90

10.39

Southern Plains
(OK, TX)

9.53

9.86

8.38

8.77

9.02

9.27

Mountain I
(ID, MT, WY)

9.24

9.99

8.50

9.94

8.74

9.64

Mountain II
(CO, NV, UT)

10.03

10.43

9.23

9.69

9.42

9.88

Mountain III
(AZ, NM)

9.37

10.46

8.26

9.20

8.70

9.82

Pacific
(OR, WA)
CA
HI

10.69

10.69

9.87

10.05

9.94

10.12

10.58
12.84

11.04
13.22

9.57
10.70

9.98
10.92

9.74
10.86

10.16
11.06

US 2

10.23

10.59

9.40

9.78

9.49

9.89

Delta
(AR, LA, MS)
Northern Plains
(KS, NE, ND, SD)

1
2
3

Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
Excludes AK.
Annual rates are averages of the published wage rates for each survey week weighted by the number of hours worked during the week.
The 2007 annual average for all Regions and the U.S. is based on modeled data for January and survey data for April, July, and October.

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November 2008

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Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

State

Hired Workers: Annual Average Wage Rates
By State, 2007-08 1 2
All Hired
Field
2007

3

Dollars per Hour

AL
AZ
AR
CA
CO
DE
FL
GA
HI
ID
IL
IN
IA
KS
KY
LA
MD
MI
MN
MS
MO
MT
NE
NV
NJ
NM
NY
NC
ND
OH
OK
OR
PA
SC
SD
TN
TX
UT
VA
WA
WV
WI
WY
Oth Sts 4
US 5
1
2

3
4
5

2008
Dollars per Hour

2007

3

Dollars per Hour

2008

2007 3

2008

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

Dollars per Hour

8.62
9.77
8.98
10.16
9.99
9.94
9.08
8.87
11.06
9.71
10.44
11.00
10.80
10.12
9.62
8.94
9.72
10.20
11.81
8.85
10.71
9.72
10.49
9.44
9.63
9.94
9.95
9.20
11.10
10.17
9.54
9.80
9.34
8.69
10.14
9.39
9.22
9.83
9.60
10.30
7.88
10.13
8.98
10.64

8.61
9.21
8.77
9.98
9.90
11.41
9.04
8.88
10.92
9.79
10.36
10.69
10.34
10.18
8.69
8.76
9.84
9.91
12.15
8.81
10.78
10.45
10.29
9.11
9.52
9.14
9.89
9.15
11.26
10.17
9.63
9.70
9.76
8.52
10.45
9.61
8.62
9.46
9.45
10.24
8.39
10.90
9.93
10.91

9.21
10.54
9.45
11.04
10.56
10.86
10.06
9.24
13.22
10.02
11.08
11.85
11.30
10.68
10.78
9.45
11.26
10.91
12.41
9.23
11.16
10.14
11.05
10.14
10.25
10.25
10.59
9.74
11.29
10.70
10.13
10.59
10.10
9.47
10.57
9.94
9.81
10.27
10.31
10.76
8.58
10.71
9.55
11.55
10.23

Field & Livestock

9.40

10.59

9.78

9.49

9.89

Excludes Agricultural Service Workers.
Annual rates are averages of the published wage rates for each survey week weighted by the number of hours worked
during the week. The annual average for all States, Regions, and the U.S. is based on data collected for January, April,
July, and October.
State level estimates for 2007 not available.
Includes CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT.
Excludes AK.

Farm Labor
November 2008

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Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

Farm Labor Regions

Region

States

Northeast I
Northeast II
Appalachian I
Appalachian II
Southeast
Lake
Cornbelt I
Cornbelt II
Delta
Northern Plains
Southern Plains
Mountain I
Mountain II
Mountain III
Pacific

CT, ME, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT.
DE, MD, NJ, PA.
NC, VA.
KY, TN, WV.
AL, GA, SC.
MI, MN, WI.
IL, IN, OH.
IA, MO.
AR, LA, MS.
KS, NE, ND, SD.
OK, TX.
ID, MT, WY.
CO, NV, UT.
AZ, NM.
OR, WA.

