How much is the Average American Farmer earning per Year in 2023?
By: Mahmuda Afreen / Read more about us.
Though farming is one of the most important work and farmers do the most hardworking and dangerous jobs, the average American farmer’s earns per year are low. The earnings of a farmer in the USA are 62% less than the national average. Typically, they earn $9 to up to $18 according to title, experience, and skills.
Moreover, the income of a farmer declined several times in the last two decades, unlike other jobs. Recently in 2020, the earnings dropped by around $3 which was not acceptable. To lighten this crucial issue, we have illustrated more information below.
On average, the starting earnings of a farmer in the United State at the top level will be $33,310. On the other hand, a starting-level farmer with little or no experience will get $20,486 annually. However, the income of a senior farmer with maximum experience will be around $48,000, still, this is the lowest earning of a person with such experience.
Average American Farmer Earns Per Year
Among all the jobs whether in America or any other state in the world, one of the most important jobs is farming. Because humans can live without technology or IT experts but they cannot live without food.
And the food comes from the hard work of a farmer. It does not matter whether the farmers work on their own farms or work on other farms, they are responsible for growing and taking care of crops, and they make sure that the production of crops is successful.
Also, they grow vegetables and fruits and take care of different animals to produce dairy, eggs, and meats.
Besides all the farming responsibilities, they need to plan the production and track the market and clients. Also, they need to operate different mechanical devices like water pumps, tractors, crops cutter, and many more.
Overall, these jobs require a person with stamina for long working hours, physical and mental strength as well as some level of education.
Sadly, the wage of a farmer is too low and it is one of the lowliest paid jobs in the United States. Even though they work hard in the most dangerous job in the nation to provide us with safe and healthy food, they do not treat us fairly with the proper wage.
They work hard under the sun with the soil and different deadly sharp equipment, and the wage they get is nothing compared to that.
Moreover, in the USA poverty line, more than 29% of farm workers’ families live below the poverty line according to recent research by the National Agricultural Workers Survey. That means it is the twice total poverty rate of the USA in general.
Specifically, a farmer with moderate education and experience will earn $31,426 annually and $15 hourly nationwide average. According to USDA, a farmer’s average salary will depend on some specific category like education level and experience level.
If we broke down the criteria of experience and look for the wage rate, the scenario will be,
| Level | Wage |
| 0 to 5 years | $26,000 |
| 5 to 10 years | $30,000 |
| 10 to 20 years | $37,000 |
| 20 or more years | $48,000 |
According to their survey and research, some of the areas have the legal lowest salary rate for farmers which has not changed for more than a decade. According to the law, the average hourly rate of a farmer is supposed to increase by at least 2% which is not the scenario in many cities.
Some employers even pay the farmers based on the volume of the harvest. If the harvest is not good then the farmers do not get enough for their extremely hard work.
The saddest part for the farmer is that some of them get hired or get paid only during the season. Like one farmer is working as a Corn harvester, and he only gets paid from harvesting to production once a year.
That income is not enough for the person to cover their annual living expense. Therefore it is no wonder why most farmers live below the poverty line and are forced to stop farming and move to the cities to search for other jobs.
Official Annual Wage Rate for Farmer Jobs
According to the survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the USA government has set a minimum wage for different positions in farming. If one is working as a farmer in a crop farm, greenhouse, or anywhere relevant, the minimum wage should be $29,630 per year.
As for a fisheries farmer, the wage is almost equal to the other one. However, a farmer with the skill of animal breeding will get $40,090 per year.
| Area | Annual Wage |
| Agricultural workers | $29,680 |
| Animal breeders | $40,090 |
| Agricultural equipment operators | $36,360 |
| Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse | $29,630 |
| Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations | $29,860 |
| Agricultural workers, all other | $32,550 |
In the next parts of the discussion, we will be lightening the intensive scenario of farmers’ income per year. We will use different criteria to illustrate the real deal of the situation
The Wage of Different Farmers
| Farmer Title | Annual minimum wage |
| Fish Farmer | $31200 |
| Dairy Farmer | $18000 |
| Pig Parmer | $27000 |
| Oyster Farmer | $20000 |
| Organic Farmer | $28000 |
| Poultry Farmer | $31600 |
| Egg Farmer | $35000 |
| Mushroom Farmer | $18800 |
| Farmer Field Crop | $46,134 |
According to farming responsibilities, the farmer working in the fields harvesting crops like rice, corn, vegetable, and others get the highest salary. However, the dairy farmer’s wages are the lowest in the row it is because they only have to take care of the cows.
However, breeding the cow’s responsibility will have the highest wage range in dairy farming.
Highest Paid Jobs in Farming
| Job Title | Annual | Hourly |
| Farm Solutions | $73,455 | $35.31 |
| Farming Life | $70,931 | $34.10 |
| Manager Farming | $68,753 | $33.05 |
| Farm Administrator | $62,814 | $30.20 |
| Farm Source | $60,909 | $29.28 |
All the title above that holds the highest wage in the farming position required education, qualifications, skills, and experience. Normally, one can get a farming job even with a high school diploma or no education at all.
