Prevailing Wage for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
Prevailing wage for farm laborers in the United States is set by the DOL across four experience levels, from entry through fully competent, and the floor shifts significantly depending on where the worksite is located. Whether you work as a greenhouse worker, field laborer, or grower, your visa sponsor must meet the level that matches your experience.
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Level 1 covers entry-level farm laborers with limited or no prior U.S. agricultural experience. Workers at this level perform routine tasks under close supervision, such as basic planting, weeding, or harvesting, with minimal independent judgment required.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for this occupation. Qualified farm laborers have one to three years of experience, can operate hand tools independently, and rotate through cultivation, transplanting, and post-harvest sorting tasks without constant supervision.
Level 3 applies to experienced farm laborers who handle a full range of crop, nursery, or greenhouse duties, including pesticide application and trellis or irrigation work. These workers often train newer crew members and manage quality checks during harvest.
Level 4 covers fully competent farm laborers or lead crew workers who oversee daily field or greenhouse operations, coordinate planting and harvest schedules, and are the primary point of contact for supervisors on task assignments and compliance.
Prevailing wage for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse by OES area
Each area on the map is a DOL OES wage zone. Click any location to see the prevailing wage floor for Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse at each level.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for this role and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Verify the worksite city on every LCA
Wages for crop and greenhouse laborers vary sharply by region. Portland, ME tops national averages while Ogden, UT and San Juan, PR sit well below them. The prevailing wage on your LCA must match the actual farm or nursery worksite, not the employer's headquarters.
Watch for H-2A to H-1B title switches
Many agricultural employers initially hire under H-2A visa, which uses AEWR rates rather than OES prevailing wages. If you transition to H-1B visa sponsorship for the same field laborer role, confirm the employer files under SOC 45-2092.00 and meets the OES floor, not just the H-2A visa rate.
Check whether seasonal bonuses count toward the floor
Harvest bonuses and piece-rate supplements common in crop labor are often excluded from the prevailing wage calculation. DOL requires the base hourly or annual rate to meet the floor on its own. Confirm the base wage meets the threshold before relying on supplemental pay.
Find employers who have sponsored this role before
Migrate Mate shows which employers have a history of sponsoring greenhouse workers, growers, and crop laborers for H-1B or green card. Filtering by this occupation's past sponsorship counts helps you target farms and nurseries already familiar with the LCA process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for farm laborers?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to establish prevailing wages for each SOC code, including farm laborers. OFLC then publishes four wage levels for each metropolitan area. Employers sponsoring a visa must certify on the LCA that the offered wage meets or exceeds the level that matches the worker's experience and duties.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
Level 1 is entry-level with minimal prior experience. Level 2 is qualified and is the most common level filed for this occupation, covering workers with routine independent duties. Level 3 is experienced, covering workers with a full task range and some training responsibilities. Level 4 is fully competent, typically reserved for lead crew or supervisory roles. Your level should reflect your actual duties and years of experience, not just your job title.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same farm laborer role vary so much by city?
OFLC bases wages on regional OES surveys, which reflect local labor markets. A greenhouse worker in Portland, ME operates in a market with higher local wage norms than one in Ogden, UT. The LCA rules require employers to use the prevailing wage for the specific worksite metropolitan area, so even the same employer operating in two states will file different wage floors for each location.
What happens if a job offer for a sponsored farm laborer position is below prevailing wage?
DOL will not certify an LCA where the offered wage falls below the prevailing wage for the applicable level and worksite. Without a certified LCA, USCIS cannot approve the H-1B or other visa petition. If an offer is below the floor, the employer must raise the base wage before filing, or the sponsorship process cannot move forward. This is non-negotiable under DOL rules.
How can I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific farm laborer location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up current prevailing wages by SOC code 45-2092.00 and metropolitan area. Select the correct worksite city, not the employer's mailing address, and match the level to your experience. You can also review O*NET for occupational context. Migrate Mate lets you filter crop and greenhouse laborer listings by location and see which employers have sponsored this role historically.
