Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals Salary
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals in California make a median of $38,640 a year, or about $18.58 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $55K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $36,405 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 92.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $39K get you in California?
About farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals
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What this looks like in California
Farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 91.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $55K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals salary by metro in California
18 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas | $63K | +62% | 70 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $46K | +19% | 100 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $45K | +17% | 130 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $44K | +15% | 380 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $43K | +11% | 370 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $40K | +3% | 140 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $38K | -2% | 140 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $38K | -2% | 610 |
| Modesto | $37K | -4% | 90 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $37K | -4% | 130 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $37K | -5% | 200 |
| Fresno | $36K | -7% | 90 |
| Merced | $36K | -7% | 40 |
| Visalia | $36K | -7% | 120 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $36K | -7% | 80 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $36K | -7% | 90 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $35K | -9% | 50 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $35K | -10% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 18 metros
Compare to other states
Track farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animal afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 91.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/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, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,087/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 118% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animal a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals?
California pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals make in California?
The median is $38,640 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,780, and experienced farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals can clear $55,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,697/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 91.6% 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, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (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, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals salary is worth about $36,405 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do farmworkers, farm, ranch, and aquacultural animals 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.