Farm Labor - Release

Farm Labor
ISSN: 1949-0909

Released November 17, 2011, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Hired Workers Down 1 Percent, Wage Rates Up Fractionally From a Year Ago
There were 1,141,000 hired workers on the Nation’s farms and ranches during the week of October 9-15, 2011, down
1 percent from a year ago. Of these hired workers, 828,000 were hired directly by farm operators. Agricultural service
employees on farms and ranches made up the remaining 313,000 workers.
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $11.15 per hour during the October 2011 reference week, up
2 cents from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $10.54 per hour, up 5 cents from last October, while
livestock workers earned $10.67 per hour compared with $10.28 a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined
wage rate, at $10.57 per hour, was up 14 cents from last year. The number of hours worked averaged 41.6 for hired
workers during the survey week, down fractionally from a year ago.
The largest decreases in the number of hired workers from last year occurred in California and in the Southern Plains
(Oklahoma and Texas), Corn Belt I (Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio), and Pacific (Oregon and Washington) regions. In
California and in the Pacific region, the wet spring and cooler than normal growing season delayed crop development,
lessening the need for hired workers. Wetter conditions compared with last year’s reference week kept the demand for
hired workers lower in the Corn Belt I region. In the Southern Plains, prolonged drought conditions led to considerable
culling of livestock throughout the summer. Therefore, fewer hired workers were needed during the October reference
week.
The largest increases in the number of hired workers from last year occurred in the Lake (Michigan, Minnesota, and
Wisconsin), Mountain I (Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming), Southeast (Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina),
Appalachian I (North Carolina and Virginia), and Corn Belt II (Iowa and Missouri) regions. In the Lake, Mountain I, and
Corn Belt II regions, above normal temperatures and windy conditions were more than enough to offset minor rain delays,
and field activities progressed rapidly. This resulted in a stronger demand for hired workers. In spite of rain in the
Southeast region, most fields remained workable due to prolonged earlier dryness. Therefore, harvest and planting
activities kept worker demand higher. In the Appalachian I region, increased activity on vegetable operations led to a
greater need for hired workers.
Hired worker wage rates were generally above a year ago in most regions. The largest increases occurred in the Northeast
I (New England and New York), Delta (Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi), Pacific, and Southern Plains regions. In
the Northeast I and Pacific regions, the higher wages were due to strong demand from the nursery and greenhouse
industry. The higher wages in the Delta region were due to a lower proportion of part time workers. In the Southern Plains
region, there were more salaried workers working fewer hours which pushed the average wage up.
The 2011 U.S. all hired worker annual average wage rate was $11.07 per hour, up 1 percent from the 2010 annual average
wage rate of $10.95 per hour. The U.S. field worker annual average wage rate was $10.33 per hour, up 14 cents from last
year’s annual average. The field and livestock combined annual average wage rate at the U.S. level was $10.36, up
1 percent from last year’s annual average wage rate of $10.22.

2

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Contents
Hired Workers and Wage Rates, United States, with Comparisons ....................................................................................... 5
Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: October 9-15, 2011 .................................................... 6
Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: October 9-15, 2011................................................................. 7
Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: July 10-16, 2011 ........................................................ 8
Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: July 10-16, 2011 ..................................................................... 9
Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Region and United States: October 10-16, 2010 ................................................ 10
Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Region and United States: October 10-16, 2010............................................................. 11
Combined Field and Livestock Worker Wage Rates, by Type of Farm - Region
and 48 States: October 10-16, 2010 ...................................................................................................................................... 12
Combined Field and Livestock Worker Wage Rates, by Type of Farm - Region
and 48 States: October 9-15, 2011 ........................................................................................................................................ 12
All Hired Worker Wage Rates by Economic Class of Farm - Region
and 48 States: October 10-16, 2010 ...................................................................................................................................... 13
All Hired Worker Wage Rates by Economic Class of Farm - Region
and 48 States: October 9-15, 2011 ........................................................................................................................................ 13
Field and Livestock Workers by Type of Farm .................................................................................................................... 14
Hired Workers by Economic Class of Farm ......................................................................................................................... 14
Hired Workers by Number of Workers on Farm .................................................................................................................. 14
Annual Average Number of Hired Workers and Hours Worked by Region and United States: 2010 and 2011 ................. 15
Annual Average Wage Rates by Region and United States: 2010 and 2011 ........................................................................ 16
Farm Labor Regions ............................................................................................................................................................. 17
Farm Labor Definitions ........................................................................................................................................................ 18
Survey Methodology ............................................................................................................................................................. 20
Annual Average Estimate Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 21
Information Contacts ............................................................................................................................................................ 22

