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Crop Farmworker or Laborer

What Do Crop Farmworker or Laborer Do?

Job Description & Duties 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.

List of Crop Farmworker or Laborer Job Duties

  • Record information about crops, such as pesticide use, yields, or costs.
  • Set up and operate irrigation equipment.
  • Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment.
  • Participate in the inspection, grading, sorting, storage, and post-harvest treatment of crops.
  • Dig and plant seeds, or transplant seedlings by hand.
  • Direct and monitor the work of casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting.

What Every Crop Farmworker or Laborer Should Know

These are the skills Crop Farmworkers and Laborers say are the most useful in their careers:

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.

  • Tobacco Stripper
  • Firebreak Cutter
  • Loader
  • Potato Seed Cutter
  • Mushroom Growth Media Mixer

Job Outlook for Crop Farmworkers and Laborers

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 503,700 jobs in the United States for Crop Farmworker or Laborer. 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. There will be an estimated 76,800 positions for Crop Farmworker or Laborer per year.

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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.

Salary for a Crop Farmworker or Laborer

The typical yearly salary for Crop Farmworkers and Laborers is somewhere between $21,900 and $35,200.

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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

Education needed to be a Crop Farmworker or Laborer:

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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Those thinking about becoming a Crop Farmworker or Laborer might also be interested in the following careers:

References:

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More about our data sources and methodologies.

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