Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
Median $35,660
Occupation · SOC 45-2091
Agricultural Equipment Operators: pay and where the jobs are
What agricultural equipment operators earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$41,730 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $43,710
- Median hourly wage
- $20.06
- Mean hourly wage
- $21.02
- Employment
- 28,500
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 45-2091.
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See where your pay falls among agricultural equipment operators nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do agricultural equipment operators make?
The median annual wage for agricultural equipment operators was $41,730 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33,500 and the highest-paid 10% more than $58,650. As an hourly rate, the median is $20.06. About 28,500 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Montana ($58,770), Louisiana ($58,520) and New York ($50,020). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in Louisiana.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for agricultural equipment operators looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33,500 | $16.11 | $2,792 | $2,425 |
| 25th percentile | $36,810 | $17.70 | $3,068 | $2,646 |
| Median | $41,730 | $20.06 | $3,478 | $2,976 |
| 75th percentile | $48,100 | $23.12 | $4,008 | $3,402 |
| 90th percentile | $58,650 | $28.20 | $4,888 | $4,109 |
Agricultural Equipment Operators: pay by state
40 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$54,226 take-home in national prices
2
$50,078 take-home in national prices
3
$46,053 take-home in national prices
Where a median agricultural equipment operator paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 130 | $58,770 | $28,790 | $73,650 | $47,396 | $50,078 |
| Louisiana | 270 | $58,520 | $32,190 | $64,510 | $47,831 | $54,226 |
| New York | Not published | $50,020 | $40,700 | $76,940 | $40,020 | $37,082 |
| Delaware | 40 | $49,910 | $37,460 | $60,330 | $39,990 | $40,067 |
| Massachusetts | 40 | $49,150 | $36,430 | $60,290 | $39,208 | $37,074 |
| Minnesota | 900 | $48,520 | $38,630 | $59,720 | $39,175 | $39,723 |
| North Dakota | 430 | $48,080 | $39,020 | $60,820 | $40,812 | $45,878 |
| South Dakota | 240 | $48,060 | $38,480 | $53,250 | $40,796 | $46,053 |
| Virginia | 120 | $47,890 | $39,780 | $60,910 | $38,720 | $38,297 |
| Iowa | 1,530 | $47,220 | $37,020 | $62,360 | $38,979 | $44,414 |
| Ohio | 600 | $47,220 | $37,340 | $59,640 | $39,266 | $42,325 |
| Pennsylvania | 390 | $47,100 | $33,780 | $60,590 | $38,546 | $39,505 |
| Wisconsin | 830 | $47,100 | $36,430 | $61,010 | $38,591 | $41,013 |
| Nebraska | 1,090 | $46,670 | $37,900 | $61,300 | $38,435 | $42,657 |
| Maine | 60 | $46,490 | $46,490 | $57,290 | $37,824 | $38,974 |
| Missouri | 900 | $46,490 | $38,140 | $74,990 | $38,287 | $42,158 |
| Indiana | 810 | $46,280 | $39,100 | $57,940 | $38,030 | $40,749 |
| Illinois | 1,910 | $46,050 | $37,660 | $58,300 | $37,046 | $37,062 |
| Kansas | 670 | $45,570 | $38,120 | $57,340 | $37,052 | $41,138 |
| Oregon | 310 | $44,150 | $36,930 | $53,880 | $34,636 | $33,510 |
| Michigan | 460 | $42,380 | $30,320 | $49,360 | $34,682 | $36,046 |
| Kentucky | 190 | $42,000 | $36,940 | $84,880 | $34,575 | $38,348 |
| New Jersey | 70 | $41,660 | $35,790 | $51,420 | $34,548 | $31,752 |
| Maryland | 180 | $39,580 | $38,400 | $50,890 | $32,468 | $30,934 |
| North Carolina | 550 | $39,580 | $26,110 | $49,240 | $32,912 | $34,892 |
| Idaho | 490 | $38,920 | $30,320 | $46,850 | $32,498 | $34,031 |
| California | 7,940 | $38,820 | $35,620 | $54,580 | $32,332 | $29,201 |
| Washington | 550 | $38,470 | $36,610 | $59,270 | $32,557 | $30,423 |
| Tennessee | 390 | $37,750 | $26,380 | $54,070 | $32,512 | $35,389 |
| Colorado | Not published | $37,290 | $32,410 | $48,840 | $31,046 | $30,127 |
| Florida | 790 | $36,660 | $30,060 | $50,260 | $31,636 | $30,592 |
| Arizona | 730 | $36,600 | $32,910 | $42,510 | $31,067 | $30,858 |
| Mississippi | 280 | $36,460 | $20,340 | $43,430 | $30,749 | $35,363 |
| New Mexico | 130 | $35,580 | $27,730 | $46,000 | $30,206 | $32,757 |
| Georgia | 570 | $35,410 | $28,890 | $46,910 | $29,613 | $30,754 |
| Oklahoma | 170 | $34,900 | $25,360 | $73,570 | $29,197 | $33,238 |
| South Carolina | 380 | $34,490 | $29,370 | $46,180 | $29,505 | $31,472 |
| Texas | 2,200 | $34,260 | $24,550 | $44,720 | $29,708 | $30,609 |
| Alabama | 370 | $33,910 | $27,360 | $44,930 | $28,071 | $31,603 |
| Arkansas | 350 | $32,060 | $28,760 | $45,090 | $27,242 | $31,335 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 45-2091. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.