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

3

4

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Hired Workers and Wage Rates - United States
[Excludes Alaska]
Farm employment

October 10-16,
2010

July 10-16,
2011

October 9-15,
2011

(1,000)

(1,000)

(1,000)

Hired workers
150 days or more .....................................................
149 days or less .......................................................
Total ..............................................................................

589
238
827

603
231
834

590
238
828

Agricultural services
Workers working on farms .............................................

330

350

313

Hired farm and service workers .........................................

1,157

1,184

1,141

(hours per week)
Hours worked by hired workers ..........................................

(hours per week)
41.7

(dollars per hour)
Wage rate
Field and livestock combined .........................................
Field .........................................................................
Livestock ..................................................................
All hired workers 1 2 ........................................................
1
2

10.43
10.49
10.28
11.13

(hours per week)
41.2

(dollars per hour)

10.28
10.27
10.29
10.93

41.6
(dollars per hour)

10.57
10.54
10.67
11.15

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 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

5

Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Regions and United States: October 9-15, 2011
[Excludes agricultural service workers]
Hired
United States
and region 1

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 ............................

40
36

30
26

10
10

41.8
39.0

Appalachian I .........................
Appalachian II ........................

39
20

28
11

11
9

41.3
35.7

Southeast ..............................
Florida ....................................

29
41

19
34

10
7

33.8
37.3

Lake .......................................

77

46

31

40.8

Cornbelt I ...............................
Cornbelt II ..............................

50
33

31
20

19
13

39.5
38.3

Delta ......................................

31

22

9

44.7

Northern Plains ......................

39

30

9

43.8

Southern Plains ......................

45

37

8

41.0

Mountain I ..............................
Mountain II .............................
Mountain III ............................

29
18
19

21
14
16

8
4
3

50.7
41.1
49.1

Pacific ....................................
California ...............................

90
185

49
150

41
35

41.4
43.6

Hawaii ....................................

7

6

1

38.0

United States 2 .......................

828

590

238

41.6

1

Region map on page 17.
2
Excludes Alaska.

6

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Regions and United States: October 9-15, 2011
[Excludes agricultural service workers]
United States
and region 1

Type of worker
Field

Livestock

Field and livestock
combined

(dollars per hour)

(dollars per hour)

(dollars per hour)

Wage rates for
all hired workers
(dollars per hour)

Northeast I ........................
Northeast II .......................

11.36
10.04

11.18
10.43

11.30
10.15

11.84
11.16

Appalachian I ....................
Appalachian II ...................

9.54
9.44

10.50
9.58

9.70
9.50

10.10
10.43

Southeast .........................
Florida ..............................

9.87
9.25

9.09
10.20

9.65
9.35

10.10
10.56

Lake .................................

11.59

10.71

11.30

11.83

Cornbelt I ..........................
Cornbelt II .........................

11.15
12.07

11.01
10.60

11.10
11.50

11.38
11.66

Delta .................................

9.12

9.68

9.20

9.64

Northern Plains .................

12.58

10.61

11.85

12.13

Southern Plains ................

9.53

11.03

10.10

10.78

Mountain I .........................
Mountain II ........................
Mountain III .......................

10.38
10.90
8.77

10.08
10.22
10.55

10.25
10.60
9.50

10.45
11.36
10.10

Pacific ...............................
California ..........................

