Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
Also called: Greenhouse Worker, Grower, Harvester, Nursery WorkerManually 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 4 of its 27 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 2.4% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 7.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Miscellaneous agricultural workers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.1 hires for every 10 job openings in retail trade, which employs about 9% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.9.1 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $33,870 | $29,600 to $37,570 | 740 |
| Alaska | $36,780 | $30,460 to $62,400 | 120 |
| Arizona | $35,080 | $31,140 to $35,790 | 7,110 |
| Arkansas | $32,970 | $30,140 to $36,260 | 390 |
| California | $35,580 | $34,490 to $37,630 | 172,260 |
| Colorado | $38,170 | $34,950 to $43,930 | 2,450 |
| Connecticut | $36,950 | $34,010 to $44,710 | 460 |
| Delaware | $33,090 | $31,200 to $34,830 | 220 |
| Florida | $30,640 | $29,280 to $35,820 | 9,180 |
| Georgia | $30,300 | $28,370 to $36,980 | 1,610 |
| Hawaii | $36,990 | $33,530 to $44,150 | 700 |
| Idaho | $34,470 | $31,240 to $36,680 | 2,420 |
| Illinois | $41,050 | $35,920 to $46,760 | 2,850 |
| Indiana | $36,980 | $31,200 to $46,480 | 910 |
| Iowa | $37,590 | $30,610 to $39,500 | 930 |
| Kansas | $37,020 | $31,430 to $41,000 | 900 |
| Kentucky | $33,050 | $29,450 to $38,520 | 510 |
| Louisiana | $33,260 | $29,760 to $37,140 | 570 |
| Maine | $39,060 | $36,610 to $47,990 | 280 |
| Maryland | $38,420 | $35,900 to $43,110 | 1,380 |
| Massachusetts | $38,220 | $36,310 to $44,670 | 1,340 |
| Michigan | $38,680 | $34,490 to $42,290 | 5,410 |
| Minnesota | $38,080 | $32,800 to $44,380 | 1,200 |
| Mississippi | $30,250 | $27,700 to $37,510 | 300 |
| Missouri | $36,280 | $29,330 to $40,200 | 2,600 |
| Montana | $41,390 | $33,280 to $47,150 | 720 |
| Nebraska | $39,530 | $35,200 to $45,330 | 440 |
| Nevada | $33,280 | $32,130 to $36,240 | 660 |
| New Hampshire | $35,920 | $30,090 to $42,280 | 220 |
| New Jersey | $37,710 | $35,800 to $44,010 | 2,430 |
| New Mexico | $31,150 | $26,200 to $35,460 | 1,960 |
| New York | $40,930 | $36,240 to $45,640 | 2,760 |
| North Carolina | $33,870 | $29,820 to $36,640 | 2,510 |
| North Dakota | $31,080 | $30,750 to $37,340 | 60 |
| Ohio | $37,470 | $31,910 to $43,230 | 1,990 |
| Oklahoma | $33,090 | $27,780 to $38,480 | 1,080 |
| Oregon | $34,070 | $31,460 to $37,400 | 6,780 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,010 | $32,230 to $44,300 | 2,940 |
| Puerto Rico | $21,960 | $21,840 to $25,860 | 1,060 |
| Rhode Island | $37,540 | $34,900 to $48,640 | 230 |
| South Carolina | $35,110 | $29,420 to $45,040 | 680 |
| South Dakota | $42,260 | $35,930 to $47,290 | 190 |
| Tennessee | $31,020 | $29,450 to $36,330 | 1,080 |
| Texas | $32,840 | $28,690 to $35,890 | 4,290 |
| Utah | $33,490 | $27,550 to $39,020 | 670 |
| Vermont | $35,170 | $34,580 to $45,200 | 220 |
| Virginia | $35,580 | $32,120 to $39,710 | 1,590 |
| Washington | $39,170 | $36,470 to $42,650 | 13,490 |
| West Virginia | $31,050 | $28,080 to $36,080 | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $35,360 | $30,680 to $39,440 | 1,490 |
| Wyoming | $55,180 | $47,060 to $57,050 | 50 |
Nationally: $35,660. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 4 of its 27 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Harvest plants, and transplant or pot and label them. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct and monitor the work of casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Participate in the inspection, grading, sorting, storage, and post-harvest treatment of crops. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record information about crops, such as pesticide use, yields, or costs. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate tractors, tractor-drawn machinery, and self-propelled machinery to plow, harrow and fertilize soil, or to plant, cultivate, spray and harvest crops. | Not published |
See all 27 tasks
| Not much | Identify plants, pests, and weeds to determine the selection and application of pesticides and fertilizers. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Inform farmers or farm managers of crop progress. | Not published |
| Not much | Harvest fruits and vegetables by hand. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up and operate irrigation equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Load agricultural products into trucks, and drive trucks to market or storage facilities. | Not published |
| Not much | Feel plants' leaves and note their coloring to detect the presence of insects or disease. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean work areas, and maintain grounds and landscaping. | Not published |
| Not much | Sell and deliver plants and flowers to customers. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide information and advice to the public regarding the selection, purchase, and care of products. | 0.02% |
| Not much | Repair farm buildings, fences, and other structures. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record information about plants and plant growth. | Not published |
| Not much | Haul and spread topsoil, fertilizer, peat moss, and other materials to condition soil, using wheelbarrows or carts and shovels. | Not published |
| Not much | Dig, cut, and transplant seedlings, cuttings, trees, and shrubs. | Not published |
| Not much | Regulate greenhouse conditions, and indoor and outdoor irrigation systems. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain inventory, ordering materials as required. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect plants and bud ties to assess quality. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Maintain and repair irrigation and climate control systems. | Not published |
| Not much | Move containerized shrubs, plants, and trees, using wheelbarrows or tractors. | Not published |
| Not much | Dig, rake, and screen soil, filling cold frames and hot beds in preparation for planting. | Not published |
| Not much | Tie and bunch flowers, plants, shrubs, and trees, wrap their roots, and pack them into boxes to fill orders. | Not published |
| Not much | Plant, spray, weed, fertilize, water, and prune plants, shrubs, and trees, using gardening tools. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. O*NET hasn't rated 1 of the tasks, so they come last, in O*NET's own order. 3 of the 27 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 27 tasks fall under 19 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #45 Research biological or ecological phenomena
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perform agricultural activities | |||
| Operate agricultural or forestry equipment | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Evaluate production inputs or outputs | |||
| Build structures | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Research biological or ecological phenomena | |||
| Advise others on business or operational matters |
Show all 19 activities
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Sort materials or products | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Mark materials or objects for identification | |||
| Sell products or services | |||
| Package objects | |||
| Cut trees or other vegetation | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing | |||
| Manage agricultural or forestry operations |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation44%
- An explanation or answer43%
- A plan or strategy4%
- A chart or visualization2%
- A document or report1%
How they worked with Claude
7% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 16,231 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 5%
- 3 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 4%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
- 5 Economics Teachers, Postsecondary High +2.4% 2%
Where people moved in from
of 10,274 moves in
- 1 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 6%
- 2 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 4%
- 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%
- 4 Cashiers High -6.5% 3%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 39% less than high school
- 29% high school
- 5% some college
- 2% associate's
- 15% bachelor's
- 1% post-bachelor's certificate
- 5% master's
- 3% professional doctorate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 53 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 45% less than high school
- 30% high school
- 12% some college
- 5% associate's
- 7% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Miscellaneous agricultural workers” · 7,981 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Miscellaneous agricultural workers”
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/45-2092.00