DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA
45-2092 Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
Occupational Description:
Manually plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables, fruits, nuts, horticultural specialties, and field crops. Use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives. Duties may include tilling soil and applying fertilizers; transplanting, weeding, thinning, or pruning crops; applying pesticides; or cleaning, grading, sorting, packing, and loading harvested products. May construct trellises, repair fences and farm buildings, or participate in irrigation activities. Excludes ?Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation? (37-3012), ?Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products? (45-2041), and ?Forest, Conservation, and Logging Workers? (45-4011 through 45-4029).| Percentiles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geography | Employment | Emp SE* | Mean | Mean SE* | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
| Minnesota | 940 | 248 | $16.72/hr | $0.55/hr | $10.62/hr | $12.16/hr | $16.44/hr | $19.95/hr | $24.45/hr |
| U S | 295,520 | 5,910 | $13.56/hr | $0.08/hr | $11.22/hr | $11.67/hr | $12.41/hr | $14.53/hr | $18.01/hr |
| *SE = Standard error, a measure of the statistical reliability of the estimate. | |||||||||
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| Occupation (click title for details) | OES | Projections | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | Median Wage | % Change 2023 - 2025 | |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 15,130 | $16.56/hr | 2.5% |
| Packers and Packagers, Hand | 9,200 | $13.60/hr | 0.4% |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 780 | $17.93/hr | 1.1% |
| Farmworkers, Farm and Ranch Animals | 730 | $12.81/hr | 1.0% |
| Agricultural Inspectors | 370 | $27.15/hr | 1.0% |
| First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers | 220 | $35.76/hr | 0.5% |
Tasks for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
- Hauls and spreads topsoil, fertilizer, peat moss, and other materials to condition soil, using wheelbarrow or cart and shovel.
- Sows grass seed or plants plugs of grass and cuts, rolls, and stacks sod.
- Fills growing tanks with water.
- Moves containerized shrubs, plants, and trees, using wheelbarrow.
- Ties, bunches, wraps roots, and packs flowers, plants, shrubs, and trees to fill orders.
- Dips rose cuttings into vat to disinfect prior to storage.
- Folds and staples corrugated forms to make boxes used for packing horticultural products.
- Traps and destroys pests, such as moles, gophers, and mice, using pesticides.
- Cuts and opens incision in rootstock, using budding knife, and inserts and ties bud.
- Plants, sprays, weeds, and waters plants, shrubs, and trees, using hand tools and gardening tools.
- Digs, rakes, and screens soil and fills cold frames and hot beds to prepare them for planting.
- Inspects bud tie to ensure quality.
- Operates tractors, tractor-drawn machinery, and self-propelled machinery to plow, harrow and fertilize soil, and plant, cultivate, spray, and harvest crops.
- Oversees casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting.
- Repairs and maintains farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment.
- Administers simple medications to animals and fowls.
- Cleans barns, stables, pens, and kennels.
- Loads agricultural products into trucks for transport.
- Digs and transplants seedlings by hand.
- Repairs farm buildings, fences, and other structures.
- Sets up and operates irrigation equipment.
- Operates truck to haul livestock and products to market.
- Clears and maintains irrigation ditches.
- Harvests fruits and vegetables by hand.
- Feeds, waters, grooms, and otherwise cares for livestock and poultry.
