How much do fruit and vegetable canning employees make?

The average fruit and vegetable canning employee earns $65,222 per year ($31.36/hour). This is above the national average of $65,000.

How many people work in the fruit and vegetable canning industry?

The fruit and vegetable canning industry employs 55,694 workers across 1,146 establishments in the United States. The average business has 49 employees.

Fruit and Vegetable Canning — Average Employee Salary

The average employee in the fruit and vegetable canning industry earns $65,222 per year ($31.36/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.

$65,222

Avg Annual Pay

55,694

Total Employees

1,146

Total Establishments

Avg Employees/Business

What Do Fruit and Vegetable Canning Workers Earn?

At $65,222/year (equivalent to $31.36/hour for a full-time worker), fruit and vegetable canning wages are near the national average of ~$65,000.

The typical fruit and vegetable canning business employs 49 people. These are larger operations where staffing represents a major cost center and management complexity.

Wages as a Percentage of Revenue

14.2%

For the average fruit and vegetable canning business generating $22.5M/year with 49 employees at $65,222 each, total payroll represents roughly 14.2% of revenue. Labor costs are relatively low compared to revenue — other costs (materials, equipment, overhead) dominate.

What This Means for Business Owners

If you're starting or running a fruit and vegetable canningbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:

Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $84,789/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
Typical team size: 49 employees = ~$3,195,878/year in base payroll.
Hourly equivalent: $31.36/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
Revenue needed: With average revenue of $22.5M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.

See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.

View full Fruit and Vegetable Canning revenue benchmarks →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do fruit and vegetable canning employees make?: The average fruit and vegetable canning employee earns $65,222 per year, which is equivalent to $31.36/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is above the national average of approximately $65,000.
How many people work in the fruit and vegetable canning industry?: The fruit and vegetable canning industry employs 55,694 workers across 1,146 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 49 employees.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).