How to hire farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Direct and monitor the work of casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting. • Harvest fruits and vegetables by hand. • Harvest plants, and transplant or pot and label them. • Inform farmers or farm managers of crop progress. • Participate in the inspection, grading, sorting, storage, and post-harvest treatment of crops. • Record information about crops, such as pesticide use, yields, or costs. • Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment. • Set up and operate irrigation equipment. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • Strong speaking skills • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $17.15 an hour ($35,660 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to direct and monitor the work of casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to harvest fruits and vegetables by hand. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to harvest plants, and transplant or pot and label them. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to inform farmers or farm managers of crop progress. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse do
- Direct and monitor the work of casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting.
- Harvest fruits and vegetables by hand.
- Harvest plants, and transplant or pot and label them.
- Inform farmers or farm managers of crop progress.
- Participate in the inspection, grading, sorting, storage, and post-harvest treatment of crops.
- Record information about crops, such as pesticide use, yields, or costs.
- Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment.
- Set up and operate irrigation equipment.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 3 months (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -2.4% over ten years, declining · about 72,500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Montana | $41,390 |
| Illinois | $41,050 |
| New York | $40,930 |
| Washington | $39,170 |
| Michigan | $38,680 |
| Tennessee | $31,020 |
| Florida | $30,640 |
| Georgia | $30,300 |
See farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse pay in every state
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.