Research Summary. Here are some key facts to know if you're looking to hire a farm labours in the United States:

  • The median cost to hire a farm labour is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per farm labour on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • There are a total of 17,696 farm labours in the US, and there are currently 25,319 job openings in this field.
  • California, MO, has the highest demand for farm labours, with 7 job openings.

jobs
Post A Job For Free, Promote It For A Fee

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Farm Labour

Before you start to hire farm labours, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire farm labours pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

The median annual salary for farm labours is $26,720 in the US. However, the cost of farm labour hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a farm labour for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $10 and $15 an hour.

Find Better Talent in Less Time
Post a Job on Zippia and take the best from over 7 million monthly job seekers.

How to hire a Farm Labour, step by step

To hire a farm labour, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a farm labour:

  • Step 1: Identify your needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Writing a farm labour job description
  • Step 5: Post the job
  • Step 6: Interview process
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new farm labour
  • Step 8: Go through the checklist for the hiring process

1
Identify Your Needs

Before you get started with hiring a farm labour, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

Determine Employee vs Contractor Status
Your Progress
1/10
Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

A farm labour's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, farm labours from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

The list breaks down common farm labour roles and compares their salaries.

Type Of Farm LabourDescriptionHourly Rate
Farm LabourAgricultural workers maintain the quality of farms, crops, and livestock by operating machinery and doing physical labor under the supervision of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers.$10-15
RiderA rider's job is to maintain a specific route or area to collect or deliver packages. They often used bicycles or motorcycles to perform their duties... Show More$11-51
WranglerA wrangler has different responsibilities according to their place or industry of employment. There are wranglers who specialize in handling and training various animals such as horses, dogs, cattle, and even snakes... Show More$8-32

2
Create An Ideal Candidate Profile

Before you start to recruit farm labours, imagine the ideal employee for this position and begin creating a profile and job description. What skills do they have, and what responsibilities do they have to be proficient in?

Farm labours typically have the following skills:

Common Skills:
  • Harvest
  • Cleanliness
  • Farm Machinery
  • Farm Work
  • Drive Tractor
  • Mowing
  • Beef Cattle
  • CDL
  • Milking
  • Livestock Care
  • Physical Labor
  • Manual Labor
  • Equipment Maintenance
  • Skid Loader
Check All Skills

Here is a list of common responsibilities that farm labours may be expected to fulfill:

Responsibilities:
  • Manage and oversee the day-to-day running of farms raising poultry or pigs for the production of meat and breeding stock.
  • Perform duties in farrowing unit, relocate sows, immunize and care for newborn pigs.
  • Job are to keep the farm up, mowing, weed eating, put fertilizer down.
  • Used hand tools including shovels, rakes, pruning saws, hedge and brush trimmers and axes.
  • Carry out daily milking, feeding, and field operations, twice per day, for the care of dairy livestock
  • Milk cows, landscaping, field work, lawn mowing, bailing hay, and anything else done on a farm.
Check all Duties

Beyond the basics, you should also consider how well a candidate fits into your company culture. In other words, you should think about how your ideal farm labour will live by the company's mission statement and contribute to the team dynamic you already have in place.

Most Common States For Farm Labours In The US

Rank #State# Of Jobs% of PopulationAvg. Salary
1Ohio1471%$29,098
2Iowa1455%$32,437
3Arizona1352%$26,325
4Maryland1302%$26,088
5Minnesota972%$32,335

Professional Project Manager CV example

3
Make A Budget

Including a salary range in your job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A farm labour can vary based on things like:

  • Location. For example, farm labours' average salary in north carolina is 48% less than in north dakota.
  • Seniority. Entry-level farm labours 36% less than senior-level farm labours.
  • Certifications. A farm labour with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
  • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a farm labour's salary.

Updated March 16, 2023

Farm Labour Salary Estimate

$12.85hourly

$26,720 yearly

Entry level Salary
$21,000 yearly

Farm Labour Average Salary By Location

RankStateAvg. SalaryHourly RateJob Count
1Washington$31,345$15
2Arizona$25,992$13
3Florida$24,776$12