11.42
10.15

11.78
11.20

11.45
10.30

12.04
10.96

Hawaii ..............................

12.55

13.60

12.65

14.83

10.54

10.67

10.57

11.15

2

United States ..................
1
2

Region map on page 17.
Excludes Alaska.

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

7

Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Regions and United States: July 10-16, 2011
[Excludes agricultural service workers]
Hired
United States
and region 1

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 ............................

38
33

28
21

10
12

41.3
39.2

Appalachian I .........................
Appalachian II ........................

41
32

31
19

10
13

42.8
34.0

Southeast ..............................
Florida ....................................

31
40

22
37

9
3

39.4
40.3

Lake .......................................

74

50

24

36.7

Cornbelt I ...............................
Cornbelt II ..............................

41
33

29
25

12
8

34.4
37.1

Delta ......................................

25

18

7

39.5

Northern Plains ......................

37

27

10

45.2

Southern Plains ......................

51

40

11

40.0

Mountain I ..............................
Mountain II .............................
Mountain III ............................

28
19
16

21
16
15

7
3
1

44.5
46.0
46.8

Pacific ....................................
California ...............................

111
177

56
142

55
35

42.5
44.7

Hawaii ....................................

7

6

1

38.0

United States 2 .......................

834

603

231

41.2

1

Region map on page 17.
2
Excludes Alaska.

8

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Regions and United States: July 10-16, 2011
[Excludes agricultural service workers]
United States
and region 1

Type of worker
Field

Livestock

Field and livestock
combined

(dollars per hour)

(dollars per hour)

(dollars per hour)

Wage rates for
all hired workers
(dollars per hour)

Northeast I ........................
Northeast II .......................

10.63
9.93

9.83
10.46

10.35
10.05

11.00
10.95

Appalachian I ....................
Appalachian II ...................

9.20
9.49

9.89
9.51

9.35
9.50

9.85
10.50

Southeast .........................
Florida ..............................

9.18
9.90

8.72
10.20

9.05
9.95

9.70
12.15

Lake .................................

10.33

10.24

10.30

10.75

Cornbelt I ..........................
Cornbelt II .........................

10.66
12.25

10.63
11.43

10.65
12.00

11.15
12.15

Delta .................................

9.24

10.27

9.50

9.85

Northern Plains .................

11.04

10.96

11.00

11.20

Southern Plains ................

10.14

10.25

10.20

10.60

Mountain I .........................
Mountain II ........................
Mountain III .......................

10.18
9.77
9.89

9.91
9.19
10.65

10.05
9.55
10.20

10.25
10.55
11.10

Pacific ...............................
California ..........................

10.82
10.10

10.56
10.90

10.80
10.20

11.28
10.90

Hawaii ..............................

12.70

13.25

12.76

14.91

10.27

10.29

10.28

10.93

2

United States ..................
1
2

Region map on page 17.
Excludes Alaska.

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

9

Number of Workers and Hours Worked - Regions and United States: October 10-16, 2010
[Excludes agricultural service workers]
Hired
United States
and region 1

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 ............................

39
37

27
28

12
9

44.3
41.9

Appalachian I .........................
Appalachian II ........................

35
22

23
14

12
8

39.9
39.1

Southeast ..............................
Florida ....................................

24
43

16
37

8
6

38.0
39.0

Lake .......................................

67

46

21

37.5

Cornbelt I ...............................
Cornbelt II ..............................

56
29

29
20

27
9

38.3
37.8

Delta ......................................

33

20

13

43.4

Northern Plains ......................

38

27

11

44.8

Southern Plains ......................

52

43

9

42.0

Mountain I ..............................
Mountain II .............................
Mountain III ............................

22
19
17

17
15
15

5
4
2

45.2
42.0
47.1

Pacific ....................................
California ...............................

94
193

49
157

45
36

41.2
44.7

Hawaii ....................................

7

6

1

37.0

United States 2 .......................

827

589

238

41.7

1

Region map on page 17.
2
Excludes Alaska.

