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How to hire a farm worker

Farm worker hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring farm workers in the United States:

  • There are a total of 17,696 farm workers in the US, and there are currently 25,368 job openings in this field.
  • The median cost to hire a farm worker is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per farm worker on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Cleveland, GA, has the highest demand for farm workers, with 6 job openings.

How to hire a farm worker, step by step

To hire a farm worker, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a farm worker:

Here's a step-by-step farm worker hiring guide:

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

What does a farm worker do?

A farmworker is responsible for applying fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides to crops and livestock. You will operate agricultural machinery under the direction of a rancher, farmer, or an agricultural manager. Your duties will typically include harvesting and inspecting crops manually, irrigating farm soil and maintaining pipes, pumps, d ditches, and feeding livestock. As a farmworker, you will operate milking machinery and other farm machinery such as plows and tractors, maintain farm buildings, and trim hedges. You are also expected to mend walls and fences and clear drainage ditches.

Learn more about the specifics of what a farm worker does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you start hiring a farm worker, 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
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A farm worker's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, farm workers 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 following list breaks down different types of farm workers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Farm WorkerDescriptionHourly rate
    Farm WorkerAgricultural 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
    Ranch HandA ranch hand is a person who takes care of livestock animals in a ranch. Ranch hands perform the ranch husbandry job, which involves keeping them healthy, feeding them, and overseeing breeding... Show more$10-16
    GroomA groom is primarily in charge of maintaining the hygiene and appearance of pets. Typically working at grooming shops, a groom liaises with pet owners to identify their preferences, observe the pet's condition to identify its needs, and explain the extent of procedures to pet owners... Show more$10-20
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Harvest
    • Mowing
    • Farm Equipment
    • Farm Machinery
    • Farm Work
    • Beef Cattle
    • Repair Equipment
    • Shovels
    • Milking
    • CDL
    • Bobcat
    • Manual Labor
    • Farm Animals
    • Skid Loader
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • General farm operations including health checks and care of calves, manage cleanliness of barns, milking
    • Manage regular routines of dairy calf sector, developing skill in feeding, housing, sanitation, parasite and disease control.
    • Care for domestic farm animals, lawn mowing, lifting supplies and feed, general grounds work.
    • Adhere to farm procedures for newborn calf management.
    • Serve as vacation relief foreman and semi trailer spotter.
    • Farm aid carrry trees to customers cars, drive a bobcat.
    More farm worker duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your farm worker job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A farm worker salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

    For example, the average salary for a farm worker in Alabama may be lower than in North Dakota, and an entry-level farm worker usually earns less than a senior-level farm worker. Additionally, a farm worker with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

    Average farm worker salary

    $12.79hourly

    $26,598 yearly

    Entry-level farm worker salary
    $21,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 31, 2025

    Average farm worker salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Mississippi$27,443$13
    2Tennessee$24,606$12
    3Kentucky$24,384$12
    4North Carolina$21,762$10
    5Louisiana$21,301$10

    Average farm worker salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1FAT CATS CAFE$32,415$15.58
    2Blue Bird$32,040$15.40
    3Regions Bank$31,677$15.23
    4Apple$30,958$14.88
    5Tyson Foods$30,595$14.715
    6H B Plastics$30,572$14.70
    7Hog Slat$30,388$14.61
    8Hormel Foods$29,857$14.3543
    9Perkins & Co$29,811$14.33
    10Benny's$29,610$14.24
    11David Douglas School District$29,599$14.23
    12Prohealth Corp$29,175$14.031
    13River City Bank$29,028$13.96
    14McCarthy Holdings, Inc.$28,887$13.89
    15James G. Davis Construction (davis)$28,658$13.78
    16Univar$28,502$13.701
    17Wright Brothers Construction$28,403$13.66
    18Tri City Electrical$28,396$13.65
    19Pathway to Living$28,379$13.64
    20Huntsman$28,328$13.62
  4. Writing a farm worker job description

    A farm worker 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. Below, you can find an example of a farm worker job description:

    Farm worker job description example

    B.H. Inc. will need to hire Electricians, Equipment Operators, and Laborers throughout 2023 as we construct an industrial solar farm near Cedar City, Utah . In order to be considered for one of these positions, you must submit an application here . Hiring priority will be given to those with solar experience and/or an OSHA-10 or OSHA-30 certification that is less than 4-years-old. This project requires pre-employment and random drug testing. The typical work schedule is five or six, ten-hour days per week.

    A competitive wage is paid - depending on your trade and experience level - and is paid weekly .

    • Most new team members will be hired on as Temporary Project Specific and will be eligible for medical insurance only which will begin the month following 60 days after the first day on the job. Temporary project-specific team members will not be eligible for other benefits, for example: paid time off, paid holidays, and other benefits that are available to regular full-time employees .
    • Some high skilled trades will be hired on as full-time team members. For these positions, we may offer benefits including health, vision, dental, life insurance, a 401k plan with match, and paid time off. All of these benefits will begin the month following 60 days after the first day on the job.
    • In past jobs we have paid per diem on these projects; we may not be paying per diem going forward. Speak with the hiring supervisor or human resources to see if you will be eligible for per diem.

    Applicants with a General Construction OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 certification within the past four years will get hiring preference . If you have one of these certificates, make sure to upload it during the application process. Your OSHA cert can be uploaded in the same section of the application that you upload your resume.

    ABOUT B.H. INC.

    Brad Haslem started BHI with just six other people in 1998. What started as an electrical company that operated out of a one-bay shop, is now a powerhouse of a general contractor, focusing not only on instrumentation and electrical, but adding civil & excavation, facilities & pipeline, construction management, and wireless & communications. With projects and offices located across the United States, BHI is a name that is recognized and respected in the industries we serve.

    We are a group of highly motivated, aggressive, goal-oriented individuals who love working as a team and growing our organization. We look at each other as family, not merely co-workers who punch the same clock . We firmly believe that our core responsibility is to develop people and provide for families. Here at BHI, we have a positive work environment and offer great pay and benefits .

    ARE YOU READY TO JOIN OUR TEAM?

    If you feel that you would be right for this job, please fill out our application so that we can review your information. We look forward to meeting you!

    EEO, including disability and vets.



    Job Posted by ApplicantPro
  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right farm worker 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.
    To find farm worker candidates, you can consider the following options:
    • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
    • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as ag hires, farm job, farming work , joe produce, picking jobs.
    • Post your job on free job posting websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    During your first interview to recruit farm workers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    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 worker

    Once you have selected a candidate for the farm worker position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

    It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new farm worker. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • 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

How much does it cost to hire a farm worker?

Before you start to hire farm workers, 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 workers 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 workers is $26,598 in the US. However, the cost of farm worker hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a farm worker for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $10 and $15 an hour.

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