Farm Labor
There were 776,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on the Nation's farms and ranches during the week of October 8-14, 2023, down 1 percent from the October 2022 reference week.
October Hired Workers Down 1 Percent; Gross Wage Rate Increased 6 Percent from Previous Year
There were 776,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on the Nation's farms and ranches during the week of October 8-14, 2023, down 1 percent from the October 2022 reference week. Workers hired directly by farm operators numbered 781,000 during the week of July 9-15, 2023, down 2 percent from the July 2022 reference week.
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average gross wage of $18.81 per hour during the October 2023 reference week, up 6 percent from the October 2022 reference week. Field workers received an average of $18.24 per hour, up 7 percent. Livestock workers earned $17.19 per hour, up 4 percent. The field and livestock worker combined gross wage rate, at $17.95 per hour, was up 6 percent from the 2022 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 41.7 hours during the October 2023 reference week, down slightly from the hours worked during the October 2022 reference week.
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average gross wage of $18.61 per hour during the July 2023 reference week, up 6 percent from the July 2022 reference week. Field workers received an average of $18.08 per hour, up 8 percent, while livestock workers earned $16.95 per hour, up 2 percent from a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined gross wage rate, at $17.76 per hour, was up 6 percent from the July 2022 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 41.2 hours during the July 2023 reference week, up slightly from the hours worked during the July 2022 reference week.
The 2023 all hired worker annual average gross wage rate was $18.53 per hour, up 6 percent from the 2022 annual average gross wage rate. The 2023 field worker annual average gross wage rate was $17.88 per hour, up 7 percent from the 2022 annual average. The 2023 livestock worker annual average gross wage rate was $16.85 per hour. The 2023 annual average combined gross wage for field and livestock workers was $17.55, up 6 percent from the 2022 annual average of $16.62 per hour.