USDA: Field worker wages up 9% this year

U.S. field worker wages are up 9% this year, according to the latest farm labor survey by the USDA.

The 28-page report said field workers in April received an average of $16.50 per hour, up 9% from April 2021.  The survey is further evidence that inflation is hitting growers hard.

The report said the average wage for field workers in California in April was $18.25 per hour, up about 6% from $17.25 per hour a year ago.

The farm labor survey reported 630,000 workers were hired directly by U.S. farm operators during the week of April 10-16, up 3% from April 2021.

By way of comparison, the workers hired by farm operators numbered 507,000 during the week of Jan. 9-15 this year, up slightly from the same period in January 2021.

Wages way up

Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $17.22 per hour in the April survey, up 8% compared with year-ago levels:

Wages, compared with year-ago levels:

• Field workers received an average of $16.50 per hour, up 9%;
• Livestock workers earned $15.82 per hour, up 7%;
• The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at $16.27 per hour, was up 8%; and
• Hired laborers worked an average of 39.7 hours during the April 2022 reference week, down 3%.