In that case, the wage will be the minimum but all these jobs will require a bachelor’s in the relevant field. Also, some sorts of training, extra certified diploma, and experience. All these jobs will have around 91% to 135% more wages than the average salary of a farmer.
Farmer’s Income Percentile in the USA
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
| 90th | $45,000 | $22 |
| 75th | $36,000 | $17 |
| Average | $28,279 | $14 |
| 25th | $21,000 | $10 |
| 10th | $17,000 | $8 |
By the percentile calculation of a farmer’s salary, one can know the variation of the wage for farmers. Also, it will indicate the value of the below wage compared to a certain percentage of workers falls.
Here, the 90th percentile will get $22 hourly and $45000 annual income. On the other hand, the 10th percentile will get $8 hourly and $17000 annual salary which indicates a huge difference.
Farmer Average Salary by State
The minimum hourly and annual salary or income of a farmer will be different in the different States of America. Farmers can earn a healthy amount in some of the areas. However, few states are quite unlucky for this profession offering fewer opportunities and income. The scenario is,
| State | Annual Salary | Hourly Rate |
| Pennsylvania | $38,755 | $18.63 |
| New York | $39,878 | $19.17 |
| Ohio | $34,651 | $16.66 |
| New Jersey | $39,920(highest) | $19.19 |
| West Virginia | $34,163 | $16.42 |
| Kentucky | $31,350 | $15.07 |
| Michigan | $32,962 | $15.85 |
| Virginia | $35,012 | $16.83 |
| Illinois | $32,822 | $15.78 |
| Minnesota | $31,298 | $15.05 |
| North Carolina | $31,593 | $15.19 |
| Maine | $32,136 | $15.45 |
| Rhode Island | $31,821 | $15.30 |
| Iowa | $30,194 | $14.52 |
| District of Columbia | $34,182 | $16.43 |
| Indiana | $29,414 | $14.14 |
| South Carolina | $30,262 | $14.55 |
| Missouri | $29,216 | $14.05 |
| Oklahoma | $27,729 | $13.33 |
| Florida | $30,101 | $14.47 |
| Alabama | $28,968 | $13.93 |
| Mississippi | $28,473 | $13.69 |
| Nebraska | $27,542 | $13.24 |
| Connecticut | $31,866 | $15.32 |
| Massachusetts | $30,893 | $14.85 |
| New Hampshire | $29,681 | $14.27 |
| North Dakota | $29,171 | $14.02 |
| Delaware | $30,770 | $14.79 |
| Hawaii | $32,455 | $15.60 |
| Kansas | $28,060 | $13.49 |
| Arkansas | $26,734 | $12.85 |
| Maryland | $29,792 | $14.32 |
| South Dakota | $27,283 | $13.12 |
| Oregon | $24,527 | $11.79 |
| Alaska | $28,301 | $13.61 |
| Vermont | $27,961 | $13.44 |
| Texas | $25,858 | $12.43 |
| California | $26,785 | $12.88 |
| Wisconsin | $25,149 | $12.09 |
| Arizona | $26,278 | $12.63 |
| Utah | $22,160 | $10.65 |
| Montana | $23,199 | $11.15 |
| New Mexico | $24,466 | $11.76 |
| Georgia | $24,074 | $11.57 |
| Colorado | $23,786 | $11.44 |
| Washington | $21,745 | $10.45 |
| Tennessee | $24,180 | $11.63 |
| Nevada | $20,007 | $9.62 |
| Idaho | $19,857 (lowest) | $9.55 |
| Wyoming | $22,885 | $11.00 |
| Louisiana | $22,521 | $10.83 |
So, the highest-paid state farmer salary in New Jersey with $39,920 on average and $19.19 hourly payment. On the other hand, the lowest-paid state for the farmer is Idaho with a $19,857 annual and $9.55 hourly wage rate.
This is the estimate of the minimum salary with minimum qualification. It may increase with education, experience, and skills.
Highest paid cities of USA for Farmers
| City | Average | Hourly |
| New York | $40,187 | $19.32 |
| Kearny | $40,061 | $19.26 |
| Philadelphia | $39,257 | $18.87 |
| Washington | $34,169 | $16.43 |
| Ann Arbor | $32,992 | $15.86 |
| Des Moines | $29,625 | $14.24 |
| Sioux Falls | $28,361 | $13.64 |
| Madison | $28,327 | $13.62 |
| Los Angeles | $26,705 | $12.84 |
| Houston | $26,041 | $12.52 |
| Waukesha | $25,230 | $12.13 |
| Helena | $22,848 | $10.98 |
| New Iberia | $22,460 | $10.80 |
| Seattle | $21,949 | $10.55 |
| Logan | $21,589 | $10.38 |
As for the cities, the farmers will get the highest wage in the New York cities. It is because New York is the leading producer of many foods.
Specifically, it is ranked first in cottage chees production, 2nd in apples and cabbage, and 3rd in milk, grapes, wine, maple syrup, and cauliflower. So, there is a high demand for skilled farmers. On average, farmers will get $40,187 annually and $19.32 per hour in New York.
