U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsGrade, sort, or classify unprocessed food and other agricultural products by size, weight, color, or condition. Excludes "Agricultural Inspectors" (45-2011).
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39,060 | 3.6 % | $10.04 | $20,870 | 0.8 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $8.15 | $8.62 | $9.21 | $10.90 | $13.37 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $16,950 | $17,930 | $19,150 | $22,670 | $27,810 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support Activities for Crop Production | 16,140 | 5.08 | $9.51 | $19,780 |
| Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers | 5,310 | 0.74 | $9.45 | $19,660 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 3,960 | 2.37 | $10.13 | $21,070 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 3,120 | 0.64 | $10.90 | $22,680 |
| Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers | 1,580 | 2.12 | $11.70 | $24,330 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support Activities for Crop Production | 16,140 | 5.08 | $9.51 | $19,780 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 3,960 | 2.37 | $10.13 | $21,070 |
| Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers | 1,580 | 2.12 | $11.70 | $24,330 |
| Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 470 | 1.37 | $9.42 | $19,590 |
| Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers | 5,310 | 0.74 | $9.45 | $19,660 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers | 100 | 0.01 | $18.78 | $39,070 |
| Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 40 | 0.04 | $14.67 | $30,510 |
| State Government (OES Designation) | 150 | 0.01 | $14.42 | $29,990 |
| Grain and Oilseed Milling | 130 | 0.22 | $13.52 | $28,110 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 1,420 | 0.07 | $12.71 | $26,430 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 12,690 | 0.89 | 2.96 | $9.37 | $19,500 |
| Washington | 4,020 | 1.45 | 4.85 | $11.11 | $23,100 |
| Florida | 3,630 | 0.50 | 1.66 | $8.73 | $18,150 |
| Texas | 2,310 | 0.22 | 0.73 | $9.54 | $19,840 |
| Oregon | 2,140 | 1.33 | 4.43 | $9.91 | $20,620 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 1,580 | 2.64 | 8.79 | $8.89 | $18,500 |
| Washington | 4,020 | 1.45 | 4.85 | $11.11 | $23,100 |
| Oregon | 2,140 | 1.33 | 4.43 | $9.91 | $20,620 |
| South Dakota | 430 | 1.09 | 3.62 | $11.98 | $24,930 |
| Vermont | 280 | 0.95 | 3.16 | $10.72 | $22,290 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 140 | 0.05 | 0.18 | $16.19 | $33,670 |
| Ohio | 210 | 0.04 | 0.14 | $14.72 | $30,620 |
| North Dakota | 240 | 0.60 | 2.02 | $14.55 | $30,260 |
| Maryland | 40 | 0.02 | 0.05 | $13.17 | $27,400 |
| Kansas | 180 | 0.13 | 0.44 | $13.03 | $27,110 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton, CA | 1,600 | 8.20 | 27.35 | $9.09 | $18,910 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 1,600 | 5.83 | 19.44 | $8.66 | $18,010 |
| Visalia-Porterville, CA | 1,560 | 11.92 | 39.74 | $9.21 | $19,150 |
| Yakima, WA | 1,410 | 17.68 | 58.97 | $12.43 | $25,860 |
| Fresno, CA | 1,300 | 4.14 | 13.80 | $9.47 | $19,690 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 790 | 0.70 | 2.35 | $8.67 | $18,020 |
| Salinas, CA | 780 | 5.03 | 16.76 | $10.07 | $20,940 |
| Merced, CA | 740 | 12.36 | 41.22 | $10.05 | $20,890 |
| Modesto, CA | 640 | 4.19 | 13.97 | $8.86 | $18,430 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 610 | 2.68 | 8.93 | $8.08 | $16,810 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima, WA | 1,410 | 17.68 | 58.97 | $12.43 | $25,860 |
| Merced, CA | 740 | 12.36 | 41.22 | $10.05 | $20,890 |
| Visalia-Porterville, CA | 1,560 | 11.92 | 39.74 | $9.21 | $19,150 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | 440 | 11.52 | 38.41 | $10.17 | $21,150 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | 430 | 8.73 | 29.11 | $8.08 | $16,810 |
| Stockton, CA | 1,600 | 8.20 | 27.35 | $9.09 | $18,910 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 1,600 | 5.83 | 19.44 | $8.66 | $18,010 |
| Holland-Grand Haven, MI | 540 | 5.23 | 17.46 | $11.21 | $23,310 |
| Salinas, CA | 780 | 5.03 | 16.76 | $10.07 | $20,940 |
| Kennewick-Pasco-Richland, WA | 480 | 4.89 | 16.30 | $9.64 | $20,050 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA | 100 | 0.19 | 0.63 | $16.69 | $34,720 |
| Toledo, OH | (8) | (8) | (8) | $16.20 | $33,700 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | (8) | (8) | (8) | $15.88 | $33,020 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | 40 | 0.32 | 1.07 | $14.58 | $30,330 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | (8) | (8) | (8) | $14.21 | $29,550 |
| Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division | (8) | (8) | (8) | $13.83 | $28,760 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 40 | 0.58 | 1.93 | $12.45 | $25,890 |
| Yakima, WA | 1,410 | 17.68 | 58.97 | $12.43 | $25,860 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 30 | 0.24 | 0.80 | $12.23 | $25,450 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | 320 | 0.53 | 1.78 | $11.78 | $24,490 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area | 1,090 | 16.63 | 55.45 | $9.77 | $20,320 |
| Central Washington nonmetropolitan area | 1,040 | 16.54 | 55.16 | $10.30 | $21,430 |
| East Idaho nonmetropolitan area | 810 | 16.22 | 54.11 | $8.26 | $17,190 |
| Winnsboro nonmetropolitan area | 360 | 4.54 | 15.13 | $13.15 | $27,360 |
| South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | 270 | 2.15 | 7.17 | $11.22 | $23,350 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area | 1,090 | 16.63 | 55.45 | $9.77 | $20,320 |
| Central Washington nonmetropolitan area | 1,040 | 16.54 | 55.16 | $10.30 | $21,430 |
| East Idaho nonmetropolitan area | 810 | 16.22 | 54.11 | $8.26 | $17,190 |
| Far Eastern North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 140 | 5.75 | 19.18 | $13.65 | $28,390 |
| Winnsboro nonmetropolitan area | 360 | 4.54 | 15.13 | $13.15 | $27,360 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $15.73 | $32,730 |
| Other Ohio nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $14.97 | $31,150 |
| East Central North Dakota | (8) | (8) | (8) | $14.85 | $30,890 |
| Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.17 | 0.57 | $14.36 | $29,870 |
| Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $14.32 | $29,780 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2012 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 29, 2013
