Nominal wage growth for farmworkers has been similar to other low-wage workers for the past two decades: Average annual nominal wage growth for farmworkers (according to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate), workers at the 20th percentile, and workers with less than a high school education, 2005-2025
| Average annual nominal wage growth, 2005-2025 | |
|---|---|
| Farmworkers: Adverse Effect Wage Rates | 3.7% |
| 20th percentile wage | 3.5% |
| Median wage for workers with less than a high school education | 3.5% |
Notes: 20th percentile and less than high school nominal wages from 2024 have been inflated to 2025 dollars using the CBO projection for CPI-U.
Source: EPI analysis of national average wage for farmworkers is based on U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Labor Survey, as reported and discussed for 2005 and 2025 in Employment and Training Administration, Adverse Effect Wage Rate Methodology for the Temporary Employment of H-2A Nonimmigrants in Non-Range Occupations in the United States, U.S. Department of Labor, Interim Final Rule, request for comments, 20 CFR Part 655, DOL Docket No. ETA-2025-0008, RIN 1205-AC24 (October 2, 2025). Data for the 20th percentile nominal wage and median nominal wage for workers with less than a high school education come from the State of Working America Data Library (data.epi.org).
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