Seasonal farm labor turnover exceeds 50 percent annually. The median weekly wage for farmworkers is $650, and 40 percent receive no health insurance benefits.
Key Takeaways
- Median weekly earnings for farmworkers: $650 in 2022
- Average hourly wage for crop farmworkers: $15.50 in 2023
- 40% of farmworkers receive no health insurance benefits
- Farm fatality rate: 23.2 per 100,000 workers in 2021
- Nonfatal injury rate in agriculture: 4.6 per 100 workers
- 52% annual turnover rate for hired crop farmworkers
- In 2022, 68% of U.S. farm employers reported difficulty finding qualified workers for production agriculture jobs
- 42% of crop farms used H-2A workers in 2021 to fill labor shortages
- Only 23% of farmworkers are U.S. citizens, with most being foreign-born
- 85% of U.S. farms provide some form of safety training annually
- OSHA training required for 25% of hazardous farm tasks
- 40% of farmworkers receive less than 8 hours of annual training
- 2.6 million people were employed in farming occupations in 2022
- 45% of farmworkers are Hispanic or Latino
- Average age of farmworkers is 39 years old
Farmworkers earn modest wages amid widespread labor shortages and limited benefits.
Related reading
01 · Category
Compensation And Benefits17 stats
01
Median weekly earnings for farmworkers: $650in 2022
02
Average hourly wage for crop farmworkers: $15.50in 2023
03
40% of farmworkers receive no health insurance benefits
04
Overtime pay is required for H-2A workers after 48 hours/week
05
Piece-rate wages common, averaging $0.80per bucket for apples
06
25% of farms offer retirement plans to full-time employees
07
Minimum wage for farmworkers in California: $15.50/hour in 2023
08
Average annual salary for farm managers: $75,000
09
55% of seasonal workers earn below poverty line wages
10
Paid sick leave offered by only 18% of farms
11
H-2A adverse effect wage rate: $14.92/hour national average 2023
12
Bonus incentives used by 30% of farms for retention
13
Workers' compensation coverage mandatory for farms with 11+ employees
14
Average benefits package costs farms 20% of wages
15
65% of farmworkers receive paid vacation (less than 1 week)
16
Wage theft affects 20% of migrant farmworkers annually
17
Only 10% of small farms provide life insurance benefits
Interpretation
Compensation And Benefits Interpretation
Compensation and benefits for farmworkers lag behind, with median weekly earnings of $650 in 2022 and 40% receiving no health insurance, while only 25% of farms offer retirement plans to full-time workers.
02 · Category
Health, Safety, And Retention19 stats
01
Farm fatality rate: 23.2 per 100,000 workers in 2021
02
Nonfatal injury rate in agriculture: 4.6 per 100 workers
03
52% annual turnover rate for hired crop farmworkers
04
Heat-related illnesses affect 1,700 farmworkers yearly
05
Tractor overturns cause 42% of farm fatalities
06
30% of farmworkers report chronic back pain from labor
07
Retention rates improve 25% with housing provisions
08
65% of farms have safety committees
09
Pesticide exposure incidents: 10,000 annually in agriculture
10
Mental health issues reported by 44% of farmers due to stress
11
Ergonomic injuries account for 25% of farm claims
12
80% of retained workers cite good safety culture as key
13
COVID-19 infection rate 3x higher for farmworkers in 2020
14
Hearing loss from machinery affects 20% of long-term farmworkers
15
Retention bonus programs reduce turnover by 15%
16
70% of injuries occur to workers under 25 years old
17
Safety audits conducted annually by 50% of mid-sized farms
18
35% voluntary turnover due to poor working conditions
19
Wellness programs implemented on 22% of farms improve retention
Interpretation
Health, Safety, And Retention Interpretation
With a 23.2 per 100,000 farm fatality rate, 42% of deaths tied to tractor overturns, and 52% annual turnover among hired crop farmworkers, the data shows health and safety risks are tightly linked to retention challenges in agriculture.
