USDA NASS Farm Labor Survey

An Overview and Results from the November 23, 2022, Release

Tony Dorn
NASS and Data Security

• NASS is a designated “principal statistical 

agency” and is an independent statistical 

agency from...policy-making or law 

enforcement activities. • https://www.nass.usda.gov/About_NASS/pdf/ScientificIntegr

ityStatement.pdf

• Only authorized persons working for NASS as 

employees can access individual record data 

and only for approved official purposes. 

Title 7, U.S. Code, Section 2276 and the 

Confidential Information Protection and 

Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) prohibits 

public disclosure of individual information. • https://www.nass.usda.gov/About_NASS/Confidentiality_Ple

dge/index.php
Farm Labor Survey History

• Since 2014, the survey collects data for field workers, livestock workers, and 

supervisors/managers by occupational groups based on the relevant “detailed 

occupation” categories of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ applicable Standard 

Occupational Classification (SOC) system. 

• Prior to 2014, the survey collected data according to the FLS aggregate 

categories of field workers, livestock workers, supervisors/managers, and 

other workers.

• Annual average livestock worker base wage rates were published beginning in 

November 2019. 

• Base wage rate and gross hours were published beginning in November 2019. 

Base wage rates and base hours were published in February 2021,which was 

the delayed November 2020 release. The uses for these base data were 

limited, so data collection was discontinued after April 2021.
Farm Labor Survey Overview

2022 Labor Survey

Reference Periods January 9-15, April 10-16, July 10-16 and October 9-15, 

2022

Sample Size ~17,000

Collection Methods Mail, Telephone, Internet

Primary Data Items Number of hired workers, gross hours worked and 

wage rates

Revision Policy

Farm labor statistics are subject to revision semiannually and annually and must be supported by 

additional data that directly affect the level of the 

estimate. 
Methodology Highlights

• Starting in 2020, model-based estimates of hired 

workers, average hours worked, average wage 

rates, and the associated sub-items were 

produced from the current survey to establish 

more precise estimates.

• The sample size level is optimized to account for 

declining response rates.

• There were no program or content changes in 

2022.
Farm Labor Survey Uses

• The employment and wage estimates published in the Farm Labor report are used 

by federal, state, and local government agencies; educational institutions; farm 

organizations; and private sector employers of farm labor. Some examples:

• U.S. Department of Labor – The annual weighted average hourly wage rate for 

field and livestock workers combined is currently used as the Adverse Effect Wage 

Rate in administration of the H-2A Program. The H-2A Program is the provision 

under the Immigration Reform and Control Act that allows admission of temporary 

non-immigrant alien farm workers to perform farm labor or services of a 

temporary or seasonal nature.

• USDA – The wage rate data are used to compute a wage rate index, a component 

of the Parity Index used to compute parity prices of agricultural products. Parity 

prices are computed as a provision of the Agricultural Adjustment Act as amended.

• BEA – The BEA uses NASS labor data in various estimates, such as the National 

Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs) calculations of real farm value added from 

farm employment, GDP-by-state on farm output estimates, as supplements to 

farm wages employment, and more.
H-2A and Contract Workers

• The “Includes” on page 4 defines any directly hired and paid workers, so H-2A 

workers are potentially included for the Farm Labor Survey.

• Since contract workers are not directly hired or paid by the farm operation, they 

are excluded.
Number of Workers, U.S.
Number of Hired Workers

 450,000

 500,000

 550,000

 600,000

 650,000

 700,000

 750,000

 800,000

 850,000

 900,000

 950,000

2017 JAN

2017 APR

2017 JUL

2017 OCT

2018 JAN

2018 APR

2018 JUL

2018 OCT

2019 JAN

2019 APR

2019 JUL

2019 OCT

2020 JAN

2020 APR

2020 JUL

2020 OCT

2021 JAN

2021 APR

2021 JUL

2021 OCT

2022 JAN

2022 APR

2022 JUL

2022 OCT
Annual Combined Field & Livestock Wage 

Rates, U.S.

$11.74

$12.20

$12.47

$13.25

$13.99

$14.62

$15.56

$16.62

$11.00

$12.00

$13.00

$14.00

$15.00

$16.00

$17.00

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

F&L Wages Field Livestock BLS OES 45-2000 mean Ag Workers
Annual Combined Field & Livestock 

Wage Rates, U.S.

Year Annual Wage Rate 

$/Hour

Percent of Previous 

Year

2017 12.47 102%

2018 13.25 106%

2019 13.99 106%

2020 14.62 105%

2021 15.56 106%

2022 16.62 107%
Wage Rates, U.S., $ / Hour
Farm Labor Regions

Region 2021 Annual 

Wage Rate 

$ / Hour

2022 Annual 

Wage Rate 

$ / Hour

Percent of 

Previous Year

Northeast I 15.66 16.95 108

Northeast II 15.54 16.55 106

Appalachian I 14.16 14.91 105

Appalachian II 13.89 14.26 103

Southeast 11.99 13.67 114

Florida 12.41 14.33 115

Lake 15.37 17.34 113

Cornbelt I 15.89 17.17 108

Cornbelt II 16.19 17.54 108

Field & Livestock Wage Rates, 

Regions and U.S., $ / Hour
Region 2021 Annual 

Wage Rate 

$ / Hour

2022 Annual 

Wage Rate 

$ / Hour

Percent of 

Previous Year

Delta 12.45 13.67 110

Northern Plains 16.47 17.33 105

Southern Plains 13.88 14.87 107

Mountain I 14.68 15.68 107

Mountain II 15.58 16.34 105

Mountain III 14.79 15.62 106

Pacific 17.41 17.97 103

California 17.51 18.65 107

Hawaii 16.54 17.25 104

United States 15.56 16.62 107

Field & Livestock Wage Rates, 

Regions and U.S., $ / Hour
Workers and Wage Rates by SOC Code


Methodology and Quality Measures

Coefficient of Variation

Survey

Oct. 10-16, 2021 July 10-16, 2022 Oct. 9-15, 2022

Field & Livestock 0.7 0.5 0.7

Field 0.9 0.6 0.8

Livestock 1.1 0.9 0.9

https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Methodology_and_Data_Quality/Farm_Labor/index.php
Contact:

tony.dorn@usda.gov