If you are an agricultural worker looking to find your perfect new home state, take a look into our list of the 15 best states for agricultural workers.
So, what exactly do agricultural workers do? Agricultural workers include anyone who works under the supervision of ranchers, farmers, and other management of agricultural entities. They perform intense and crucial labor such as operating machinery, physically harvesting crops, tending to animals, etc.
Becoming an agricultural inspector requires fairly short-term training. Most positions will not require any specific formal education, but rather, focus on job-specific, on-site training. This is a great career path for those who do not have a completed high school diploma or GED, as very few positions require any formal education. Only prospective animal breeders— a sub-section of agricultural work— will be required to have a high school diploma. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of an agricultural worker is about $22,540 per year (about $10.83 hourly). Working conditions can be exceedingly rough for this field of work. The nature of the job requires working outdoors, regardless of weather, no matter if it is 110 degrees or snowing.
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If you are interested in a similar but slightly different field, you can also check our list of 25 best states for agricultural inspectors.
Deciding which states qualify as the best states for agricultural workers is not a simple task. Different factors matter more to different people. We decided to consult the Bureau of Labor Statistics for information on the average mean wage and the number of employed agricultural workers in each state. We then sourced information on the cost of living index from Missouri Economic Research And Information Center. Considering all of these factors, we were able to sort our list. Keep in mind that approximately 25 states did not report enough information to be included in our list.
It is not enough for a state to simply have a high average salary for its agricultural workers. It must also be considered that the number of working agricultural workers in the state may affect the number of job positions that are open to newcomers. On the other side of that argument, more employed agricultural workers points to the possibility of a more steady stream of work available. The cost of living index can also not be considered alone. It is great to have a low cost of living, but this only matters if your salary is also not super low. A low cost of living paired with a high salary is the most advantageous situation. States falling into this category made the top of our list.
Without further ado, here is our list of 15 best states for agricultural workers.
15. Missouri
Cost of living index: 90.8
Annual mean wage: $30,440
Hourly mean wage: $14.63
Number of employees: 60
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14. Washington
Cost of living index: 107.1
Annual mean wage: $36,120
Hourly mean wage: $17.36
Number of employees: 130
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13. New Mexico
Cost of living index: 95.7
Annual mean wage: $32,340
Hourly mean wage: $15.54
Number of employees: 50
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12. Idaho
Cost of living index: 89.6
Annual mean wage: $30,860
Hourly mean wage: $14.83
Number of employees: 130
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11. Kentucky
Cost of living index: 90.8
Annual mean wage: $31,320
Hourly mean wage: $15.05
Number of employees: 60
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10. Montana
Cost of living index: 100.8
Annual mean wage: $35,040
Hourly mean wage: $16.84
Number of employees: 30
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9. Kansas
Cost of living index: 90.4
Annual mean wage: $31,510
Hourly mean wage: $15.14
Number of employees: 40
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8. Arkansas
Cost of living index: 88.5
Annual mean wage: $31,800
Hourly mean wage: $15.28
Number of employees: 80
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7. Nevada
Cost of living index: 104.5
Annual mean wage: $38,540
Hourly mean wage: $18.52
Number of employees: 40
6. South Carolina
Cost of living index: 100.5
Annual mean wage: $37,280
Hourly mean wage: $17.92
Number of employees: 30
5. North Dakota
Cost of living index: 98.9
Annual mean wage: $39,320
Hourly mean wage: $18.90
Number of employees: 60
4. Tennessee
Cost of living index: 89.8
Annual mean wage: $38,630
Hourly mean wage: $18.57
Number of employees: 40
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3. Georgia
Cost of living index: 91.4
Annual mean wage: $40,540
Hourly mean wage: $19.49
Number of employees: 90
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2. Arizona
Cost of living index: 98.1
Annual mean wage: $44,400
Hourly mean wage: $21.34
Number of employees: 280
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1. Louisiana
Cost of living index: 94.4
Annual mean wage: $55,720
Hourly mean wage: $26.78
Number of employees: 300
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This was our list of 15 best states for agricultural workers. We hope we managed to show you some great options, and what you should expect from each state when deciding where to move.
