Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the soil preparation, planting, and cultivating industry earns $54,525 per year ($26.21/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating Workers Earn?
At $54,525/year (equivalent to $26.21/hour for a full-time worker), soil preparation, planting, and cultivating 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 soil preparation, planting, and cultivating business employs 7 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average soil preparation, planting, and cultivating business generating $1.5M/year with 7 employees at $54,525 each, total payroll represents roughly 25.0% 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 soil preparation, planting, and cultivatingbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $70,883/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 7 employees = ~$381,675/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $26.21/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $1.5M/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 Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do soil preparation, planting, and cultivating employees make?
- The average soil preparation, planting, and cultivating employee earns $54,525 per year, which is equivalent to $26.21/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 soil preparation, planting, and cultivating industry?
- The soil preparation, planting, and cultivating industry employs 27,639 workers across 3,928 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 7 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).