Fruit and Vegetable Markets — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the fruit and vegetable markets industry earns $36,852 per year ($17.72/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Fruit and Vegetable Markets Workers Earn?
At $36,852/year (equivalent to $17.72/hour for a full-time worker), fruit and vegetable markets wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.
Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.
The typical fruit and vegetable markets business employs 11 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average fruit and vegetable markets business generating $1.6M/year with 11 employees at $36,852 each, total payroll represents roughly 25.6% 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 marketsbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $47,908/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 11 employees = ~$405,372/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $17.72/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $1.6M/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 Markets revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do fruit and vegetable markets employees make?
- The average fruit and vegetable markets employee earns $36,852 per year, which is equivalent to $17.72/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the fruit and vegetable markets industry?
- The fruit and vegetable markets industry employs 36,410 workers across 3,433 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 11 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).