Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
No formal educational credential
None
Short-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Farmworkers and laborers in crops, nurseries, and greenhouses are a large occupational group, with about 505,000 workers nationwide. This role is accessible to many people because it typically does not require any formal educational credential. Instead, it emphasizes practical abilities such as physical strength and stamina, fine motor skills, and mechanical aptitude, along with interpersonal and critical thinking skills. The national median annual salary of $35,690 reflects the earnings workers can expect at the midpoint of the pay scale. While projected employment growth is -3.3%, there are still an estimated 72,000 annual openings, indicating ongoing turnover and replacement needs. Opportunities vary across states and metro areas, with locations like California, New York, and several major metro regions showing higher opportunity scores. For individuals who bring strong physical capabilities, are comfortable with hands-on work, and want to enter the workforce without formal education, this occupation offers sizable employment and multiple geographic options to consider.
The national median annual salary for farmworkers and laborers in crops, nurseries, and greenhouses is $35,690. Pay levels vary by location, and some states and metro areas offer higher median salaries than the national midpoint. Among the top states by opportunity score, New York shows a median salary of $40,930, while Massachusetts and Washington are also above $38,000. In contrast, California’s median salary of $35,580 is close to the national median. At the metro level, several areas stand out for higher earnings: New York–Newark–Jersey City shows a median salary of $43,970, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara reports $43,690, and San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont reports $43,140. These figures suggest that workers willing to consider certain metro regions may find stronger earning potential, while still remaining within the same overall occupation and skill set.
This occupation employs about 505,000 workers nationally, indicating a significant presence in the labor market. Projected employment growth is -3.3%, suggesting that total employment is expected to decline over the projection period. At the same time, there are an estimated 72,000 annual openings. This combination signals that, despite the negative growth rate, many positions will continue to become available each year due to turnover, retirements, and other forms of replacement demand. The uniform -3.3% growth rate reported for multiple states and metro areas indicates that this outlook is broadly shared across regions listed, not confined to a single area. For job seekers, this means that while long-term expansion is not anticipated, ongoing hiring needs can still create entry points into the field, particularly for individuals prepared to meet the physical and practical demands of the work.
Location plays a substantial role in opportunity for farmworkers and laborers in crops, nurseries, and greenhouses. Among the top states by opportunity score, California stands out with 172,260 employed and a median salary of $35,580, paired with an opportunity score of 67.38. Massachusetts and New York show higher median salaries—$38,220 and $40,930 respectively—alongside strong opportunity scores above 65, though with much smaller employment levels than California. Colorado and Washington also offer median salaries near or above $38,000 with mid-50s opportunity scores. All of these states share the same projected growth rate of -3.3%. At the metro level, New York–Newark–Jersey City and San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara show especially high opportunity scores above 77 and median salaries over $43,000. San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, and Boston–Cambridge–Newton also combine solid opportunity scores with median salaries around or above $39,000, highlighting several strong urban and regional options.
Typical entry into this occupation does not require any formal educational credential, making it accessible to individuals who want to start working without completing a degree or certificate. Success in the role, however, draws on a broad mix of skills. Physical strength and stamina and fine motor skills support the hands-on nature of the work. Mechanical abilities can be important where tools or equipment are involved. Science and mathematics skills, along with critical and analytical thinking, can help workers understand and solve practical problems that arise. Project management and leadership skills support organizing tasks and guiding others when needed. Creativity and innovation can contribute to improving processes or approaches, and interpersonal skills help in working effectively with supervisors, coworkers, or teams. Together, this skill profile shows that while formal schooling is not typically required, developing these capabilities can enhance performance and support longer-term progress within the occupation or into related roles.
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