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U.S. and Northeast Region farm labor
There were 797,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on the Nation's farms and ranches during the week of Oct. 6-12, 2024, up 3% from the October 2023 reference week. Workers hired directly by farm operators numbered 808,000 during the week of July 7-13, 2024, up 3% from the July 2023 reference week.
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average gross wage of $19.11 per hour during the October 2024 reference week, up 2% from the October 2023 reference week. Field workers received an average of $18.57 per hour, up 2%. Livestock workers earned $17.51 per hour, up 2%. The field and livestock worker combined gross wage rate, at $18.27 per hour, was up 2% from the 2023 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 41.4 hours during the October 2024 reference week, down 1% from the hours worked during the October 2023 reference week.
Farm operators paid their hired workers an average gross wage of $18.95 per hour during the July 2024 reference week, up 2% from the July 2023 reference week. Field workers received an average of $18.36 per hour, up 2%, while livestock workers earned $17.36 per hour, up 2% from a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined gross wage rate, at $18.08 per hour, was up 2% from the July 2023 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 40.6 hours during the July 2024 reference week, down 1% from the hours worked during the July 2023 reference week.
The 2024 all hired worker annual average gross wage rate was $19.10 per hour, up 3% from the 2023 annual average gross wage rate. The 2024 field worker annual average gross wage rate was $18.42 per hour, up 3% from the 2023 annual average. The 2024 livestock worker annual average gross wage rate was $17.45 per hour. The 2024 annual average combined gross wage for field and livestock workers was $18.12, up 3% from the 2023 annual average of $17.55 per hour.
USDA to measure well-being of farmers
Starting in December, we will spend several months gathering information about land ownership income, expense, debt, asset, demographic and other landlord characteristics to provide detailed information from all agricultural landowners, as the agency conducts the Tenure, Ownership, and Transition of Agricultural Land (TOTAL) survey. TOTAL will measure the state of farmland ownership. The results of this survey help shape federal, state and local farm policies, and will help farmers and landowners to plan out farmland rental agreements.
The results of the TOTAL survey are highly anticipated and will help accurately define the economic status of U.S. farm operations and households for all 50 states. Data you provide will impact major decisions and policies impacting farmland and farm operations in the United States. The survey asks producers to provide in-depth information about their operating revenues, production costs, and household characteristics.
In February, our interviewers will begin reaching out to those who have not yet responded. Enumerators and statisticians will gladly help you fill out the forms if you like so that it is as easy as possible for you. It is important that you complete the survey so that data are available to help you make better decisions and ensures local, state or government officials can adapt or create farm policy that works well and is based on accurate information.
The data gathered in TOTAL will be published in the TOTAL report on Oct. 31, 2025. That report and others are available at nass.usda.gov/publications. Additional data analysis and reports will be available at ers.usda.gov/arms.
Irrigation and Water Management Survey
In 2023, there were 212,714 farms in the United States that irrigated at some point during the year, an 8.1% decrease since 2018. They irrigated 53.1 million acres (about one-fourth of their farmland), applying 81.0 million acre-feet of water, a decrease of 2.8% from 2018. The average amount of water applied per acre was 1.5 acre-feet, unchanged from 2018.
Five states -- Arkansas, California, Idaho, Nebraska and Texas -- together accounted for 50.1% of U.S. irrigated acres in 2023 and 55.1% of total irrigation water applied.
Irrigation provides water to fields in the open and to commodities grown under protection. Acres in the open accounted for nearly all irrigated acres.
The 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey collected detailed data on irrigation methods and water use on U.S. farms, ranches, and horticultural operations. For more information on the IWMS and the Census of Agriculture, go towww.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.
Year-end surveys
Year-end surveys are done in December for crops, hogs and poultry. In January, we ask growers for their help to measure production of other commodities for 2024. The surveys mentioned below are conducted in all major states to generate national and state production statistics.
Milk production survey
NASS surveys milk producers quarterly to create an accurate estimate of milk production in all states in the Northeast and the nation. NASS conducts the Milk Production survey every January, April, July and October. In the Northeast, NASS will survey dairy farmers this year asking them to provide the number of milk cows in the herd, number of cows milked and total milk production for the first day of the month.