10

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Wage Rates by Type of Worker - Regions and United States: October 10-16, 2010
[Excludes agricultural service workers]
United States
and region 1

Type of worker
Field

Livestock

Field and livestock
combined

(dollars per hour)

(dollars per hour)

(dollars per hour)

Wage rates for
all hired workers
(dollars per hour)

Northeast I ........................
Northeast II .......................

10.95
11.84

10.10
10.17

10.65
11.30

11.17
12.05

Appalachian I ....................
Appalachian II ...................

9.01
9.87

9.99
9.72

9.24
9.80

9.70
10.60

Southeast .........................
Florida ..............................

8.72
9.79

9.75
9.05

9.05
9.65

9.78
11.00

Lake .................................

11.58

10.06

11.05

11.88

Cornbelt I ..........................
Cornbelt II .........................

11.19
11.62

10.48
11.02

10.95
11.40

11.54
11.60

Delta .................................

8.55

8.85

8.64

9.07

Northern Plains .................

12.26

10.79

11.70

11.93

Southern Plains ................

9.68

10.01

9.85

10.30

Mountain I .........................
Mountain II ........................
Mountain III .......................

10.11
10.91
9.43

9.66
11.01
10.07

9.90
10.95
9.75

10.60
11.95
10.45

Pacific ...............................
California ..........................

10.95
10.20

10.97
11.25

10.95
10.35

11.59
11.20

Hawaii ..............................

12.00

14.30

12.16

14.38

10.49

10.28

10.43

11.13

2

United States ..................
1
2

Region map on page 17.
Excludes Alaska.

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

11

Combined Field and Livestock Worker Wage Rates by Type of Farm - Regions
and 48 States: October 10-16, 2010
[Excludes agricultural service workers]
Field
crops

Other
crops

Livestock
and poultry

All
farms

(dollars per hour)

(dollars per hour)

(dollars per hour)

(dollars per hour)

Region 1

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

10.43
9.07
(D)
(D)
11.80
8.91
11.94
9.19
9.57
11.56
10.72

10.95
9.48
9.63
10.94
10.51
8.70
(D)
10.18
10.53
10.35
10.34

(D)
9.87
9.27
10.03
10.38
9.18
11.26
10.03
10.04
11.50
10.53

10.95
9.45
9.43
11.05
11.11
8.64
11.70
9.85
10.17
10.53
10.43

(D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
1
Regions consist of the following States:
Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Vermont.
Appalachian: Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.
Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina.
Lake: Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin.
Cornbelt: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio.
Delta: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi.
Northern Plains: Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota.
Southern Plains: Oklahoma, Texas.
Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming.
Pacific: California, Oregon, Washington.
48 States: All States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.

Combined Field and Livestock Worker Wage Rates by Type of Farm - Regions
and 48 States: October 9-15, 2011
[Excludes agricultural service workers]
Region 1

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

Field
crops

Other
crops

Livestock
and poultry

All
farms

(dollars per hour)

(dollars per hour)

(dollars per hour)

(dollars per hour)

9.75
9.64
(D)
12.56
12.35
9.35
13.23
10.04
10.18
12.45
11.34

10.85
9.24
9.31
10.91
10.01
8.84
10.76
8.86
9.57
10.50
10.22

10.92
10.26
9.67
11.15
10.84
9.54
10.51
11.12
10.33
11.10
10.71

10.79
9.64
9.47
11.30
11.26
9.20
11.85
10.10
10.09
10.66
10.57

(D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
1
Regions consist of the following States:
Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Vermont.
Appalachian: Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.
Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina.
Lake: Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin.
Cornbelt: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio.
Delta: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi.
Northern Plains: Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota.
Southern Plains: Oklahoma, Texas.
Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming.
Pacific: California, Oregon, Washington.
48 States: All States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.

