Farm Labor Contractors
SOC code 13-1074 · O*NET-SOC 13-1074.00 · Little to some preparation needed · Business and finance
Bright Outlook — O*NET expects rapid growth for this occupation
Farm Labor Contractors pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$58,460
a year
Hourly
$28.11
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$58,470
$28.11 per hour
Middle 50%
$35,720 – $79,590
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$30,930 – $84,050
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
310
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $30,930
- $14.87/hr
- 25th percentile
- $35,720
- $17.17/hr
- Median percentile
- $58,460
- $28.11/hr
- 75th percentile
- $79,590
- $38.27/hr
- 90th percentile
- $84,050
- $40.41/hr
What does a farm labor contractor do?
Recruit and hire seasonal or temporary agricultural laborers. May transport, house, and provide meals for workers.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- Pay wages of contracted farm laborers.
- Provide food, drinking water, and field sanitation facilities to contracted workers.
- Recruit and hire agricultural workers.
- Supervise the work of contracted employees.
- Employ foremen to deal directly with workers when recruiting, hiring, instructing, assigning tasks, and enforcing work rules.
- Furnish tools for employee use.
- Direct and transport workers to appropriate work sites.
How to become a farm labor contractor
Preparation level: zone 2 — Little to some preparation needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
The federal survey did not capture education levels for this specific occupation, so the preparation-level card above is the best guide to the entry route.
Common questions
How much does a farm labor contractor earn?
The national median is $58,460 a year. The full range runs from $30,930 at the 10th percentile to $84,050 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become a farm labor contractor without a degree?
Yes — this occupation sits in preparation zone 2, meaning the typical entry route is usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. A four-year degree is not the standard requirement, though licensing or certification may still apply.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Speaking3.4/5
- Active Listening3.1/5
- Critical Thinking3.0/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Reading Comprehension2.8/5
Knowledge areas
- Administration and Management4.0/5
- Administrative4.0/5
- Food Production3.8/5
- Production and Processing3.6/5
- Economics and Accounting3.5/5
- Foreign Language3.5/5
- Mathematics3.4/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.4/5
Transferable strengths: Coordination, Management of Personnel Resources, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management.