Since 2005, the agriculture industry has seen a declining trend in the availability of U.S. farm workers. To find relief, ag employers have turned to the H-2A guest worker visa program to overcome ongoing seasonal worker shortages. The H-2A program allows agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of U.S. workers to bring nonimmigrant foreign workers to the U.S. to perform jobs that are temporary or seasonal in nature. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the number of positions filled by nonimmigrant H-2A seasonal workers has increased more than fivefold in the past 15 years across the U.S.
Adverse Effect Wage Rate
When employing foreign seasonal workers through the 
H-2A program, employers must pay, at minimum, the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) in order to not adversely affect the employment opportunities of U.S. workers. The AEWR is set annually for each individual state by the U.S Department of Labor (DOL). It is equal to or higher than the minimum or prevailing wage. According to the 2021 AEWR, minimum hourly wage for H-2A seasonal workers in the U.S. ranged from $11.81 to $16.34. These figures place the median hourly pay around $14.27, up from $10.55 in 2011 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Monthly Labor Review publication.
By 2030, it is anticipated that even with limited employment growth, the agriculture industry will have had to fill over 130,000 openings, on average, each year due to change in occupations by workers or workers leaving the labor force for retirement. With a declining trend in U.S. farm workers and increased usage of the H-2A program, the AEWR has begun to indirectly set the wage standard for U.S. agricultural employers.
Under the H-2A program, employers must post job openings, with hourly wage included, to allow opportunity for U.S. workers to apply. To stay competitive in the labor market, agricultural employers not utilizing the H-2A program will want to stay informed regarding the current AEWR.
H-2A Assistance
For additional information regarding the H-2A program, visit fewaglobal.org or call 979-245-7577. FEWA is an internationally recognized nonprofit trade association created to assist employers in labor-intensive service industries throughout the United States navigate the H-2A and H-2B guest worker visa programs.