Farm Labour Average Salary By Company

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Cargill$36,448$17.525
2University of California-Berkeley$36,446$17.52
3General Mills$31,659$15.222
4University of Wisconsin System$31,382$15.09
5Apple$31,206$15.00
6Tyson Foods$31,026$14.9260
7AVANCE$29,453$14.16
8The Wonderful Company$28,869$13.88
9BlackBerry$28,741$13.82
10A & R Construction$28,485$13.69
11Belcan$28,236$13.57
12Forest View Nursing Home$28,112$13.52
13West Hills College Lemoore$28,023$13.471
14B&W Quality Growers$27,848$13.39
15Morgan$27,774$13.35
16Taylor Corporation$27,737$13.34
17Harman International$27,649$13.29
18IES$27,468$13.21
19PeopleReady$27,456$13.20754
20Lambs Farm$27,449$13.20

4
Writing a Farm Labour Job Description

A farm labour job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a farm labour job description:

Example of Full Job Description

NOTE: THIS IS A REPOSTING OF N-2022-25396 WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY OPEN FROM JULY 11, 2022 TO JULY 25, 2022. PREVIOUS APPLICANTS DO NOT NEED TO REAPPLY.

The Department of Agriculture, PA Farm Show and Expo Center, is looking for candidates for Temporary, Full-Time Laborers to support upcoming shows. As part of the Farm Show staff, you will assist in the operation and maintenance of the 24-acre building in Harrisburg, the one-of-a-kind Pennsylvania Farm Show!

Duties of a Farm Show Laborer Employee are many and varied. It is difficult to apply a degree of importance to the different tasks because all jobs performed contribute to the completeness and efficiency of operation at the Farm Show Complex. Will be responsible to help setup, maintain and teardown for the various types of events held at the complex. Maintain complex grounds and facility buildings with regards to trash and custodial functions, general maintenance, meeting and banquet setups, grounds keeping and snow removal.
Work Schedule and Additional Information:

* Full-time employment.
* Work hours:
* 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, Thursday-Monday
* 2:30 pm to 11:00 pm, Thursday-Monday
* 7:00 am to 3:30 pm, Monday-Friday

* This position is temporary, full-time without benefits. 40 hours a week.

* Hours increased to meet show needs. Shift hours change, mandatory and holiday overtime work required to maintain 24/7 operational needs.
* ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEE - REQUIRED TO REPORT TO WORK DURING EMERGENCIES AND OFFICE CLOSINGS.
* Salary: In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable.
* You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

* No previous experience or training required.

Additional Requirements:

* You must be able to perform essential job functions.

How to Apply:

* Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
* Your application must include a cover letter and resume. (if requested on the JPF)
* Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

* 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

5
Post A Job

There are various strategies that you can use to find the right farm labour for your business:

  • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
  • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
  • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
  • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

Post your job online:

  • Post your farm labour job on Zippia to find and recruit farm labour candidates who meet your exact specifications.
  • Use field-specific websites such as ag hires, farm job, farming work , joe produce, picking jobs.
  • Post a job on free websites.

6
Interview Process

To successfully recruit farm labours, your first interview needs to be all about engaging with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

It's also a good idea to ask about candidates' special skills and talents. If you think that a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7
Send A Job Offer And Onboard Your New Farm Labour

Once you've found the farm labour candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary, as well as the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer needs to be competitive if you really like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

To prepare for the new farm labour first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources needs to make sure that a new employee file is created for internal recordkeeping.

8
Go Through The Checklist For The Hiring Process

  • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
  • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
  • Define job responsibilities and requirements
  • Establish budget and timeline
  • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
  • Write job description
  • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
  • Promote the job internally
  • Process applications through applicant tracking system
  • Review resumes and cover letters
  • Shortlist candidates for screening
  • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
  • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
  • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
  • Conduct background checks on top candidates
  • Check references of top candidates
  • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
  • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
  • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
  • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
  • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
  • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
Sign Up To Download Full List
Are You An Employer?
Let us help you hire the right people for your Company.

Hiring Farm Labours FAQs

How Much Does A Good Farm Labour Cost?

A good farm labour costs $12.85 an hour in the US. However, it can vary based on factors such as the farm labour experience, abilities, industry, and the specific requirements of your business.

What Are The Duties Of A Farm Labour?

The duties of a farm labour are:
  • Manage and oversee the day-to-day running of farms raising poultry or pigs for the production of meat and breeding stock.
  • Perform duties in farrowing unit, relocate sows, immunize and care for newborn pigs.
  • Job are to keep the farm up, mowing, weed eating, put fertilizer down.

Should I Hire A Farm Labour With No Experience?

Yes, you should hire a farm labour with no experience. Hiring an entry-level farm labour with no experience offers versatility for your team. They may lack some qualifications, but are adaptable and have not yet formed problematic habits. However, more training may be required compared to experienced.

Search For Farm Labour Jobs

Ready To Start Hiring?