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Date: 05/21/2026

Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse

Manually plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables, fruits, nuts, horticultural specialties, and field crops. Use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives. Duties may include tilling soil and applying fertilizers; transplanting, weeding, thinning, or pruning crops; applying pesticides; or cleaning, grading, sorting, packing, and loading harvested products. May construct trellises, repair fences and farm buildings, or participate in irrigation activities.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Harvest fruits and vegetables by hand.
    • Sell and deliver plants and flowers to customers.
    • Sell and deliver plants and flowers to customers.
    • Repair farm buildings, fences, and other structures.
    • Dig, rake, and screen soil, filling cold frames and hot beds in preparation for planting.
    • Load agricultural products into trucks, and drive trucks to market or storage facilities.
    • Participate in the inspection, grading, sorting, storage, and post-harvest treatment of crops.
    • Harvest plants, and transplant or pot and label them.
    • Regulate greenhouse conditions, and indoor and outdoor irrigation systems.
    • Feel plants' leaves and note their coloring to detect the presence of insects or disease.
    • Record information about crops, such as pesticide use, yields, or costs.
    • Direct and monitor the work of casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting.
    • Identify plants, pests, and weeds to determine the selection and application of pesticides and fertilizers.
    • Clean work areas, and maintain grounds and landscaping.
    • Inspect plants and bud ties to assess quality.
    • Move containerized shrubs, plants, and trees, using wheelbarrows or tractors.
    • Provide information and advice to the public regarding the selection, purchase, and care of products.
    • Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment.
    • Inform farmers or farm managers of crop progress.
    • Operate tractors, tractor-drawn machinery, and self-propelled machinery to plow, harrow and fertilize soil, or to plant, cultivate, spray and harvest crops.
    • Maintain and repair irrigation and climate control systems.
    • Maintain inventory, ordering materials as required.
    • Harvest plants, and transplant or pot and label them.
    • Record information about plants and plant growth.
    • Dig, cut, and transplant seedlings, cuttings, trees, and shrubs.
    • Set up and operate irrigation equipment.
    • Tie and bunch flowers, plants, shrubs, and trees, wrap their roots, and pack them into boxes to fill orders.
    • Haul and spread topsoil, fertilizer, peat moss, and other materials to condition soil, using wheelbarrows or carts and shovels.
    • Maintain and repair irrigation and climate control systems.
    • Dig, cut, and transplant seedlings, cuttings, trees, and shrubs.

    Skills

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    4
    Workplace Documents
    4
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    Knowledge

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 33200/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 15.96/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 8,980
    • Yearly Projected Openings 1300

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Dependability
    • Perseverance
    • Attention to Detail

    Tools

    • Adjustable widemouth pliers
    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Agricultural rollers
    • Agricultural tractors
    • Air compressors
    • Air dryers
    • All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled
    • Axes
    • Battery chargers
    • Battery testers
    • Broadcast spreaders
    • Calipers
    • Cargo trucks
    • Claw hammer
    • Cleaning machines for seed or grain or dried leguminous vegetables
    • Coiled tubing injector heads
    • Combine harvesters
    • Compasses
    • Conveyor screw
    • Counters
    • Cultivators
    • Desktop computers
    • Digging bars
    • Disks
    • Dump trucks
    • Dusters
    • Fertilizer spreaders or distributors
    • Forestry increment borers
    • Forestry saws
    • Forklifts
    • Gas generators
    • Gas masks
    • Global positioning system GPS receiver
    • Goggles
    • Grease guns
    • Greenhouse irrigation equipment
    • Greenhouse ventilation equipment
    • Grinding machines
    • Grinding wheels
    • Hacksaw
    • Hammers
    • Hand sprayers
    • Hand trucks or accessories
    • Handheld thermometer
    • Harvesters
    • Hatchets
    • Haymaking machinery
    • Hedge clippers
    • Hex keys
    • High branch shears
    • Hoes
    • Industrial funnels
    • Integrated tool carriers
    • Irrigation overheads
    • Irrigation trickles
    • Label making tapes
    • Ladders
    • Lawnmowers
    • Levels
    • Light trucks or sport utility vehicles
    • Locking pliers
    • Masks or accessories
    • Measuring rods
    • Measuring wheels for distance
    • Moisture meters
    • Mowers
    • Notebook computers
    • Open end wrenches
    • Paint brushes
    • Paint sprayers
    • Picks
    • Pipe or tube cutter
    • Planters
    • Ploughs
    • Pocket calculator
    • Pollination equipment or supplies
    • Post hole digger
    • Power blowers
    • Power drills
    • Power saws
    • Power trimmers
    • Pressure or steam cleaners
    • Protective coveralls
    • Pry bars
    • Pull spring balances
    • Putty knives
    • Rakes
    • Respirators
    • Rubber mallet
    • Rulers
    • Saws
    • Screwdrivers
    • Secateurs or pruning shears
    • Seed drills
    • Seeder attachment
    • Sharpening stones or tools or kits
    • Shovels
    • Sledge hammer
    • Socket sets
    • Soil core sampling apparatus
    • Spades
    • Sprayers
    • Staple guns
    • Stationary separation equipment or parts or screens
    • Surface thermometers
    • Tape measures
    • Threshing machines
    • Transplanters
    • Trowels
    • Utility knives
    • Water sprinklers
    • Wheelbarrows
    • Wood chisels
    • pH meters

    Technology

    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Internet browser software
    • Mobile location based services software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

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