Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse Salary
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouses in Modesto, CA make a median of $37,850 a year, or about $18.2 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $54K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.11), that's roughly $36,356 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,758/month, about 67.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Modesto?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Modesto’s Regional Price Parity (104.11). 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 Modesto
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse pay in Modesto tracks closely to the national median, $38K locally vs. $36K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,758/month, which is 66.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 104.11) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses in metros near Modesto, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Redding | $39K | $39K |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $35K | $34K |
| Fresno | $35K | $34K |
| Salinas | $37K | $34K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Modesto, CA
Entry-level farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $54K or more, a $18K 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 with published data
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 Modesto?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 66.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,758/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Modesto?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,118/month. At HUD’s $1,758/month FMR, rent would take 83% 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 Modesto?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $38K locally vs. $36K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Modesto compare to the national average for farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses?
Modesto pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.11), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses make in Modesto, CA?
The median is $37,850 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,300, and experienced farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouses can clear $53,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Modesto?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,646/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,758/month, which eats 66.4% 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 Modesto?
Modesto has a Regional Price Parity of 104.11 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse salary is worth about $36,356 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.