Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse Salary
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouses in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX make a median of $28,510 a year, or about $13.71 an hour. The range runs from $19K at the entry level to $35K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.97), which stretches that salary to about $33,163 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,047/month, about 49.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $29K get you in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Brownsville-Harlingen’s Regional Price Parity (85.97). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
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What this looks like in Brownsville-Harlingen
Pay for farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse in Brownsville-Harlingen runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,047/month, which is 50.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses in metros near Brownsville-Harlingen, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $33K | $34K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $34K | $33K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $35K | $37K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $35K | $36K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Brownsville-Harlingen, TX
Entry-level farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses (10th percentile) start around $19K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $35K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | $55K | +55% | 50 |
| South Dakota | $42K | +19% | 190 |
| Montana | $41K | +16% | 720 |
| Illinois | $41K | +15% | 2,850 |
| New York | $41K | +15% | 2,760 |
| Nebraska | $40K | +11% | 440 |
| Washington | $39K | +10% | 13,490 |
| Maine | $39K | +10% | 280 |
| Michigan | $39K | +8% | 5,410 |
| Maryland | $38K | +8% | 1,380 |
| Massachusetts | $38K | +7% | 1,340 |
| Colorado | $38K | +7% | 2,450 |
| Minnesota | $38K | +7% | 1,200 |
| New Jersey | $38K | +6% | 2,430 |
| Iowa | $38K | +5% | 930 |
| Rhode Island | $38K | +5% | 230 |
| Ohio | $37K | +5% | 1,990 |
| Kansas | $37K | +4% | 900 |
| Pennsylvania | $37K | +4% | 2,940 |
| Hawaii | $37K | +4% | 700 |
| Indiana | $37K | +4% | 910 |
| Connecticut | $37K | +4% | 460 |
| Alaska | $37K | +3% | 120 |
| Missouri | $36K | +2% | 2,600 |
| New Hampshire | $36K | +1% | 220 |
| Virginia | $36K | -0% | 1,590 |
| California | $36K | -0% | 172,260 |
| Wisconsin | $35K | -1% | 1,490 |
| Vermont | $35K | -1% | 220 |
| South Carolina | $35K | -2% | 680 |
| Arizona | $35K | -2% | 7,110 |
| Idaho | $34K | -3% | 2,420 |
| Oregon | $34K | -4% | 6,780 |
| North Carolina | $34K | -5% | 2,510 |
| Alabama | $34K | -5% | 740 |
| Utah | $33K | -6% | 670 |
| Nevada | $33K | -7% | 660 |
| Louisiana | $33K | -7% | 570 |
| Delaware | $33K | -7% | 220 |
| Oklahoma | $33K | -7% | 1,080 |
| Kentucky | $33K | -7% | 510 |
| Arkansas | $33K | -8% | 390 |
| Texas | $33K | -8% | 4,290 |
| New Mexico | $31K | -13% | 1,960 |
| North Dakota | $31K | -13% | 60 |
| West Virginia | $31K | -13% | 100 |
| Tennessee | $31K | -13% | 1,080 |
| Florida | $31K | -14% | 9,180 |
| Georgia | $30K | -15% | 1,610 |
| Mississippi | $30K | -15% | 300 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse afford a 2BR apartment alone in Brownsville-Harlingen?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 50.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,047/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses in Brownsville-Harlingen?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses typically earn — is $19K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,117/month. At HUD’s $1,047/month FMR, rent would take 94% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse a high-paying job in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $29K here vs. $36K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Brownsville-Harlingen compare to the national average for farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses?
Brownsville-Harlingen pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — below the national median.
How much do farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses make in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX?
The median is $28,510 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $18,610, and experienced farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses can clear $34,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Brownsville-Harlingen?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,079/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,047/month, which eats 50.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse salary go in Brownsville-Harlingen?
Brownsville-Harlingen has a Regional Price Parity of 85.97 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse salary is worth about $33,163 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.