12

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

All Hired Worker Wage Rates, by Economic Class of Farm - Regions
and 48 States: October 10-16, 2010
[Excludes agricultural service workers]
Region 1

Gross value sales-$1,000
<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)

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

(D)
9.68
8.45
10.03
8.65
7.14
(D)
9.40
11.55
11.48
11.20

9.83
9.57
9.49
(D)
11.58
8.59
10.63
8.03
9.47
12.51
10.43

9.26
8.64
10.39
11.96
12.53
9.03
10.26
10.04
10.56
10.96
10.82

10.22
9.48
9.58
12.01
10.49
10.45
12.40
9.40
10.50
11.17
10.60

10.16
10.42
10.63
12.44
11.29
10.56
11.01
10.50
12.30
11.79
11.35

12.34
10.89
10.96
11.88
12.60
9.44
12.76
11.15
11.10
11.27
11.47

11.59
10.04
10.57
11.88
11.56
9.07
11.93
10.30
10.97
11.31
11.11

(D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
1
Regions consist of the following States:
Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Vermont.
Appalachian: Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.
Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina.
Lake: Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin.
Cornbelt: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio.
Delta: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi.
Northern Plains: Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota.
Southern Plains: Oklahoma, Texas.
Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming.
Pacific: California, Oregon, Washington.
48 States: All States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.

All Hired Worker Wage Rates, by Economic Class of Farm - Regions
and 48 States: October 9-15, 2011
[Excludes agricultural service workers]
Region 1

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

Gross value sales-$1,000
<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)

(D)
8.20
8.71
11.05
11.59
(D)
9.85
9.60
8.54
10.71
9.81

9.62
9.98
9.85
10.32
10.18
9.53
(D)
(D)
10.68
12.10
10.41

12.16
9.31
9.62
10.52
12.72
8.88
10.34
10.30
10.63
11.28
10.89

11.54
9.96
12.62
10.81
10.35
8.91
10.92
10.96
13.70
11.91
11.27

12.47
10.68
9.80
11.59
11.08
9.40
12.28
9.97
11.00
11.72
11.38

11.44
10.70
10.83
12.47
12.45
10.01
12.78
10.77
10.97
11.17
11.37

11.53
10.20
10.38
11.83
11.49
9.64
12.13
10.78
10.56
11.30
11.12

(D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations.
1
Regions consist of the following States:
Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Vermont.
Appalachian: Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.
Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina.
Lake: Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin.
Cornbelt: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio.
Delta: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi.
Northern Plains: Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota.
Southern Plains: Oklahoma, Texas.
Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming.
Pacific: California, Oregon, Washington.
48 States: All States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii.

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

13

Field and Livestock Workers by Type of Farm
[Excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Excludes agricultural service workers]
Type of farm

October 10-16,
2010

July 10-16,
2011

October 9-15,
2011

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

Field crops .............................................................
Other crops ............................................................
Livestock, dairy, and poultry ...................................

17
53
30

13
58
29

16
56
28

Hired Workers by Economic Class of Farm
[Excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Excludes agricultural service workers]
Gross value of sales

October 10-16,
2010

July 10-16,
2011

(percent)
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 ..............................................

October 9-15,
2011

(percent)
9
4
10
12
13
52

(percent)
12
5
10
10
13
50

8
5
9
11
13
54

Hired Workers by Number of Workers on Farm
[Excluding Alaska. Excludes agricultural service workers]
Number of workers on farm

Employed on farms hiring
1 worker .............................................................
2 workers ...........................................................
3-6 workers ........................................................
7-10 workers ......................................................
11-20 workers ....................................................
21-50 workers ....................................................
51 or more workers ............................................

14

October 10-16,
2010

July 10-16,
2011

October 9-15,
2011

(percent)

(percent)

(percent)

9
9
16
8
12
13
33

9
9
19
8
11
14
30

8
9
16
9
13
15
30

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Annual Average Number of Hired Workers and Hours Worked - Regions and United States:
2010 and 2011
[Excludes agricultural service workers]
United States
and region 1

Hired workers

Hours worked

2010

2011

2010

2011

(1,000)

(1,000)

(hours per week)

(hours per week)

Northeast I .......................................

