<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4FkN7P_0vtcnE8K00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4FkN7P_0vtcnE8K00" width="980" height="653" ><figcaption>Canva</figcaption></figure>I will be the first person to admit that I don't know very much about farming. I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it only took a 10-minute car ride for me to get to US Bank Stadium to watch the Vikes play.I have family members who are farmers and that's as close to farming as I've ever got..aka basically zero. There is probably something I do not understand after finding out some information about how much Iowa farm hands/farm workers are paid each year.I've been really into the show Yellowstone for the past month after never seeing a single episode for the first 5 seasons. One of the most interesting parts of the show is the friendship between all of the ranch hands on the show. Since Iowa is mostly known for farming, I was curious where Iowa ranks for states that pay farm hands the most. I figured it would be somewhere near the best in the country and I found out that it's in the top 10...but not the top 5.*A farm hand is defined as "a worker on the farm" or someone who works for a farm if you are unsure of what a farm hand is.*<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2Uk5CE_0vtcnE8K00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2Uk5CE_0vtcnE8K00" width="1250" height="833" ><figcaption>Unsplash - Zoe Schaeffer</figcaption></figure><h2>States That Pay Farm Hands the Most</h2>The Iowa Hawkeyes, corn, and hogs, are 3 different things that the outside world associates Iowa with the most. Every Iowan knows that our state produces the most corn and we have more hogs than people. With farming/agriculture being one of Iowa's largest industries, I assumed Iowa would be near the top in how much farm hands make.The top 5 states where farm hands are paid the best, according to <a href="https://www.zippia.com/farm-hand-jobs/best-states/">Zippia</a> are;<ul><li>5 - Nebraska with an average annual salary of $32,770</li><li>4 - Idaho with an average annual salary of $34,158</li><li>3 - Minnesota with an average annual salary of 34,839</li><li>2 - Montana with an average annual salary of $38,144</li><li>1 - North Dakota with an average annual salary of $40,049</li></ul>Iowa doesn't show up until spot 6, with an average annual salary of $32,567Source: <a href="https://www.zippia.com/">Zippia.com</a><h2>Key Factors</h2>If you look at the map, you may have noticed I have some of the states in the top 5 in a different order. I based my top 5 purely on salary alone. <a href="https://www.zippia.com/farm-hand-jobs/best-states/">Zippia</a> also factored in farm hand job opportunities, so while some states may pay farm hands more, Zippia also factored in how many jobs were available, thus their top 5 is in a slightly different order than mine.I have a few guesses as to why one of the biggest farming states in the country wouldn't be in the top 5 for annual salary for farm hands and if you are more familiar with why this is the case, let me know in the comments. I might be way off.Family Farms - is it possible that a lot of the farms in Iowa are family farms where they don't go out to hire people for work? If you have a husband/wife or family members who can handle the work themselves, why would they need to pay anyone to help them?If they get through the day-to-day farm operations themselves, they likely aren't paying someone an annual salary. They might pay someone for doing a few days or weeks' worth of work here or there but paying someone year-round can be a huge expense.Farming Technology - Once again, I don't know a ton about farming but farming technology has continued to grow and expand just like everything else in the world. Farmers in 2024 have more access than ever before in using technology to make certain jobs easier, faster, and less costly in the long run. If farmers can use technology to do 3,4, or 5 jobs, farm workers might not be as necessary as they used to.Labor Shortage - According to <a href="https://www.edengreen.com/blog-collection/farm-labor-crisis#:~:text=Many%20factors%20cause%20the%20current,find%20the%20workers%20they%20need.">Eden Green</a>, "Farm labor shortages are a big problem in the United States. Some factors involved include an aging workforce and declining immigration from rural Mexico. Farmworkers' children leaving the family business also contribute to the shortage. These factors make it hard for farmers to find enough workers to help with operations."It's pretty hard to pay farm workers if there aren't any...Those are my 3 guesses for the biggest reasons Iowa doesn't crack the top 5 in the highest annual salary for farm hands but I'm sure there are plenty more reasons that play a factor. I was just surprised to not find one of the biggest farming states at or near the top.Do you know any other reasons that might factor into why Iowa does crack the top 5? Let us know in the comments!<h2>LOOK: Most common jobs 150 years ago in Iowa</h2><a href="https://stacker.com/iowa/most-common-jobs-150-years-ago-iowa">Stacker</a> compiled a list of the most common jobs in Iowa 150 years ago using data transcribed from the 1870 U.S. Census.</div></body>

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Surprising: I Thought Iowa Farm Hands Would Make More?

I will be the first person to admit that I don't know very much about farming. I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it only took a 10-minute car ride for me to get to US Bank Stadium to watch the Vikes play. I have family members who are farmers...