Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
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.
244 alternate job titles:
Salary Information
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse: $35,690 (median) per year.
Starting salary (10th percentile).
Required expreience: Varies by Company
Data source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Daily Tasks & Responsibilities
| Task Description | Category |
|---|---|
| Mark agricultural or forestry products for identification. | General |
| Harvest agricultural products. | General |
| Operate farming equipment. | General |
| Operate irrigation systems. | General |
| Clean equipment or facilities. | General |
| Transport animals, crops, or equipment. | General |
| Sell agricultural products. | General |
| Direct activities of agricultural, forestry, or fishery employees. | General |
| Examine characteristics or behavior of living organisms. | General |
| Advise others on farming or forestry operations, regulations, or equipment. | General |
| Plant crops, trees, or other plants. | General |
| Cut trees or logs. | General |
| Prepare land for agricultural use. | General |
| Sort forestry or agricultural materials. | General |
| Package agricultural products for shipment or further processing. | General |
| Load agricultural or forestry products for shipment. | General |
| Perform manual agricultural, aquacultural, or horticultural tasks. | General |
| Maintain forestry, hunting, or agricultural equipment. | Maintenance |
| Maintain operational records. | Maintenance |
| Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products. | Maintenance |
| Confer with managers to make operational decisions. | Management |
| Evaluate quality of plants or crops. | Analysis |
| Build agricultural structures. | Development |
Technology Requirements
| Technology | Description |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Presentation software |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software |
| Global positioning system GPS software | Mobile location based services software |
| IBM Lotus Notes | Electronic mail software |
| Web browser software | Internet browser software |
| BCL Landview Systems WinCrop | Data base user interface and query software |
| Farm Works Software Trac | Data base user interface and query software |
Relevant Certifications
Industry certifications that may be valuable for this career role:
| Certification | Issuing Organization | Practice Test |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Professional Horticulturist | American Society for Horticultural Science | Not Available |
| Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist | International Society of Arboriculture | Not Available |
| Certified Irrigation Contractor | Irrigation Association | Not Available |
| Landscape Industry Certified Horticultural Technician | National Association of Landscape Professionals | Not Available |