Clearly, farm wages are well above regulatory minimum wage, even in high minimum wage states like New York. USDA’s Economic Research Service measures hourly farm wages (not benefits) twice per year. For 2020, they reported that farm wages were about 60 percent of the value of non-farm wages, up from about 50 percent in 1990. Non-farm wages, however, included both urban and rural employment. Farm wages were likely much more competitive in the rural communities where most farm jobs were found. Nevertheless, farm wages still lag behind nonfarm wages, and farm employers, especially in hot labor markets, must be conscious of the need to compete with other industries for employee talent.