In that list, Logan is the lowest-paid city with a $10.38 hourly rate. However, some other cities pay the minimum wage per hour such as Austin, and Plano which pay nearly $7 per hour.
Companies in the USA that pays a good salary to the farmers
Many companies including food, cosmetics, and medicines have their own farms to meet the requirements of their raw material. Also, some food giants like Grimaldi’s Pizzeria harvests the raw material to make the pizzas.
| Company | Average | Hourly |
| UnitedHealth Group | $32,523 | $15.64 |
| Braum’s | $30,263 | $14.55 |
| PSEA | $30,134 | $14.49 |
| Washington State University | $29,034 | $13.96 |
| Fleet Farm | $28,765 | $13.83 |
| Bradshaw | $28,279 | $13.60 |
| Botanica | $28,279 | $13.60 |
| LT Foods | $28,279 | $13.60 |
| Texas Department of Transportation | $28,279 | $13.60 |
| RANE | $28,279 | $13.60 |
| Grimaldi’s Pizzeria | $28,279 | $13.60 |
| GPA | $28,279 | $13.60 |
| Zingerman’s | $28,279 | $13.60 |
| L’Oréal | $27,983 | $13.45 |
| Live Nation Entertainment | $27,289 | $13.12 |
| Tyson Foods | $26,890 | $12.93 |
| AGCO | $26,619 | $12.80 |
| LivWell Health | $26,602 | $12.79 |
Specifically, the united healthcare group which works with tens of farms paid the highest salary to their farmers. Also, Braum’s which is one of the biggest dairy farms pays a handsome amount to their farmers which is mostly higher than the minimum national wage.
Moreover, the Washington state university’s 30-acre Eggert Family Organic Farmers and other farmers get the third hugest salary in the industrial listing.
How much do the Farmer’s earnings change in the USA over the decade?
Compared to other countries of the world, the USA has a low rate of wages for farmers. According to the record, in 2016, the salary range of the farmers was the lowest.
However, after some massive changes and protests, the state again increased the salary range which was a positive 3.3% in 2017.
After that, there was another fall during the Covid pandemic in 2020 which was around $13.57 per hour. As for now, the farmers get a not-so-suitable range of wages which is still too low.
| Year | Average Salary | Hourly | Differences |
| 2022 | $28,300 | $13.60 | -4.5% |
| 2021 | $29,600 | $14.21 | +4.5% |
| 2020 | $28,200 | $13.57 | -2.5% |
| 2019 | $28,900 | $13.90 | +4.7% |
| 2018 | $27,600 | $13.25 | +3.3% |
| 2017 | $26,700 | $12.81 | -6.0% |
| 2016 | $28,300 | $13.59 | -3.0% |
| 2015 | $29,100 | $14.00 | +1.2% |
| 2014 | $28,800 | $13.84 | +6.7% |
Do farmers need to pay any income tax in the United States?
Every year the period of paying the income tax in the united states, many farmers come with queries about whether they need to pay the income tax or not. Well, the farmers who are an employee of a farm owned by someone else will not need to pay any income tax.
However, the employer of the farmer will have to pay an amount for income tax on behalf of that farmer with all the other taxes of that particular farm.
Farmers earning in the USA vs other countries
The average wage for a farmer in the USA is $31,426.
Its agriculture increased by almost 5% every year.
| Country | Average wages | Details |
| China | ¥37,920 or $5600 | China has the 13% of agricultural land which feed the 22% of the world’s population |
| India | ₹1,48,616 or $1863 | 58% of Indians are directly involved with agriculture and 18% of their GDP comes from this field. |
| Brazil | R$25.326 or $4700 | 41% OF Brazil’s land is used for agriculture and the common crops are soybean, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and tobacco. |
| Russia | 272 794p or 4665 | 13% of Russian land is dedicated to agriculture which earns 6% of its GDP. |
| France | 21392€ or $21700 | 7% of France’s population earns from agriculture. |
| Mexico | $73,083 | 15% of the land of Mexico is used for food production and 50% of it is for harvesting livestock |
| Japan | ¥1,941,090 or $14198 | 2% of Japan’s GDP comes from farming |
| Germany | 22127€ or $22465 | 80% of the land is occupied by forest and harvesting. |
| Turkey | 51.011₺ or $2860 | 65% of eastern tobacco comes from here. |
Overall, farming is one of the important jobs but the most neglected title when it is to the wage. Like the USA many countries of the world pay the minimum wage to their farmers. Such as China, which produced the highest amount of food pays the minimum to its farmers.
However, the country Mexico pays well to its farmers. On average, the farmers in Mexico can earn $73083 early.
With that income, it becomes hard for a farmer to live a decent life with their families. Some of them even face a crisis to eat three meals a day excluding other necessities of life.
Even in New York City which has the highest income for the farmer, it will be hard for them to live a decent life for a farmer with children there.
Moreover, if a farmer wants to earn better whether, in the USA or other countries, they need to gain experience. Also, they can take training and do a diploma for better job opportunities and a better wage.
According to the information above, a farmer with proper experience and skills can earn a lot with every framing title.