03 · Category
Recruitment And Hiring20 stats
01
In 2022, 68% of U.S. farm employers reported difficulty finding qualified workers for production agriculture jobs
02
42% of crop farms used H-2A workers in 2021 to fill labor shortages
03
Only 23% of farmworkers are U.S. citizens, with most being foreign-born
04
H-2A visa approvals increased by 15% from 2021 to 2022, reaching over 370,000
05
75% of specialty crop farms cite labor shortages as their top business challenge
06
Recruitment costs for H-2A workers average $3,000per worker including transportation and visas
07
55% of farmers use staffing agencies for seasonal labor recruitment
08
Turnover rates in farm labor exceed 50% annually for seasonal positions
09
Only 15% of farms offer formal recruitment programs targeting local workers
10
62% of dairy farms struggle with hiring due to rural location barriers
11
80% of livestock producers report hiring challenges for skilled roles like veterinarians
12
Job postings for farm supervisors increased 20% year-over-year in 2023
13
35% of farms use social media for recruitment, up from 10% in 2018
14
H-2A denial rates for employers dropped to 2% in 2022 due to streamlined processes
15
48% of fruit and vegetable farms rely on migrant labor programs
16
Recruitment time for farmworkers averages 45 days in peak season
17
70% of growers say immigration reform would ease hiring
18
Only 12% of farms partner with workforce development for recruitment
19
65% of nursery operations face hiring shortages for skilled propagators
20
Online job boards account for 25% of farmworker hires in 2023
Interpretation
Recruitment And Hiring Interpretation
Recruiting and hiring in U.S. farming is under significant strain as 68% of employers struggled to find qualified production workers in 2022, with labor shortages increasingly being filled through H-2A programs that expanded from 15% growth in approvals to over 370,000 by 2022.
More related reading
04 · Category
Training And Development15 stats
01
85% of U.S. farms provide some form of safety training annually
02
OSHA training required for 25% of hazardous farm tasks
03
40% of farmworkers receive less than 8 hours of annual training
04
Pesticide applicator certification training completed by 70% of handlers
05
Leadership development programs adopted by 15% of large farms
06
60% of farms use online modules for equipment operation training
07
Skills gap in precision agriculture affects 50% of operations
08
Apprenticeship programs for farm mechanics: 5,000 participants in 2022
09
32% of workers trained in English as second language programs
10
Cost of training per farmworker: $500annually on average
11
75% of dairy farms train on milking parlor hygiene
12
Certification in forklift operation held by 45% of warehouse farm staff
13
20% increase in ag tech training enrollment since 2020
14
Only 28% of farms evaluate training effectiveness
15
55% of farm injuries preventable with better training
Interpretation
Training And Development Interpretation
Training and development in U.S. farming is broadly happening but uneven, with 85% of farms delivering annual safety training and 60% using online modules, yet only 40% of farmworkers getting under 8 hours while OSHA training covers just 25% of hazardous tasks.
05 · Category
Workforce Demographics11 stats
01
2.6 million people were employed in farming occupations in 2022
02
45% of farmworkers are Hispanic or Latino
03
Average age of farmworkers is 39 years old
04
Women make up 28% of the agricultural workforce
05
1.2 million seasonal farmworkers employed annually
06
22% of farmworkers have less than a high school education
07
Foreign-born workers comprise 73% of crop farm laborers
08
Youth under 25 represent 15% of farm labor force
09
60% of U.S. farmworkers speak Spanish as primary language
10
Employment in animal production grew 3% from 2021-2022
11
35% of farmworkers live in employer-provided housing
Interpretation
Workforce Demographics Interpretation
In the workforce demographics of farming, 45% of farmworkers are Hispanic or Latino and the average worker is 39 years old, showing a young and diverse labor force that is also heavily shaped by seasonal hiring and education levels, with 1.2 million seasonal farmworkers and 22% having less than a high school education.
report visual · Breakdown
Farm employment challenges: pay and benefits gaps
Farmworkers face modest wages and limited access to key benefits, while a large share of farms lack retirement and paid leave options.
40%
40% of farmworkers receive no health insurance benefits
60%
60% of farms use online modules for equipment operation training
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). HR In The Farming Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-farming-industry-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "HR In The Farming Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-farming-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "HR In The Farming Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-farming-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level