33.5

35.3

42.0

41.0

Northeast II ......................................

32.5

31.3

39.8

39.1

Appalachian I ...................................

33.8

32.5

39.0

40.6

Appalachian II ..................................
Southeast ........................................
Florida .............................................

22.8
28.5
44.0

24.3
29.3
43.5

34.9
37.1
37.7

34.9
37.5
38.2

Lake ................................................

59.8

63.5

35.9

38.4

Cornbelt I .........................................
Cornbelt II ........................................
Delta ................................................
Northern Plains ................................

45.8
28.0
32.3
33.3

40.0
26.5
29.0
36.0

36.0
35.5
39.3
43.0

36.4
38.2
41.4
42.5

Southern Plains ...............................

53.8

49.8

40.3

40.0

Mountain I ........................................
Mountain II .......................................

22.5
19.8

25.0
18.0

43.1
42.3

45.4
43.0

Mountain III ......................................

18.3

17.8

45.5

45.7

Pacific ..............................................

82.8

79.8

41.1

40.8

California .........................................
Hawaii .............................................

170.3
6.3

160.5
7.0

43.1
36.7

43.9
37.9

United States 2 .................................

767.5

748.8

40.1

40.8

1

Region map on page 17.
2
Excludes Alaska.

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

15

Annual Average Wage Rates - Regions and United States: 2010 and 2011
[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]
United States
and region 1

All hired

Field

Field and livestock

2010

2011

2010

2011

2010

(dollars per
hour)

(dollars per
hour)

(dollars per
hour)

(dollars per
hour)

2011

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

10.89

11.20

10.39

10.75

10.25

10.56

Northeast II .................................................................
(DE, MD, NJ, PA)

11.42

11.34

11.05

10.49

10.60

10.34

Appalachian I ..............................................................
(NC, VA)

9.91

10.26

9.13

9.54

9.30

9.70

Appalachian II .............................................................
(KY, TN, WV)

10.32

10.24

9.19

9.32

9.48

9.38

Southeast ...................................................................
(AL, GA, SC)
Florida .........................................................................

9.69

9.97

8.94

9.31

9.12

9.39

10.67

10.92

9.46

9.46

9.50

9.54

Lake ............................................................................
(MI, MN, WI)

11.37

11.40

11.23

11.09

10.62

10.78

Cornbelt I ....................................................................
(IL, IN, OH)

11.44

11.68

11.03

11.18

10.84

11.10

Cornbelt II ...................................................................
(IA, MO)

11.18

11.67

10.96

11.84

11.03

11.50

Delta ...........................................................................
(AR, LA, MS)

9.52

9.80

8.96

9.27

8.97

9.30

Northern Plains ...........................................................
(KS, NE, ND, SD)

11.83

11.97

12.01

12.04

11.52

11.61

Southern Plains ...........................................................
(OK, TX)

10.12

10.43

9.30

9.57

9.65

9.88

Mountain I ...................................................................
(ID, MT, WY)

10.49

10.55

10.03

10.26

9.90

10.19

Mountain II ..................................................................
(CO, NV, UT)

11.30

11.46

10.41

10.50

10.48

10.43

Mountain III .................................................................
(AZ, NM)

10.32

10.71

9.15

9.45

9.60

9.94

Pacific .........................................................................
(OR, WA)
California ....................................................................
Hawaii .........................................................................

11.31

11.58

10.52

10.87

10.60

10.92

11.24
14.24

11.04
14.36

10.14
11.85

10.10
12.14

10.31
12.01

10.24
12.26

United States 2 ............................................................

10.95

11.07

10.19

10.33

10.22

10.36

(dollars per hour) (dollars per hour)

1

Region map on page 17.
2
Excludes Alaska.

