Iowa custom farm work rates
143 rates from the 2026 Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey (A3-10), Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
Range excludes the single lowest and highest response. Original PDF
Jobs with detail pages
Hay and forage
Round hay baling
2 survey rates · from $13.15 avg
Hay and forage
Hay mowing and conditioning
3 survey rates · from $15.45 avg
Spraying and fertilizer
Ground spraying
5 survey rates · from $8.50 avg
Spraying and fertilizer
Aerial application
3 survey rates · from $12.00 avg
Spraying and fertilizer
Anhydrous ammonia application
3 survey rates · from $13.45 avg
Planting
Drilling small grains and soybeans
5 survey rates · from $19.05 avg
Tillage
Disking
2 survey rates · from $19.80 avg
Tillage
Subsoiling and ripping
3 survey rates · from $25.20 avg
Harvest
Grain hauling
20 survey rates · from $0.05 avg
Every Iowa rate in the survey
Shown as published. Low/high left blank where the survey doesn't publish them.
Tillage (21)
| Job (survey wording) | Unit | Low | Avg | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chopping cornstalks | per acre | $8.00 | $14.55 | $20.00 |
| Moldboard plowing | per acre | $14.00 | $20.10 | $24.00 |
| Chisel plowing | per acre | $10.00 | $20.75 | $28.00 |
| Vertical tillage | per acre | $12.00 | $22.15 | $30.00 |
| Strip tillage - without fertilizer application | per acre | $15.00 | $23.20 | $30.00 |
| Strip tillage - with dry bulk fertilizer, banded, no materials | per acre | $17.00 | $29.65 | $40.00 |
| Strip tillage - with liquid fertilizer, knifed, no materials | per acre | $17.00 | $28.15 | $39.00 |
| Strip tillage - with anhydrous fertilizer, no materials | per acre | $17.00 | $28.35 | $37.00 |
| Subsoiling (8 to 15 inches deep) | per acre | $13.00 | $25.20 | $35.00 |
| V-ripping (over 15 inches deep) | per acre | $15.00 | $27.20 | $40.00 |
| V-ripping with tandem disk | per acre | $12.25 | $26.10 | $40.00 |
| Disking, tandem | per acre | $10.00 | $19.80 | $30.00 |
| Disking, heavy or offset | per acre | $16.00 | $23.75 | $30.00 |
| Harrowing or dragging | per acre | $7.00 | $12.80 | $18.00 |
| Soil finishing | per acre | $10.00 | $19.80 | $33.00 |
| Field cultivating | per acre | $7.60 | $19.20 | $32.00 |
| Rock picking | per acre | $10.00 | $18.50 | $30.00 |
| Cultivating, conventional | per acre | $12.00 | $17.45 | $20.00 |
| Cultivating, ridge-till | per acre | $15.00 | $17.35 | $18.75 |
| Rotary hoeing | per acre | $8.00 | $12.85 | $17.00 |
| Land rolling | per acre | $4.00 | $9.75 | $18.00 |
Planting, Drilling, and Seeding (19)
| Job (survey wording) | Unit | Low | Avg | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planting - with fertilizer and insecticide attachments | per acre | $16.00 | $29.60 | $50.00 |
| Planting - without attachments | per acre | $15.00 | $26.50 | $38.00 |
| Planting - with splitters and attachments | per acre | $13.00 | $28.50 | $47.00 |
| Planting - with high-speed planter | per acre | $14.00 | $31.25 | $56.00 |
| Planting - no-till planter | per acre | $15.00 | $29.10 | $46.00 |
| Planting - no-till planter with splitters | per acre | $16.00 | $30.00 | $45.00 |
| Planting - ridge till planter | per acre | $24.00 | $28.45 | $34.00 |
| Extra charge for seed shut-offs | per acre | $0.50 | $3.75 | $10.00 |
| Extra charge for variable rate seeding | per acre | $1.00 | $3.90 | $10.00 |
| Extra charge for GPS use, if used for analytics | per acre | $1.00 | $3.65 | $10.00 |
| Seed tender | per acre | $2.00 | $5.05 | $10.00 |
| Drilling soybean | per acre | $14.00 | $22.00 | $28.00 |
| Drilling soybean, no-till | per acre | $15.00 | $24.15 | $32.00 |
| Drilling grass seed | per acre | $10.00 | $21.80 | $30.00 |
| Drilling small grain | per acre | $10.00 | $19.45 | $27.00 |
| Seeding grass, broadcast with tractor | per acre | $8.00 | $15.65 | $25.00 |
| Seeding grass, broadcast with ATV | per acre | $10.00 | $18.65 | $30.00 |
| Aerial seeding of cover crop | per acre | $10.00 | $14.70 | $18.00 |
| Drilling cover crop seed | per acre | $9.00 | $19.05 | $25.00 |
Spraying (materials not included) (8)
