How to hire a Grower

How to hire a grower, step by step

Here's a step-by-step grower hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a grower job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new grower
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a Grower do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the grower you need to hire. Certain grower roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine Employee vs Contractor Status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect grower also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of growers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type Of Grower	Description	Hourly Rate
   Grower	Agricultural workers maintain the quality of farms, crops, and livestock by operating machinery and doing physical labor under the supervision of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers.	$10-29
   Garden Center Employee	Garden center employees are nursery works working in a greenhouse or outdoors. The tasks of employees include planting, growing, watering, and pruning... Show More	$9-20

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Harvest
   • Cleanliness
   • Pesticide Applications
   • Marijuana
   • Greenhouse Environment
   • IPM
   • Pest Management
   • Disease Control
   • EC
   • Plant Maintenance
   • Plant Care
   • Greenhouse Operations
   • Hydroponic
   • Computer System

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage controlled environments and greenhouses for research on corn, soy, and wheat plants.
   • Provide back-up for lab crew with assisting in PCR, DNA extraction, seed plating and stocking solutions.
   • Work on plants, clone, up pot, feed, water.
   • Propagate cannabis plants from seed and clone.
   • Supervise the safety and cleanliness of the work environment.
   • Create hanging baskets and planters for sales and special orders.

   More Grower duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your grower job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A grower salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a grower in Mississippi may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level grower usually earns less than a senior-level grower. Additionally, a grower with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average grower salary

   $36,332yearly

   $17.47 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level grower salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated March 29, 2025

   Average grower salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	Alaska	$44,053	$21
   2	Pennsylvania	$35,504	$17
   3	Minnesota	$35,451	$17
   4	New York	$34,670	$17
   5	California	$32,441	$16
   6	Hawaii	$28,543	$14
   7	Washington	$28,161	$14
   8	Arizona	$26,356	$13
   9	Florida	$24,661	$12
   10	Nevada	$22,750	$11

   Average grower salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Cornell University	$67,753	$32.57	4
   2	Sparrow Health System	$60,794	$29.23
   3	Syngenta	$43,711	$21.01	2
   4	Belcan	$40,982	$19.70
   5	B&W Quality Growers	$39,463	$18.97
   6	Wagner Greenhouses	$38,840	$18.67
   7	E. & J. Gallo Winery	$37,897	$18.22
   8	HealthTrust	$37,810	$18.18
   9	VCA Animal Hospitals	$36,157	$17.38
   10	Mariani Landscape	$33,169	$15.95
   11	Speedling Incorporated	$32,848	$15.79
   12	MetrolinaGreenhouses	$32,773	$15.76
   13	California	$32,460	$15.61
   14	AppHarvest	$32,460	$15.61
   15	Curaleaf	$32,458	$15.60
   16	The Medicus Firm	$32,211	$15.49
   17	Jackson Family Wines	$32,036	$15.40
   18	Bailey Nurseries	$32,028	$15.40
   19	Gotham Greens	$32,017	$15.39
   20	BrightFarms	$31,547	$15.17

4. Writing a Grower Job Description

   A good grower job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a grower job description:

   Grower job description example

   At BrightFarms, we exist for two reasons - People and our Planet. We use state of the art indoor farming techniques to produce pesticide free leafy greens that are insanely fresh and delicious. We are dedicated to our mission of reducing the environmental impact of food and serving the local communities where we grow so our supply chain is simple and easy to trace AND we hire great people and treat the very well! Our Agriculture department is looking to add a Head Grower to our team. This job is located at our
   Wilmington, Ohio location! In this role you will: • Greenhouse Environment: The Grower will be responsible for managing all environmental controls of the greenhouse using Priva greenhouse environmental control software. The grower will work closely with BrightFarms Director of Agriculture to determine ideal computer set points and ensure proper conditions are achieved.
   • Pond Environment: The Grower will be responsible for controlling all parameters related to the maintenance of healthy and productive production ponds. Fertility and pH management, thermal management, pond aeration, pond sanitation, and pond mechanicals will be the responsibility of the Grower.
   • Greenhouse IPM : The Grower will be responsible for ensuring the product is free of insect pest and disease. They will work closely with the Director of Agriculture to develop, implement, and maintain a biologically based IPM program and any chemical applications required. All scouting and record keeping will be the responsibility of the grower. The Grower will be required to get a pesticide license for the District of Columbia.
   • R&D: The Grower will work closely with the BrightFarms Product Manager and Director of Agriculture to design, implement and track R&D projects to increase and optimize yields of existing products, and to develop new products for the BrightFarms sales portfolio.
   • Production: The Grower will support the General Manager and will be accountable for revenue, for operating expenses, for quality and for the operation of the facility. This includes production (WIP and people) planning and reporting, plant performance, labor management, balancing inputs, throughput & demand, and facilities maintenance.
   • Cleanliness & Food Safety: The Grower will support the General Manager and will be accountable for maintaining a neat and orderly greenhouse facility. The Grower will work closely with the General Manger to ensure that the food safety program meets all compliance requirements.
   •Lead: The Grower will work closely the General Manager and with the BrightFarms Director of Agriculture and other members of the management team to (a) develop and execute the strategies to achieve BrightFarms’ mission and (b) lead BrightFarmers to enable them to execute the strategies to achieve BrightFarms’ mission. The ideal candidate has: Required Qualifications
   •Qualified candidates should possess a minimum of a 4-year degree in horticulture and or related sciences.
   •Candidates should have a minimum of 5 years of experience in commercial production of plants using soilless culture in environmentally controlled greenhouses. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in controlled environment agriculture and hydroponic production of food crops. Priva experience a plus. Experience with biological control agents (BCA’s) and knowledge of IPM required. Successful candidates will have strong knowledge of nutrient management and hydroponic nutrient solutions. Preferred Qualifications
   Candidates with proven experience managing/ leading a staff in a production environment are preferred
   
   Key Values & Characteristics of Candidates:
   Authentically Green. Candidates must sincerely care about leading the movement to improve the environmental impact of the food supply chain. Candidates must be passionate about creating a healthier planet, environment, and food supply. The background and experience of candidates should reflect a true passion for improving the way we feed Americans.
   •Drive to Succeed. Candidates must have hunger and ambition and must get out of bed and want to strongly perform every day, internally motivated. Candidates must demand excellence and strive to achieve greatness. Candidates should have a high clock speed and imbue energy in those around them.
   •Humility & Integrity. Candidates must have personal humility and must want the organization to succeed (not focusing solely on personal success). Candidates must care about people and clients and be strong team players. Candidates must possess the highest degree of integrity and must project the proper image of BrightFarms.
   •Productive. Colleagues and clients should be quick to describe candidates as famous for getting things done. We exist for the health of the planet and people - all new hires must be fully vaccinated against Covid -19 by their start date. Come grow with us - the future is BRIGHT!

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right grower for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with growers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit growers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your grower job on Zippia to find and recruit grower candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with grower candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new grower

   Once you have selected a candidate for the grower position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new grower. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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