Research Summary. Here are some key facts to know if you're looking to hire a farm labours in the United States:
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.
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:
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.
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 Labour | Description | Hourly Rate |
---|---|---|
Farm Labour | Agricultural 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 |
Rider | A 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 |
Wrangler | A 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 |
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:
Here is a list of common responsibilities that farm labours may be expected to fulfill:
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.
Rank # | State | # Of Jobs | % of Population | Avg. Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ohio | 147 | 1% | $29,098 |
2 | Iowa | 145 | 5% | $32,437 |
3 | Arizona | 135 | 2% | $26,325 |
4 | Maryland | 130 | 2% | $26,088 |
5 | Minnesota | 97 | 2% | $32,335 |
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:
Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Washington | $31,345 | $15 | |
2 | Arizona | $25,992 | $13 | |
3 | Florida | $24,776 | $12 |
Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cargill | $36,448 | $17.52 | 5 |
2 | University of California-Berkeley | $36,446 | $17.52 | |
3 | General Mills | $31,659 | $15.22 | 2 |
4 | University of Wisconsin System | $31,382 | $15.09 | |
5 | Apple | $31,206 | $15.00 | |
6 | Tyson Foods | $31,026 | $14.92 | 60 |
7 | AVANCE | $29,453 | $14.16 | |
8 | The Wonderful Company | $28,869 | $13.88 | |
9 | BlackBerry | $28,741 | $13.82 | |
10 | A & R Construction | $28,485 | $13.69 | |
11 | Belcan | $28,236 | $13.57 | |
12 | Forest View Nursing Home | $28,112 | $13.52 | |
13 | West Hills College Lemoore | $28,023 | $13.47 | 1 |
14 | B&W Quality Growers | $27,848 | $13.39 | |
15 | Morgan | $27,774 | $13.35 | |
16 | Taylor Corporation | $27,737 | $13.34 | |
17 | Harman International | $27,649 | $13.29 | |
18 | IES | $27,468 | $13.21 | |
19 | PeopleReady | $27,456 | $13.20 | 754 |
20 | Lambs Farm | $27,449 | $13.20 |
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:
There are various strategies that you can use to find the right farm labour for your business:
Post your job online:
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.
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.