| Job (survey wording) | Unit | Low | Avg | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground, broadcast, not incorporated, tractor | per acre | $5.00 | $8.50 | $14.00 |
| Ground, incorporated, tractor | per acre | $7.00 | $12.30 | $18.00 |
| Ground, broadcast, not incorporated, self-propelled | per acre | $5.00 | $9.35 | $18.00 |
| Ground, broadcast, self-propelled tall-crop | per acre | $6.00 | $11.15 | $20.00 |
| Ground, banded, tractor | per acre | $8.50 | $12.20 | $16.00 |
| Ground, road ditches | per hour | $25.00 | $90.45 | $145 |
| Aerial | per acre | $9.00 | $12.00 | $18.00 |
| Drone | per acre | $8.00 | $12.50 | $16.00 |
Fertilizer Application* (materials not included) (8)
| Job (survey wording) | Unit | Low | Avg | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry bulk - applied | per acre | $4.00 | $8.15 | $13.50 |
| Liquid - spraying | per acre | $5.00 | $9.45 | $15.00 |
| Liquid - side dressing | per acre | $9.00 | $14.10 | $20.00 |
| Liquid - high clearance, drop hose, Y spray nozzle | per acre | $8.00 | $13.25 | $20.00 |
| Anhydrous - injecting, with tool bar | per acre | $7.00 | $15.55 | $28.00 |
| Anhydrous - injecting, without tool bar | per acre | $8.00 | $13.45 | $20.00 |
| Anhydrous - side dressing | per acre | $8.00 | $13.55 | $18.00 |
| Spreading lime | per ton | $5.00 | $8.30 | $14.00 |
Harvesting, Drying, and Hauling Grain (21)
| Job (survey wording) | Unit | Low | Avg | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corn combining | per acre | $25.00 | $46.05 | $80.00 |
| Combining with chopper head | per acre | $25.00 | $50.60 | $80.00 |
| Combining added charge for corn reel (downed corn) | per acre | $5.00 | $12.55 | $30.00 |
| Soybean combining | per acre | $24.00 | $43.05 | $70.00 |
| Combining with air reel | per acre | $26.00 | $47.00 | $70.00 |
| Combining with draper head | per acre | $24.00 | $48.20 | $80.00 |
| Small grain combining | per acre | $35.00 | $47.00 | $65.00 |
| Complete harvesting (combine, grain cart, haul to farm storage) - Corn | per acre | $40.00 | $82.00 | $175 |
| Complete harvesting (combine, grain cart, haul to farm storage) - Soybean | per acre | $32.00 | $77.40 | $175 |
| Added charge for GPS mapping | per acre | $1.00 | $3.95 | $8.00 |
| Picking ear corn | per acre | $30.00 | $49.70 | $100 |
| Drying corn (includes fuel, electricity, labor) - continuous flow dryer | per point per bushel | $0.03 | $0.06 | $0.09 |
| Drying corn (includes fuel, electricity, labor) - bin dryer | per point per bushel | $0.03 | $0.05 | $0.06 |
| Handling grain by auger | per bushel | $0.02 | $0.09 | $0.16 |
| Hauling grain - grain cart, corn | per acre | $3.00 | $9.25 | $22.00 |
| Hauling grain - grain cart, soybean | per acre | $2.00 | $8.10 | $19.00 |
| Hauling grain - to farm storage, wagon | per bushel | $0.04 | $0.10 | $0.15 |
| Hauling grain - farm storage to market, wagon | per bushel | $0.05 | $0.13 | $0.24 |
| Hauling grain - to market, truck, (5 miles, 1-way trip) | per bushel | $0.06 | $0.14 | $0.50 |
| Hauling grain - to market, truck, (25 miles, 1-way trip) | per bushel | $0.09 | $0.20 | $0.35 |
| Hauling grain - to market, truck, (100 miles, 1-way trip) | per bushel | $0.18 | $0.41 | $0.65 |
Harvesting Forages (19)
| Job (survey wording) | Unit | Low | Avg | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hay - mowing | per acre | $9.50 | $15.45 | $21.00 |
| Hay - mowing with conditioning | per acre | $10.00 | $17.30 | $25.00 |
| Hay - raking | per acre | $7.50 | $9.90 | $15.00 |
| Hay - merging | per acre | $8.00 | $12.40 | $13.00 |
| Hay - tedding | per acre | $8.00 | $11.85 | $15.00 |
| Swathing hay or small grain | per acre | $15.00 | $18.00 | $22.00 |
| Hay baling - small square bales | per bale | $0.50 | $1.00 | $1.50 |
| Hay baling - large square bales | per bale | $13.00 | $14.90 | $18.00 |
| Hay baling - large round bales without wrap | per bale | $10.00 | $13.15 | $20.00 |
| Hay baling - large round bales with wrap | per bale | $12.00 | $15.75 | $20.00 |
| Straw or corn stalk baling - large round or square bales without wrap | per bale | $10.00 | $14.50 | $20.00 |
| Straw or corn stalk baling - large round or square bales with wrap | per bale | $12.00 | $16.85 | $20.00 |
| Moving large round bales to storage | per bale | $1.50 | $3.25 | $5.00 |
