Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for graders and sorters, agricultural products in the U.S. is $35,730 ($17.18 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $35,730
- Mean annual wage
- $36,430
- Median hourly wage
- $17.18
- Employment
- 25,180
25,180 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $29,580 | $14.22 |
| 25th percentile | $34,320 | $16.50 |
| Median (50th) | $35,730 | $17.18 |
| 75th percentile | $38,260 | $18.39 |
| 90th percentile | $44,490 | $21.39 |
Highest-paying states for graders and sorters, agricultural products
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $48,740 | 230 |
| Minnesota | $47,540 | 30 |
| Maine | $45,810 | 40 |
| North Dakota | $45,590 | 260 |
| Nebraska | $45,560 | 330 |
| Utah | $42,710 | 100 |
| Iowa | $42,450 | 170 |
| Massachusetts | $41,770 | 40 |
| Maryland | $41,740 | 430 |
| Illinois | $41,670 | 220 |
Lowest-paying states
- Florida: $27,470 median annual wage
- Idaho: $27,680 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $30,140 median annual wage
- New Mexico: $30,480 median annual wage
- Arizona: $31,700 median annual wage
About this occupation
Grade, sort, or classify unprocessed food and other agricultural products by size, weight, color, or condition.
Typical tasks
- Discard inferior or defective products or foreign matter, and place acceptable products in containers for further processing.
- Record grade or identification numbers on tags or on shipping, receiving, or sales sheets.
- Place products in containers according to grade and mark grades on containers.
- Grade and sort products according to factors such as color, species, length, width, appearance, feel, smell, and quality to ensure correct processing and usage.
- Weigh products or estimate their weight, visually or by feel.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: No formal educational credential
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 52.9% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 28.9% |
| Some college, no degree | 9.2% |
| Associate's degree | 3.7% |
| Bachelor's degree | 4.5% |
| Master's degree | 0.4% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.2% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse$35,660
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals$36,670
- Agricultural Equipment Operators$41,730
- First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers$59,320
- 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.