Farm Labor
November 2008

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Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

Farm Labor Definitions
The following definitions are provided to assist in interpreting statistics published in quarterly Farm Labor
reports. To ensure consistency in data collection, the questionnaires and instruction manual used by the
interviewers provide more in-depth explanations of these terms.
Farm or Ranch: A place that sells, or would normally sell, at least $1,000 worth of agricultural products during
the year.
Agricultural Work: Work done on a farm or ranch in connection with the production of agricultural products,
including nursery and greenhouse products and animal specialties such as fur farms or apiaries. Also included is
work done off the farm to handle farm related business, such as trips to buy feed or deliver products to local
market.
Hired Worker: Anyone, other than an agricultural service worker, who was paid for at least one hour of
agricultural work on a farm or ranch. Worker type is determined by what the employee was primarily hired to do,
not necessarily what work was done during the survey week. Type of workers include:
Field Workers: Employees engaged in planting, tending and harvesting crops including
operation of farm machinery on crop farms.
Livestock Workers: Employees tending livestock, milking cows or caring for poultry,
including operation of farm machinery on livestock or poultry operations.
Supervisors: Hired managers, range foremen, crew leaders, etc.
Other Workers: Employees engaged in agricultural work not included in the other three
categories. Bookkeepers and pilots are examples.
Methods of Pay: All wage rates are calculated based on total wages paid and total hours worked during the
survey reference week. Wages paid other than hourly (bi-weekly, monthly, etc.) are converted to an hourly basis
prior to summarization. Wages paid by piece rate (per quantity of produce picked, etc.) are also converted to an
hourly basis.
Perquisites: Benefits, such as cash bonuses, housing, or meals, provided to an employee in addition to pay are
included in perquisites. Wage rates published in this release do not include the value of these benefits.
Term of Employment: The length of time during the year the farm operator expects to employ those workers
who were on the payroll during the survey week.

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November 2008

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NASS, USDA

Definitions - continued
Agricultural Service: Any farm-related service performed on a farm or ranch on a contract or fee basis. This
primarily includes activities performed by contract workers on fruit, vegetable, or berry operations. It also
includes custom work (see below), veterinarian work, artificial insemination, sheep shearing, milk testing, or any
other farm-related activity performed on a farm or ranch on a “fee per service” basis rather than hourly.
Contract Labor: Contract workers are paid by a crew leader, contractor, buyer, processor, cooperative, or other
person who has an oral or written agreement with a farmer/rancher. Pruning, thinning, weeding or harvesting of
fruit, vegetable or berry crops are examples. A machine is not a part of the service activity provided by the
contractor.
Custom Work: Work performed by machines and labor hired as a unit. Hay baling, combining, corn or cotton
picking, spraying, fertilizing, and laser leveling are examples of custom work when the equipment is included in
the service activity.
Type of Farm (or Ranch): An operation is classified in the farm type which accounts for the largest portion of
the total gross value of sales for its agricultural production.
The three types of farms broken out in this publication are:
Field Crops: A farm producing wheat, rice, corn, soybeans, barley, dry beans, rye, sorghum, cotton, popcorn,
tobacco, or other such crops.
Other Crops: A farm producing vegetables, melons, berry crops, grapes, tree nuts, citrus fruits,
deciduous tree fruits, avocados, dates, figs, olives, nursery, or greenhouse crops. This category also
includes farms producing potatoes, sugar crops, hay, peanuts, hops, mint, and maple syrup.
Livestock or Poultry: A farm producing cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, milk, chickens, eggs, turkeys, or
animal specialties such as furs, fish, honey, etc.
Gross Value of Sales: This includes all income during a year from the sale of crops, livestock, dairy, poultry, or
other related agricultural products, including the landlord's share. When commodities are placed under CCC loan,
they are considered as sold.

