Also called: Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse build operations monitoring, repairing and social perceptiveness skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (82%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 82% | $51,610 | +45% | None |
| 2 | Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation | 79% | $46,340 | +30% | None |
| 3 | Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 78% | $48,540 | +36% | None |
| 4 | Tree Trimmers and Pruners | 76% | $50,960 | +43% | None |
| 5 | Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 75% | $39,150 | +10% | None |
| 6 | Fallers | 75% | $52,100 | +46% | None |
| 7 | Forest and Conservation Workers | 73% | $43,680 | +22% | None |
| 8 | Biofuels Processing Technicians | 73% | $62,470Pay for the broader BLS group “Plant and System Operators, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 9 | Machine Feeders and Offbearers | 73% | $41,220 | +16% | None |
| 10 | Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders | 73% | $41,330 | +16% | None |
Compared with Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse, median $35,660. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
82% skill match · $51,610 · +45% pay
Operations Monitoring · Judgment and Decision Making · Complex Problem Solving
79% skill match · $46,340 · +30% pay
Judgment and Decision Making · Coordination · Time Management
78% skill match · $48,540 · +36% pay
Operation and Control · Operations Monitoring · Instructing
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (82% skill match, median $51,610), Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (79% skill match, median $46,340) and Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (78% skill match, median $48,540), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 24 pay more than farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse at the median. The biggest increases: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (+171%, $96,710), Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons (+72%, $61,290) and Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators (+68%, $60,020).
24 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.