Agriculture & EnvironmentCompare

Farmworker

O*NET: Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse·45-2092.00

The Verdict:Farmwork centers on hands-on tasks in unpredictable fields — hand-picking crops, digging soil, weeding, and operating tools amid weather changes. No robotics handles this dexterity and adaptability today. AI supports planning and monitoring, boosting human output, but physical labor endures. Demand for food production secures the role long-term.

Resilience Score

/100

Resilient

Score tiers

Highly Resilient81–100

Resilient61–80

Moderate Risk41–60

High Risk21–40

Critical Risk0–20

How is this scored?

Task Resilience

How much of this role's daily work remains beyond AI and robotic automation.

30% of score

Physical Presence

The degree to which this job needs a human present — hands-on, in the field, or in the room.

20% of score

Human Necessity

How important the unique human edge is — for trust, accountability, or judgment.

15% of score

Regulatory Shield

How strong the legal requirement is for a human in this job (by law, licensing, or credentials).

13% of score

Technological Maturity

How far AI remains from performing this role's core functions.

10% of score

Displacement Evidence

The volume of jobs in this field being eliminated by AI or automation right now.

12% of score

Score last updated: February 2026Full methodology

Avg Salary

Median annual wage from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 release.

$36k

Job Growth (10yr)

Projected change in total number of jobs (not salary) from 2024–2034. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections.

-3.3%

AI Exposure

Percentage of this role's analyzed tasks that AI can handle autonomously or nearly so. 0 of 27 tasks are classified as AI-exposed.

Low exposure

Task Analysis

This role's core work is hard to automate.
21 of 27 tasks require human judgment, presence, or trust. The 22% that are AI-leverage offer an edge — professionals who learn these tools will outperform those who don't.

0exposed

6AI leverage

21human-essential

View all 27 tasks

AI Can Handle This0 tasks

Tasks AI can do autonomously or nearly so

No exposed tasks identified

AI Leverage6 tasks

Master these tools — humans who do outperform those who don't

Record information about crops, such as pesticide use, yields, or costs.

Inform farmers or farm managers of crop progress.

Identify plants, pests, and weeds to determine the selection and application of pesticides and fertilizers.

Provide information and advice to the public regarding the selection, purchase, and care of products.

Record information about plants and plant growth.

Maintain inventory, ordering materials as required.

Human Advantage21 tasks

Tasks requiring trust, presence, or novel judgment

Direct and monitor the work of casual and seasonal help during planting and harvesting.

Participate in the inspection, grading, sorting, storage, and post-harvest treatment of crops.

Harvest plants, and transplant or pot and label them.

Repair and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment.

Harvest fruits and vegetables by hand.

Set up and operate irrigation equipment.

Operate tractors, tractor-drawn machinery, and self-propelled machinery to plow, harrow and fertilize soil, or to plant, cultivate, spray and harvest crops.

Load agricultural products into trucks, and drive trucks to market or storage facilities.

Clean work areas, and maintain grounds and landscaping.

Sell and deliver plants and flowers to customers.

Regulate greenhouse conditions, and indoor and outdoor irrigation systems.

Feel plants' leaves and note their coloring to detect the presence of insects or disease.

Maintain and repair irrigation and climate control systems.

Dig, cut, and transplant seedlings, cuttings, trees, and shrubs.

Dig, rake, and screen soil, filling cold frames and hot beds in preparation for planting.

Inspect plants and bud ties to assess quality.

Move containerized shrubs, plants, and trees, using wheelbarrows or tractors.

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.

Repair farm buildings, fences, and other structures.

Plant, spray, weed, fertilize, water, and prune plants, shrubs, and trees, using gardening tools.

Resilience Landscape

Farmworker lands in Stable, Lower Pay

Higher Resilience Paths in Agriculture & Environment

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Farmworker

Task Analysis

Resilience Landscape

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