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Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse in Maine

Thinking about a career as a Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse in Maine? Here’s what you need to know. Manually 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. Excludes “Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation” (37-3012), “Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products” (45-2041), and “Forest, Conservation, and Logging Workers” (45-4011 through 45-4029).

What do Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse Make in Maine?

For a farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse working in Maine, wages run about $43,870 per year (or about $21.09/hour).Annual wages span from $36,620 at the 10th percentile to $58,450 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$36,620	$17.61
25th percentile	$37,430	$18.00
Median (50th)	$43,870	$21.09
75th percentile	$47,120	$22.66
90th percentile	$58,450	$28.10

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Maine compared to the national average — is 0.31, indicating fewer farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse earn a median of $31,937 per year ($15.35/hour), higher than the Maine median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 72,906 farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse in the U.S.. In Maine alone, around 330 people work in this role. That trails the typical state, which employs around 1,170 farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse.

Top Maine Metros for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse

The largest metro-area employers of farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse in Maine.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Portland-South Portland, ME	70	$46,450
Bangor, ME	40	$43,920
Lewiston-Auburn, ME	30	$41,840

Top States for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse Employment

The table below shows the states where the most farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse work.

State	Number Employed
California	175,340
Florida	9,640
Washington	7,280
Oregon	6,980
Arizona	5,720
Texas	4,470
Michigan	3,680
Pennsylvania	3,660
New Jersey	3,460
North Carolina	2,980
Colorado	2,730
New York	2,570
Georgia	2,440
Illinois	2,410
Ohio	2,290
Idaho	2,070
Tennessee	1,700
New Mexico	1,670
Missouri	1,660
Maryland	1,630

Highest-Paying States for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse

Where farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse earn the most: farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse.

State	Annual Median Salary
Wyoming	$44,760
Nebraska	$43,980
Maine	$43,870
Montana	$41,840
District of Columbia	$41,610
Illinois	$40,400
Massachusetts	$40,370
New York	$39,370
Minnesota	$38,900
Colorado	$38,870

Skills

Key farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

• Record information about crops, such as pesticide use, yields, or costs.
• Direct and monitor the work of casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting.
• Participate in the inspection, grading, sorting, storage, and post-harvest treatment of crops.
• Harvest plants, and transplant or pot and label them.
• Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment.
• Harvest fruits and vegetables by hand.
• Set up and operate irrigation equipment.
• Inform farmers or farm managers of crop progress.
• Identify plants, pests, and weeds to determine the selection and application of pesticides and fertilizers.
• Operate tractors, tractor-drawn machinery, and self-propelled machinery to plow, harrow and fertilize soil, or to plant, cultivate, spray and harvest crops.
• Load agricultural products into trucks, and drive trucks to market or storage facilities.
• Clean work areas, and maintain grounds and landscaping.

Work Activities

• Performing General Physical Activities
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Getting Information
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related Careers

Careers similar to farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse include:

• Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
• Soil and Plant Scientists
• Agricultural Technicians
• Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
• Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
• Tree Trimmers and Pruners

Also Known As

Agriculture Laborer, Agriculture Worker, Apple Picker, Apple Thinner, Apple Turner, Asparagus Cutter, Bale Sewer, Baller, Bean Picker, Beet Topper, Beet Worker, Berry Picker, Berry Planter, Berry and Nut Harvester, Bog Worker.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 45-2092.00