| Haul round bales by truck or trailer | per bale / loaded mile | $0.18 | $0.29 | $0.38 |
| Haul round bales by truck or trailer | per hour | $90.00 | $118 | $150 |
| Silage - chopping | per hour / head row | $50.00 | $77.40 | $98.00 |
| Silage - chopping | per ton | $7.00 | $9.20 | $12.00 |
| Filling silage bags | per foot of bag | $9.00 | $11.30 | $15.00 |
| Earlage or snaplage - chopping | per acre | $65.00 | $84.75 | $100 |
(labor, fuel, and equipment included) (29)
| Job (survey wording) | Unit | Low | Avg | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Removing snow (loader) | per hour | $50.00 | $114 | $200 |
| Removing snow (blade) | per hour / foot of blade | $12.50 | $14.25 | $16.70 |
| Removing snow (blower) | per hour / foot of blower | $4.15 | $16.95 | $27.80 |
| Tub grinding hay | per hour | $100 | $274 | $425 |
| Spreading liquid manure, injected | per 1,000 gallon | $11.00 | $18.15 | $29.00 |
| Applying liquid manure with drag line | per 1,000 gallon | $12.50 | $16.85 | $21.00 |
| Loading, spreading solid manure | per ton | $5.00 | $7.20 | $9.00 |
| Power washing | per hour | $50.00 | $78.85 | $100 |
| Building fence, barbed (no materials) | per hour | $35.00 | $42.70 | $50.00 |
| Scouting crops | per acre | $4.00 | $6.65 | $9.50 |
| GPS grid soil testing | per acre | $3.00 | $7.95 | $12.50 |
| Managing stored grain | per bushel | $0.03 | $0.08 | $0.12 |
| Vacuuming grain | per bushel | $0.05 | $0.12 | $0.20 |
| Livestock hauling with semi-truck | per loaded mile | $3.50 | $4.70 | $5.75 |
| Bulldozing | per hour / foot of blade | $12.00 | $17.55 | $22.50 |
| Trenching | per foot | $1.25 | $1.60 | $2.00 |
| Tiling, tiling machine (excluding materials) | per foot | $1.05 | $1.70 | $2.30 |
| Tiling, tile plow (excluding materials) | per foot | $0.50 | $1.15 | $1.75 |
| Backhoeing | per hour | $70.00 | $129 | $200 |
| Clearing land | per hour | $100 | $162 | $225 |
| Building ponds | per hour | $125 | $162 | $210 |
| Chain sawing | per hour | $50.00 | $89.15 | $120 |
| Welding machinery | per hour | $40.00 | $83.85 | $110 |
| Mowing CRP or pasture | per acre | $12.00 | $27.05 | $50.00 |
| Controlled burning of grass, CRP, pasture | per acre | $20.00 | $33.35 | $60.00 |
| Mowing fence rows, ditches | per hour | $20.00 | $103 | $150 |
| Mowing lawns | per hour | $20.00 | $56.65 | $100 |
| Chopping brush | per acre | $25.00 | $106 | $200 |
| Using truck scale | per load weighed | $5.00 | $11.15 | $19.25 |
harvesting, and hauling to farm, no drying) (3)
| Job (survey wording) | Unit | Low | Avg | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corn | per acre | $74.50 | $178 | $375 |
| Soybean | per acre | $65.00 | $162 | $353 |
| Small grain | per acre | $70.00 | $186 | $290 |
Farm Labor Wages for Operating Machinery (2)
| Job (survey wording) | Unit | Low | Avg | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spraying or harvesting | per hour | $15.00 | $24.45 | $40.00 |
| Other operations | per hour | $15.00 | $22.95 | $40.00 |
Bin Rental Rates (2)
| Job (survey wording) | Unit | Low | Avg | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storing grain, bin rental | per bushel / month | $0.01 | $0.03 | $0.06 |
| Storing grain, bin rental | per bushel / year | $0.10 | $0.19 | $0.45 |
(operator labor, tractor, and fuel not included) (11)
| Job (survey wording) | Unit | Low | Avg | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tractor | per horsepower / hour | $0.14 | $0.34 | $0.50 |
| Corn head for combine | per acre | $5.00 | $11.60 | $20.00 |
| Soybean head for combine | per acre | $5.00 | $13.45 | $20.00 |
| Grain cart with auger, corn | per acre | $6.00 | $6.70 | $12.00 |
| Grain cart with auger, soybean | per acre | $5.00 | $5.85 | $10.00 |
| Grain truck (semi) | per bushel / round trip | $0.18 | $0.20 | $0.22 |
| Grain auger | per bushel | $0.05 | $0.08 | $0.12 |
| Grain vacuum | per bushel | $0.07 | $0.10 | $0.13 |
| Skid loader | per hour | $80.00 | $97.50 | $120 |
| Dry bulk fertilizer applicator | per acre | $5.00 | $7.05 | $9.00 |
| Anhydrous fertilizer applicator | per acre | $3.00 | $9.50 | $15.00 |
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