Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse Salary in Merced, CA
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse in the Merced, CA metro area earn a median $36,350 a year — 2% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $30,471 take-home, or $2,539 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse salary in Merced, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,182
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,254
- Medicare (1.45%)$527
- California income tax$443
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$473
- Take-home pay$30,471
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse pay by experience in Merced, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $34,350 | $16.51 | $28,970 | $2,414 |
| 25th percentile | $35,100 | $16.88 | $29,533 | $2,461 |
| Median (50th) | $36,350 | $17.48 | $30,471 | $2,539 |
| 75th percentile | $46,220 | $22.22 | $37,879 | $3,157 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $51,920 | $24.96 | $42,058 | $3,505 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $36,350 buys in Merced, CA
Prices in Merced, CA are 1.7% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 21% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse's $30,471 take-home pay has the buying power of $31,006 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Merced, CA has 28.1× the national concentration of farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse, adjusted for cost of living
Merced, CA ranks #6 of 21 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kennewick, WA | $42,340 | $36,200 | $36,172 |
| 2 | Yakima, WA | $39,070 | $33,573 | $35,138 |
| 3 | Napa, CA | $44,370 | $36,490 | $32,420 |
| 4 | Yuma, AZ | $34,610 | $29,333 | $31,640 |
| 5 | El Centro, CA | $35,140 | $29,563 | $31,062 |
| 6 | Merced, CA | $36,350 | $30,471 | $31,006 |
| 7 | Modesto, CA | $37,850 | $31,597 | $30,350 |
| 8 | Hanford, CA | $35,890 | $30,126 | $29,648 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 21 metros →
About the job: farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse
Manually plant, cultivate, and harvest vegetables, fruits, nuts, horticultural specialties, and field crops. Use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives. Duties may include tilling soil and applying fertilizers; transplanting, weeding, thinning, or pruning crops; applying pesticides; or cleaning, grading, sorting, packing, and loading harvested products. May construct trellises, repair fences and farm buildings, or participate in irrigation activities.
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- -2.4% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse salaries elsewhere in California
- Napa, CA — $44,370
- El Centro, CA — $35,140
- Modesto, CA — $37,850
- Hanford, CA — $35,890
- Visalia, CA — $34,800
- Bakersfield, CA — $34,620
- Sacramento, CA — $36,520
- Fresno, CA — $34,610
Frequently asked questions
How much does a farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse make in Merced, CA?
The median farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse salary in the Merced, CA metro area is $36,350 a year, or about $17.48 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $35,100 and $46,220.
What is a farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse’s take-home pay in Merced, CA?
On the median $36,350 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $30,471 a year ($2,539 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $916 in California taxes in 2026.
Is Merced, CA a good place to work as a farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse?
Pay here is 2% above the national median of $35,660. Local prices are 1.7% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $31,006 would in a typical U.S. city. Merced, CA ranks #6 of 21 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse afford rent in Merced, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Merced, CA is $1,213 a month ($1,503 for two bedrooms) — 48% of a median farmworkers and laborers, crop, nursery, and greenhouse’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.