Farm Jobs in Nebraska

Nebraska agricultural employment offers diverse opportunities with H-2A temporary worker wages of $19.21/hour (2025, effective December 30, 2024, up 3% from $18.65 in 2024) plus employer-provided housing, transportation, and benefits, while year-round positions in feedlots, packing plants, and ethanol facilities offer stable employment with benefits and advancement potential. The state's agricultural diversity creates employment flexibility spanning intensive irrigated crop production (requiring equipment operators, irrigation technicians, agronomists during April-November growing season), large-scale cattle feeding operations (year-round positions for pen riders, feed mill operators, processing crews earning $17-23/hour with overtime), beef packing plants in Grand Island and Lexington (year-round processing line positions, quality control, maintenance), ethanol biorefineries (24 facilities statewide offering year-round production, maintenance, and quality assurance positions), and Sandhills ranching (traditional cow-calf operations with spring calving, summer grazing, fall weaning cycles). Nebraska's irrigation infrastructure creates unique employment in center pivot system operation and maintenance, with approximately 70% of corn farmers utilizing pivots requiring workers skilled in electrical systems, pivot programming, water management, and mechanical troubleshooting during the critical April-September irrigation season. Feedlot employment provides stable year-round careers with major operations like Blackshirt Feeders (150,000-head capacity) and numerous facilities across the state seeking pen riders monitoring cattle health daily (horseback or ATV), feed mill operators mixing and delivering rations, processing crew members (receiving, vaccinating, implanting new cattle), maintenance workers, and management positions, with proximity to 6 major packing plants and integrated ethanol facilities creating strong demand for skilled livestock workers. Seasonal crop employment peaks during spring planting when precision planters operating GPS-guided systems plant millions of acres in compressed April-May windows requiring equipment operators working 12-16 hour days, and fall harvest (September-November) when combines, grain carts, and semi-trucks work around the clock to harvest corn and soybeans during optimal weather windows--harvest workers with CDL and equipment operation experience command premium wages plus overtime. The state's corn-cattle-ethanol integration creates interconnected employment where crop production feeds both livestock and biorefineries, distillers grains return to feed cattle, and processing facilities handle finished beef, creating diverse job opportunities within single agricultural complexes. Geographic employment centers include the I-80 corridor from Lincoln west through York, Grand Island, Kearney, Lexington, and North Platte (intensive irrigated crops, feedlots, packing plants, ethanol facilities), the Sandhills region centered on Valentine, Ainsworth, and Broken Bow (extensive cattle ranching), and rural communities throughout the Platte Valley where large-scale crop operations employ seasonal and year-round workers. Nebraska agriculture benefits workers through strong farm profitability (2025 projected net farm income $8.42 billion, up 42% from 2024, averaging $172,677 per farm in 2022), modern precision agriculture technology creating demand for skilled operators, lower cost of living in rural communities compared to urban areas, and agricultural support infrastructure including University of Nebraska Extension offices providing training and resources.

Nebraska agricultural employment concentrates geographically in the Platte River Valley I-80 corridor (intensive irrigated crop production, feedlots, packing plants, ethanol facilities from Lincoln west through York, Grand Island, Kearney, Lexington, North Platte), the Sandhills region (extensive cattle ranching centered on Valentine, Ainsworth, Broken Bow, with Cherry, Custer, and Holt counties among nation's top beef cow counties), and rural communities throughout eastern Nebraska (diversified crop-livestock operations). Year-round employment opportunities include feedlot positions (pen riders, feed mill operators, processing crews, maintenance workers at facilities statewide, typically $18-24/hour with benefits and overtime), beef packing plants in Grand Island and Lexington (processing line workers, quality control, sanitation, maintenance, $16-22/hour starting with advancement potential), ethanol biorefineries (24 locations offering plant operators, maintenance technicians, lab workers, $18-26/hour with full benefits), large crop farm positions (equipment operators, mechanics, farm managers on operations farming thousands of acres year-round), dairy operations (milkers, herdsmen, feeders, calf raisers, $16-20/hour starting), and ranch positions in Sandhills (experienced cowboys comfortable with horseback work, cattle handling, isolation, often including housing). Seasonal peak employment occurs during spring planting season (April-May requiring precision planter operators, truck drivers, general laborers working 12-16 hour days during compressed planting windows when soil conditions and weather align), summer irrigation management (May-September needing pivot operators, irrigation technicians, crop scouts), and fall harvest (September-November peak employment for combine operators, grain cart operators, CDL truck drivers, grain elevator workers when corn and soybean harvest creates intense 6-10 week labor demand with extensive overtime opportunities). H-2A temporary agricultural worker positions offer $19.21/hour (2025 rate effective December 30, 2024) with employer-provided housing, transportation between housing and worksites, workers' compensation insurance, and tools/equipment, typically for seasonal periods covering planting through harvest or specific crop operations, recruited through licensed agencies managing visa applications and compliance. Entry-level requirements vary by sector: feedlot positions value livestock handling experience, physical fitness for outdoor work in all weather, mechanical aptitude, willingness to work weekends/holidays, and driver's license; crop operation jobs emphasize equipment operation skills (tractors, planters, combines, or willingness to learn), mechanical troubleshooting ability, valid driver's license (CDL highly valuable for grain hauling, commands premium wages), and capacity for long hours during planting/harvest; ethanol and packing plant positions require reliability, ability to work shifts (including nights and weekends), physical capability for repetitive tasks or heavy lifting, and attention to safety protocols; ranch employment seeks horseback riding ability, cattle working experience, mechanical skills, self-sufficiency in isolated locations, and comfort with traditional ranching lifestyle. Housing logistics present challenges and opportunities: many feedlot and ranch positions include on-site housing (reducing living costs in areas with limited rental availability), H-2A workers receive employer-provided housing meeting federal standards, while local workers in crop production typically arrange housing in small agricultural communities where rental costs ($600-$1,200/month for apartments/houses) remain substantially lower than urban Nebraska or coastal states, though options may be limited requiring early search. Key employment resources include University of Nebraska Extension offices in each county (providing agricultural training, workshops, and industry connections), Nebraska Farm Bureau (networking and educational opportunities), local Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapters and agricultural education programs, community colleges offering agricultural technology and diesel mechanics programs (Northeast Community College, Central Community College, others), and direct contact with large employers advertising positions through company websites and agricultural job boards. Skills most valued across Nebraska agriculture include modern equipment operation (GPS-guided tractors, precision planters, combines with yield monitors, center pivot irrigation systems), mechanical troubleshooting and repair (critical for minimizing downtime during time-sensitive field operations), livestock handling and basic animal health knowledge, CDL with clean driving record (grain hauling, livestock transport), irrigation management and water conservation practices, welding and fabrication, agronomic knowledge or willingness to learn about crop production, and increasingly data analysis and precision agriculture technology skills. Nebraska's climate presents both opportunities and challenges: the growing season averages 130 days (late spring to early fall) with USDA hardiness zones 4-5, though climate change is lengthening the season by 14-17 days per century enabling earlier planting and longer-season corn varieties; workers must prepare for hot humid summers (85-95°F with high humidity during July-August), cold harsh winters (frequent below-zero temperatures, wind chill, snow requiring appropriate cold-weather gear for cattle feeding and outdoor maintenance), and variable spring and fall conditions--successful agricultural workers demonstrate adaptability to weather extremes and commitment to daily livestock care or timely field operations regardless of conditions.