Dec 7, 2023

USDA: Hired workers down and wage rates up

The USDA recently reported that there were 776,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on the nation’s farms and ranches during the week of Oct. 8-14, down 1% from the October 2022 reference week.

Average Gross Wage and Hours Worked

The USDA reported that farm operators paid:

• Hired workers an average gross wage of $18.81 per hour during the October 2023 reference week. This figure was up 6% from October 2022.
• Field workers received an average of $18.24 per hour, up 7%.
• Hired laborers worked an average of 41.7 hours during the October 2023 reference week, which is a slight decline compared to October 2022.

Annual Averages

• The USDA shared that in 2023 the hired worker annual average gross wage rate was $18.53 per hour, up 6% from the 2022 annual average.
• In 2023, field workers received an annual average gross wage rate was $17.88 per hour, which is an increase of  7% from the 2022 annual average, according to the USDA report.
• The 2023 annual average combined gross wage for field and livestock workers was $17.55, up 6% from the 2022 annual average of $16.62 per hour.