Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals in the U.S. is $36,670 ($17.63 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $36,670
- Mean annual wage
- $39,260
- Median hourly wage
- $17.63
- Employment
- 32,810
32,810 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $27,360 | $13.15 |
| 25th percentile | $31,020 | $14.91 |
| Median (50th) | $36,670 | $17.63 |
| 75th percentile | $45,700 | $21.97 |
| 90th percentile | $54,080 | $26.00 |
Highest-paying states for farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $50,450 | 40 |
| West Virginia | $48,460 | 40 |
| Hawaii | $47,050 | 160 |
| Minnesota | $46,020 | 580 |
| Washington | $45,370 | 1,100 |
| Maine | $42,170 | 140 |
| Maryland | $41,760 | 310 |
| Vermont | $40,730 | 80 |
| Idaho | $40,580 | 480 |
| North Dakota | $40,320 | 130 |
Lowest-paying states
- Georgia: $28,410 median annual wage
- Arkansas: $29,340 median annual wage
- Ohio: $31,200 median annual wage
- Nevada: $31,700 median annual wage
- Louisiana: $31,940 median annual wage
About this occupation
Attend to live farm, ranch, open range or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses and other equines, poultry, rabbits, finfish, shellfish, and bees. Attend to animals produced for animal products, such as meat, fur, skins, feathers, eggs, milk, and honey. Duties may include feeding, watering, herding, grazing, milking, castrating, branding, de-beaking, weighing, catching, and loading animals. May maintain records on animals; examine animals to detect diseases and injuries; assist in birth deliveries; and administer medications, vaccinations, or insecticides as appropriate. May clean and maintain animal housing areas. Includes workers who shear wool from shee
Typical tasks
- Provide medical treatment, such as administering medications and vaccinations, or arrange for veterinarians to provide more extensive treatment.
- Shift animals between grazing areas to ensure that they have sufficient access to food.
- Drive trucks, tractors, and other equipment to distribute feed to animals.
- Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures.
- Groom, clip, trim, or castrate animals, dock ears and tails, or shear coats to collect hair.
- Examine animals to detect illness, injury, or disease, and to check physical characteristics, such as rate of weight gain.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: No formal educational credential
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 46.2% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 28.8% |
| Some college, no degree | 10.7% |
| Associate's degree | 4.8% |
| Bachelor's degree | 7.8% |
| Master's degree | 1.3% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.5% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse$35,660
- Agricultural Equipment Operators$41,730
- First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers$59,320
- Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products$35,730
- Logging Equipment Operators$49,740
- Agricultural Inspectors$49,940
- Forest and Conservation Workers$43,680
- Agricultural Workers, All Other$39,850
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.