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November 2008

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Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

Reliability of Farm Labor Estimates
Survey Procedures: These data were collected by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) during
the last two weeks of October using sampling procedures to ensure every employer of agricultural workers had a
chance of being selected.
Two samples of farm operators are selected. First, NASS maintains a list of farms that hire farm workers. Farms
on this list are classified by size and type. Those expected to employ large numbers of workers are selected with
greater frequency than those hiring few or no workers. A second sample consists of segments of land
scientifically selected from an area sampling frame. Each June, highly trained interviewers locate each selected
land segment and identify every farm operating land within the sample segment's boundaries. The names of
farms found in these area segments are matched against the NASS list of farms; those not found on the list are
included in the labor survey sample to represent all farms. This methodology is known as multiple frame
sampling, with an area sample used to measure the incompleteness of the list. Additionally, a list of agricultural
service firms was sampled in California and Florida. The survey reference week was October 12-18, 2008.
Reliability: Two types of errors, sampling and non-sampling, are always present in an estimate based on a
sample survey. Both types affect the "accuracy" of the estimates.
Sampling error occurs because a complete census is not taken. The sampling error measures the variation in
estimates from the average of all possible samples. An estimate of 100 with a sampling error of 1 would mean
that chances are 19 out of 20 that the estimates from all possible samples averaged together would be between 98
and 102; which is the survey estimate, plus or minus two times the sampling error. The sampling error expressed
as a percent of the estimate is called the relative sampling error. The relative sampling error for number of hired
workers at the U.S. level is normally less than 5 percent. The relative sampling error for the number of hired
workers generally ranged between 8 and 19 percent at the regional level. The U.S. all hired farm worker wage
rate had a relative sampling error of 0.7 percent. The relative sampling error was 0.7 percent for the combined
field and livestock worker wage rate. Relative sampling errors for the all hired farm worker wage rate generally
ranged between 2 and 4 percent at the regional levels. Relative sampling errors for wage rates published by type
of farm and economic class of farm generally ranged between 2 and 18 percent at the regional level.
Non-sampling errors can occur in a complete census as well as in sample surveys. They are caused by the
inability to obtain correct information from each operation sampled, differences in interpreting questions or
definitions, and mistakes in editing, coding or processing the data. Special efforts are taken at each step of the
survey to minimize non-sampling errors.
Revision Policy: Farm labor information is subject to revision the next time the information is published or the
year after the original publication date. The basis for revision must be supported by additional data that directly
affect the level of the estimate. Worker numbers and wage rates for July 2008 and October 2007 were subject to
revision with this report. If any revisions were made to previous data, they are reprinted in this report for your
information, and they are identified as such.

Farm Labor
November 2008

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Agricultural Statistics Board
NASS, USDA

Index
Page
U.S. Hired Workers on Farms, Wage Rates and Hours Worked ...........................................................3
Number of Workers and Average Hours Worked by Region and U.S.
October 2008 .............................................................................................................................4
July 2008....................................................................................................................................6
October 2007 .............................................................................................................................8
Wage Rates by Region and U.S.
October 2008 .............................................................................................................................5
July 2008....................................................................................................................................7
October 2007 .............................................................................................................................9
Agricultural Services: Workers, Average Hours Worked, and Wages
October 2008 ...........................................................................................................................13
July 2008..................................................................................................................................13
October 2007 ...........................................................................................................................13
Annual Averages 2007 - 2008
Number of Workers and Average Hours Worked by Region and U.S....................................14
Hired Worker Wage Rates by Region and U.S. ......................................................................15
Hired Worker Wage Rates by State ........................................................................................16
Other Labor Estimates
U.S. Distribution of Workers...................................................................................................12
Wage Rates by Type of Farm, by Region, State, 48 States .....................................................10
Wage Rates by Economic Class of Farm, by Region, State, 48 States ...................................11
Farm Labor Region Map ......................................................................................................................17
Farm Labor Definitions........................................................................................................................18
Reliability of Farm Labor Estimates ....................................................................................................20
Revision Policy ....................................................................................................................................20

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November 2008

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NASS, USDA

ACCESS TO REPORTS!!
For your convenience, there are several ways to obtain NASS reports, data products, and services:
INTERNET ACCESS
All NASS reports are available free of charge on the worldwide Internet. For access, connect to the Internet
and go to the NASS Home Page at: www.nass.usda.gov.
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the NASS Home Page at www.nass.usda.gov, under the right navigation, Receive reports by Email, click on
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[email protected].

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