Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating Revenue Benchmarks
The average soil preparation, planting, and cultivating business in the United States generates $1.5M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 2,207 soil preparation, planting, and cultivating businesses in the U.S., employing 11,963 workers with an average profit margin of 22.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $55K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating Business Actually Do?
Agricultural service contractors that provide farming operations to landowners without in-house equipment — plowing, planting, spraying, harvesting. Charged per acre or by the hour.
Who buys: Farmers without equipment or labor for certain operations, non-farming landowners (row-crop leases).
Average Revenue
$1.5M
per year
Profit Margin
22.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$282K
per year
Total Businesses
2,207
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$336K
small business avg
Labor Cost
20.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$55K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
0.7
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating Charge?
Agricultural service contractors charge per acre or hourly for equipment operation.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Land preparation (per acre) | $40–100/acre |
Planting (per acre) | $20–60/acre |
Custom combine harvesting | $30–70/acre |
Hourly with operator | $150–300/hour |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete soil preparation, planting, and cultivating business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a soil preparation, planting, and cultivating business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the soil preparation, planting, and cultivating industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Seed, feed, fertilizer | $35 | $531K | Inputs — the direct materials to produce the crop or raise the animal. |
Wages & benefits | $20 | $305K | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $6 | $89K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $2 | $27K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $16 | $239K | Equipment depreciation, fuel, insurance, veterinary, water rights. |
Net profit | $22 | $336K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
9.8%
openings/year
Closure Rate
11.14%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
-5.32%
annual
Businesses Closed
399
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating Business?
Startup Cost
$50K – $250K
Break-Even
5 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a soil preparation, planting, and cultivating business do?
- Agricultural service contractors that provide farming operations to landowners without in-house equipment — plowing, planting, spraying, harvesting. Charged per acre or by the hour. Farmers without equipment or labor for certain operations, non-farming landowners (row-crop leases).
- How much do soil preparation, planting, and cultivating charge?
- Agricultural service contractors charge per acre or hourly for equipment operation. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average soil preparation, planting, and cultivating make per year?
- The average soil preparation, planting, and cultivating business generates $1.5M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $336K per year at a 22.0% profit margin.
- How many soil preparation, planting, and cultivating businesses are there in the US?
- There are 2,207 soil preparation, planting, and cultivating businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 11,963 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a soil preparation, planting, and cultivating business?
- Startup costs for a soil preparation, planting, and cultivating business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
- What is the average salary in the soil preparation, planting, and cultivating industry?
- The average employee in the soil preparation, planting, and cultivating industry earns $55K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The soil preparation, planting, and cultivating industry is contracting — losing jobs at a net rate of 5.3% per year. More establishments are closing (11.1%) than opening (9.8%), suggesting market challenges.
Approximately 55% of soil preparation, planting, and cultivating businesses survive their first 5 years. This is near the national average (~50%), with typical business risk. In 2023, 399 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the soil preparation, planting, and cultivating industry earns $54,525/year. This is near the national average of ~$65K. With 3,928 establishments employing 27,639 people, the typical business has about 7 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The soil preparation, planting, and cultivating industry has declined 5% since 2000 (from 4,061 to 3,850 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating revenue with other industries: