Michigan Ag Connection - Labor Report Shows Farmhands Are Being Paid $13.63/Hr.

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Labor Report Shows Farmhands Are Being Paid $13.63/Hr.
Michigan Ag Connection - 11/17/2017

Farm owners in Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota employed 55,000 agricultural workers during the week of October 8-14. According to the USDA's latest farm labor report, the average number of hours worked per employee was 38.1, with the average wage rate for all hired agricultural workers at $14.45 per hour.

During the survey week, farmers in Wisconsin were very busy harvesting corn and soybeans, hauling manure, making hay and doing fall tillage. An employee is classified as a livestock worker if they tend livestock, milk cows, care for poultry, or operate machinery on livestock farms.

Livestock workers in the region earned an average of $13.55 per hour during the reference week. Field workers were paid about $13.87 per hour.

Nationally, the average number of hours worked for all hired workers was 41.6. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $13.42 per hour. Field workers earned an average of $12.83 per hour, while livestock workers averaged $12.22 per hour.

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