16

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Farm Labor Regions
Pacific

Mountain I
Lake
States

Northern
Plains
Cornbelt
II

Mountain
II

Northeast I
Northeast
II
Cornbelt I

Appalachian
I

California
Appalachian
II
Mountain III
Delta
Southern
Plains

Hawaii

States

Northeast I

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
New York, Rhode Island, Vermont.
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania.
North Carolina, Virginia.
Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia.
Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina.
Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin.
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio.
Iowa, Missouri.
Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi.
Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota.
Oklahoma, Texas.
Idaho, Montana, Wyoming.
Colorado, Nevada, Utah.
Arizona, New Mexico.
Oregon, Washington.

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Florida

USDA/ NASS

Region

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

Southeast

17

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 indepth 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.
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.

18

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

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.

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 and the value of products produced under contract. When
commodities are placed under CCC loan, they are considered as sold.

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

19

Survey Methodology
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. The survey reference week was October 915, 2011.
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 10 and 22
percent at the regional level. The U.S. all hired farm worker wage rate had a relative sampling error of 0.8 percent. The
relative sampling error was 0.8 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 5 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 20 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 following quarter that the information is published and
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 October 2010 and July 2011 were subject to revision with
this report.

20

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Annual Average Estimate Methodology
The April 2011 Farm Labor Survey was not conducted due to Agency budget constraints. Since the data in all Farm Labor
Surveys are tied to a specific reference week, it was not possible to conduct this survey at a later time. In lieu of survey
data, April 2011 estimates were generated through modeling of historical data and time series analysis. Twenty-two years
of U.S. and regional quarterly estimates from 1989 through 2010 were used to generate indications of April workers,
hours worked, and wages. These indications were then used to set April estimates for the 15 Farm Labor regions,
California, Florida, Hawaii, and the U.S. These April 2011 estimates were combined with the quarterly estimates from
January, July, and October to calculate annual average estimates for 2011. The U.S. and regional annual averages
published in this report are for All Hired Workers, All Hired Hours Worked, All Hired Wages, Field and Livestock
(combined) Wages, and Field Wages.
For further information on the methodology which was used to generate the April 2011 estimates, please go to the NASS
web site at www.nass.usda.gov. Under “Browse NASS by Subject”, click on “Research and Science”. At the bottom of
the next screen, click on one of the links next to “Research Reports”. To search by date, click on the “by Date” link, then
find the report listed with the “November 2011” grouping. To search by title, click on the “by Title” link, then scroll down
to the report. The title of the report is “April 2011 Labor Estimates Methodology.”

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

21

Information Contacts
Listed below are the commodity statisticians in the Environmental and Demographics Section of the Environmental,
Economics, and Demographics Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional
information. E-mail inquiries may be sent to [email protected].
Kevin Hintzman, Acting Chief, Environmental, Economics, and Demographics Branch ............................... (202) 720-6146
Dale P. Hawks, Head, Environmental and Demographics Section .................................................................. (202) 720-0684
Mark Aitken – Farm Labor .......................................................................................................................... (202) 720-9525
Jerry Campbell – Energy, Census of Agriculture......................................................................................... (202) 720-5581
Liana Cuffman – Livestock Chemical Usage, Postharvest Chemical Usage ............................................... (202) 690-0392
Doug Farmer – Fruit Chemical Usage, Vegetable Chemical Usage ............................................................ (202) 720-7492
Theresa Varner – Field Crops Chemical Usage ........................................................................................... (202) 690-2284

22

Farm Labor (November 2011)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Access to NASS Reports
For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways:
 All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site: http://www.nass.usda.gov
 Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e-mail subscription. To set-up this free
subscription, visit http://www.nass.usda.gov and in the “Receive NASS Updates” box under “Receive reports by
Email,” click on “National” or “State” to select the reports you would like to receive.
 Printed reports may be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) by calling toll-free
(800) 999-6779, or (703) 605-6220 if calling from outside the United States or Canada. Accepted methods of
payment are Visa, MasterCard, check, or money order.
For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Agricultural Statistics Hotline at (800) 727-9540,
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail: [email protected].
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the
basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental
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To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant
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