What are some average wheat harvest wages?

Question

a friend of mine is talking about going on the wheat harvest this year. he is in his mid thirties and has farmed all his life. he sold his farm last year and is in need of a job. he has a class A commercial drivers license and lots of experience operating all types of farm machinery. we have been looking on the web and have found a handful of harvesters looking to hire help. but before he applies he would like to have an idea of what he might get paid. can anyone enlighten us?

Answer 1

I am assuming he is just looking for work and not trying to "custom cut" which necessitates you having your own combine.  If you bring your own machinery to harvest the crop you usually work out a deal to take a certain percentage of the yield.  I do not farm but my father does and my grandfather also farmed in the mississippi delta.  Down here your friend would be paid an hourly wage probably anywhere from $8 to $15 per hour depending on his responsibility.  Just working the harvest season and not being full time his wage would be closer to the $8 per hour.

Answer 2

In Ontario, most farm work is paid less than minimum wage when working by the hour. We grow a moderate amount of pastry wheat (winter-annual)  but almost no spring planted wheat. We do not usually  employ off farm labour for its harvest.

Answer 3

dont know about the harvest crews but in my area general farm labor ranges from 9 to 12 dollars per hour and some pay salary which i perfer salary consist of 350 dollars a week plus a house utilities and the use of a farm truck we average about 58 hours a week for that salary normally we get more dependable labor with the salary worker over those who want to work by the hour

Answer 4

Well, at least in my country, Argentina, a combine driver gets paid the 10% of the combine's invoicing.