Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals

SOC 45-2093 • View wages by state

The median annual wage for Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals is $35,120, based on BLS OEWS 2023 data. The mean annual wage is $37,060, and an estimated 32,590 workers are employed in this occupation nationally. Between 2020 and 2023, pay rose +20.6% while consumer prices rose 17.7% — a real change of +2.4% after inflation. BLS projects employment will shrink 5% between 2024 and 2034.

Wage Trend & Inflation Adjustment

How the national median wage for Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals has moved across BLS OEWS release years, and what each year's wage is worth in 2023 dollars after adjusting for CPI inflation. "Real" change strips out inflation — the truest measure of whether pay is actually rising.

National median wage trend for Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals, nominal and inflation-adjusted, BLS OEWS.
Year Median (nominal) In 2023 $ (real) Employment
2023 $35,120 $35,120 32,590
2022 $34,150 $35,556 33,020
2021 $29,630 $33,319 34,140
2020 $29,130 $34,295 36,820

Nominal change

+20.6%

Inflation (CPI)

+17.7%

Real change

+2.4%

Job Outlook (2024–2034 BLS projection)

The BLS Employment Projections program estimates how each occupation's employment will change over the coming decade, and how many job openings to expect each year (from both growth and the need to replace workers who leave).

Projected Growth

-5%

Declining

Employment 2024

224,600

Projected 2034

213,400

Annual Openings

31,200

Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.

Highest-Paying Areas (2023)

Where Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals earn the most, and how each area's median compares to the national median of $35,120. A positive premium means the area pays above the national rate.

Highest-paying areas for Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals, BLS OEWS 2023.
Area Median Annual vs National Employment
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area $53,460 +52.2% 50
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area $47,310 +34.7% 40
Hawaii $47,110 +34.1% 150
New Jersey $47,050 +34% 180
Alaska $46,860 +33.4% 60
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area $45,390 +29.2% 170
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area $45,140 +28.5% 60
Nevada nonmetropolitan area $44,700 +27.3% 50
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area $44,410 +26.5% 110
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area $44,000 +25.3% 110
Full wages-by-state breakdown →

Wage Distribution (National, 2023)

10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages from BLS OEWS — the full spread, not just an average.

10th Pct

$25,500

25th Pct

$29,600

Median

$35,120

75th Pct

$42,850

90th Pct

$50,300

H-1B Employer Filings

Employer-certified wages from DOL H-1B LCA filings — competitive market benchmark, not approved visas.

The average H-1B median wage for this occupation is $39,187 — 11.6% above the OEWS national median of $35,120. H-1B sponsors are certifying pay above the prevailing market rate.
H-1B employer filings for Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals, DOL LCA data.
Employer State Filings Median Wage
Black Leg Ranch Meats, LLC ND 1 $39,187

Source: DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification, H-1B LCA data.

Related Occupations in Farming, Fishing & Forestry

Other occupations in the same SOC major group, ranked by national median wage.

First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers $57,320 Fallers $53,170 Logging Workers, All Other $52,480 Logging Equipment Operators $48,240 Agricultural Inspectors $48,010 Animal Breeders $47,540 Log Graders and Scalers $45,600 Agricultural Workers, All Other $40,620
All Farming, Fishing & Forestry occupations →
Wages by State Compare with another occupation All H-1B Employers