Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary

SOC Code: 45-2093 • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary
$36,150
Mean Salary
$38,580
Employment
35,420
Entry Level (10th %ile)
$27,110
Top Earners (90th %ile)
$51,840

Pay Range Distribution

10th percentile
$27,110 25th percentile
$31,220 Median (50th)
$36,150 75th percentile
$44,280 90th percentile
$51,840

Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary by State

StateMedianMeanEmploymentEntry (10th)Top (90th)
Hawaii$48,990$50,740180$43,520$59,290
Alaska$48,440$51,93060$36,590$71,710
Vermont$47,230$49,64070$33,050$69,560
Washington$43,540$45,770960$35,050$61,350
Minnesota$42,650$42,750500$33,490$54,770
Utah$42,120$39,680180$24,920$52,160
Louisiana$41,720$41,06050$37,750$44,650
Idaho$41,360$40,640530$24,560$55,050
Maine$41,320$42,120200$31,930$58,980
Colorado$41,230$41,9901,420$31,200$53,260
New York$40,750$44,970300$32,890$62,730
North Dakota$40,560$41,600200$35,820$50,410
New Jersey$39,140$41,810350$34,070$47,840
Wyoming$38,920$37,660420$20,220$45,760
South Dakota$38,580$41,410120$32,350$51,090
Indiana$38,120$37,350380$23,370$45,980
Massachusetts$37,970$43,800330$34,890$62,210
Arizona$37,470$40,190510$31,200$52,640
Mississippi$37,440$38,540220$26,720$46,300
Nebraska$37,440$39,770510$30,590$47,850
Virginia$37,340$43,0601,040$29,150$62,410
Montana$37,110$40,570650$29,930$61,510
Kansas$36,940$37,5301,370$27,260$48,760
Delaware$36,800$37,810110$28,110$45,650
Wisconsin$36,100$37,8101,070$22,850$51,240
New Hampshire$36,020$36,600130$25,460$51,240
Connecticut$35,640$37,640130$32,640$48,910
Nevada$35,480$38,540150$28,850$54,140
Maryland$35,390$37,630410$31,200$44,620
Oregon$35,360$37,2801,160$32,490$45,500
California$35,310$39,7905,760$34,130$49,440
North Carolina$35,230$36,970880$28,480$47,460
Alabama$35,150$34,9901,300$23,260$48,450
Pennsylvania$35,040$37,9301,330$26,290$52,020
Florida$34,960$37,210740$28,200$48,270
Iowa$34,740$37,8501,310$29,100$51,840
Illinois$34,680$37,240410$29,160$55,250
Missouri$34,400$39,5501,610$27,650$63,490
Tennessee$34,350$36,530310$24,130$48,680
Kentucky$33,850$35,870600$22,340$52,010
Texas$33,050$35,5604,140$24,190$48,490
Michigan$33,030$34,840390$22,340$50,820
South Carolina$32,820$30,020170$20,540$41,410
Georgia$32,810$35,050410$23,370$49,540
Oklahoma$32,670$33,650450$21,130$47,270
New Mexico$32,320$36,150400$24,960$52,560
West Virginia$31,980$37,250110$24,190$54,510
Ohio$30,890$34,610980$23,690$58,880
Arkansas$28,410$32,870410$23,880$50,690

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro AreaMedianMeanEmployment
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA$53,950$49,49050
Kahului-Wailuku, HI$53,190$52,94040
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA$51,840$46,07040
Portland-South Portland, ME$49,860$50,79030
Chattanooga, TN-GA$48,680$44,81030
Urban Honolulu, HI$47,850$48,07080
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$47,440$51,330320
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$46,990$49,140N/A
Kennewick-Richland, WA$46,840$50,57040
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD$46,690$44,04080
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$46,010$46,110350
Boulder, CO$45,640$45,54070
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$45,370$51,410410
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$45,130$46,990310
Salinas, CA$44,040$44,270N/A
Bend, OR$43,470$44,41040
Boise City, ID$43,430$44,120160
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$43,170$45,24080
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$43,040$43,420160
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX$41,990$38,87030

About Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary Data

This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The median salary represents the midpoint — half of farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animalss earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay, while the 90th percentile represents the highest earners in this occupation. Employment counts represent estimated total jobs in May 2024.

Understanding Salary Percentiles

Salary percentiles show how wages are distributed across workers in this occupation. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay — only 10% earn less. The median (50th percentile) is the true midpoint of all wages. The 90th percentile reflects top earners, typically in senior roles or high-cost metro areas. A wide gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles indicates that experience, location, and specialization significantly affect pay.

Factors That Affect Pay

Several factors influence salary for this occupation. Location is one of the biggest — the same job can pay 50% more in a high-cost metro area like San Francisco or New York compared to a rural area. Experience matters significantly; workers at the 90th percentile typically have 10-20+ years in the field. Industry also plays a role — the same occupation often pays differently in finance, technology, healthcare, or government. Education and certifications can boost pay, especially in fields that require advanced degrees or specialized licenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between median and mean salary?

The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers. The median is generally more useful because it is not skewed by a small number of extremely high earners.

Do these figures include bonuses and benefits?

No. BLS OEWS data measures base wages and salaries only. It does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. Total compensation may be 20-40% higher than base salary.

How reliable is this data?

The BLS OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across the U.S. and uses rigorous statistical sampling methods. It is considered one of the most reliable sources of occupational wage data available. Self-employed workers and certain agricultural positions are not included.

How often is this data updated?

The BLS publishes new OEWS data annually, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period. This page shows May 2024 data, the most recent release.