Skip to content

Crop production worker

Also called farm hand, crop worker, farm worker

Crop production workers carry out practical activities and assist in the production of agronomical crops.

Will there be jobs?Limited prospects3 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Agricultural, forestry and fishery labourersWhat does it pay?Below averageFrom about €700 (Bulgaria) to €3,800 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Agricultural, forestry and fishery labourersWhat do I need to study?Basic schooling6 in 10 have basic schooling only. 6 in 10 train through vocational routes.Agricultural, forestry and fishery labourersWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Mixed crop and livestock farm labourers · ILO

What you'd do

Mixed crop and livestock farm labourers · ILO
  • Digging and shovelling to clear ditches or for other purposes
  • Loading and unloading supplies, produce and other materials
  • Raking, pitching and stacking straw, hay and similar material
  • Watering, thinning and weeding crops by hand or using hand tools
  • Picking fruit, nuts, vegetables and other crops and collecting eggs
  • Planting and harvesting field crops, such as rice, by hand
  • Feeding, watering, and cleaning animals and keeping their quarters clean
  • Monitoring livestock, reporting on their condition
  • Assisting with herding, droving and separating livestock for milking, shearing, transportation or slaughter, and between pastures
  • Grading, sorting, bunching and packing produce into containers
  • Performing minor repairs on fixtures, buildings, equipment and fences
Execute disease and pest control activitiesPropagate plantsGrow plantsOperate agricultural machineryDrive agricultural machines+ 10 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Mostly outdoors
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Some contact with people
  • Some freedom to decide
  • Often more than 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Varied tasks, little repetition
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse"

Will there be jobs?

Limited prospects

Fewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.

People working as agricultural, forestry and fishery labourers in the EU
1.81m1.92m1.45m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
455,000 replacing leavers 405,000 jobs disappear
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Agricultural, forestry and fishery labourers3
All jobs29
Right now
8 of 27 countries report a shortage of mixed crop and livestock farm labourers, 5 a surplus.
Mixed crop and livestock farm labourers · EURES

What does it pay?

Below average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €700 a month (Bulgaria) to €3,800 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among elementary occupations in the EU, women earn 9% less per hour than men. Elementary occupations · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Basic schooling

Most people start with basic schooling and learn on the job.

Highest qualification of agricultural, forestry and fishery labourers (EU, 2025)
Degree 5%Vocational 25%General secondary 8%Basic schooling 61%
Field that teaches it
Crop and livestock production
Vocational route, EU
6 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.11 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 11 tasks
Monitoring livestock, reporting on their condition0.15
Grading, sorting, bunching and packing produce into containers0.15
Assisting with herding, droving and separating livestock for milking, shearing, transportation or slaughter, and between pastures0.14
Performing minor repairs on fixtures, buildings, equipment and fences0.14
Loading and unloading supplies, produce and other materials0.12
Picking fruit, nuts, vegetables and other crops and collecting eggs0.11
Watering, thinning and weeding crops by hand or using hand tools0.10
Feeding, watering, and cleaning animals and keeping their quarters clean0.09
Raking, pitching and stacking straw, hay and similar material0.08
Digging and shovelling to clear ditches or for other purposes0.08
Planting and harvesting field crops, such as rice, by hand0.07

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for mixed crop and livestock farm labourers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).