H-2A Jobs in Illinois (FY2026): Employers & Wages
In FY2026 (through Q2), the Department of Labor certified 2,047 H-2A positions for worksites in Illinois — #29 among all states — across 268 employer applications. The median offered wage was $18.75/hour (middle half of offers: $15.48–$18.75).
Hiring season
85% of certified positions in Illinois start in March, February or April, and a typical season runs about 9 months. Employers file with the DOL a median of 61 days before the start date — so openings for a March start typically show up on SeasonalJobs.dol.gov around January.
Top H-2A employers in Illinois
| Employer | Worksite city | Positions | Median wage | Main occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alewelt Concrete Inc. | Mcleansboro | 120 | $20.26/hr | Construction Laborers |
| Goebbert Family Farms LLC | Union | 86 | $17.98/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Professional Swine Employment, LLC | Table Grove | 80 | $19.41/hr | Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers |
| Flamm Orchards Inc | Cobden | 79 | $15.48/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Del Norte Harvesting, LLC | Albers | 72 | $15.48/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Hoffmann Heimos Greenhouse LLC | Millstadt | 70 | $15.48/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Altman Specialty Plants, LLC - IL | Granville | 70 | $29.44/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Agrico Labor LLC | St. Charles | 69 | $17.12/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Frey Brothers | Keenes | 61 | $15.48/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Bailey Nurseries Services, Inc. | Onarga | 37 | $17/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Eckert’s Inc | Belleville | 35 | $15.5/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Effingham Equity | Effingham | 35 | $18.75/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| Goodmark Nurseries, LLC | Wonder Lake | 32 | $15.48/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Southern Builders, LLC | Chana | 30 | $28.21/hr | Helpers, Construction Trades, All Other |
| Wilson Nurseries Inc | Hampshire | 26 | $15.48/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Milieu Design LLC | Lake Zurich | 24 | $15.48/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| McClure Ag Service, Inc. | Kirkwood | 24 | $24.09/hr | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers |
| AB Ag Services, LLC | Monticello | 24 | $17.12/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| D. Dowson Farms | Pawnee | 23 | $18.75/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| H2A Complete II, Inc. (RBG P3) | St Elmo | 21 | $15.48/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Farm Labor Management Services, Inc. | Bartelso | 20 | $15.48/hr | Helpers--Carpenters |
| Wolke Nursery LLC | Sigel | 20 | $15.5/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| South Central FS, Inc | Effingham | 20 | $18.75/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
| Bonnie Plants, LLC- 26-1 | Ottowa | 17 | $15.48/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| GDM Seeds, Inc. | Gibson City | 16 | $18.75/hr | Agricultural Equipment Operators |
What the jobs are
| Occupation | Positions |
|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 1,023 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 618 |
| Construction Laborers | 144 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 94 |
| Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers | 51 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 44 |
| Helpers, Construction Trades, All Other | 25 |
| Helpers--Carpenters | 20 |
| Light Truck Drivers | 11 |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse. | 4 |
Where: Cobden (91) · Union (86) · Table Grove (80) · Millstadt (74) · Granville (70) · St. Charles (69) · Keenes (61) · Effingham (55).
How people get these jobs
The H-2A visa lets U.S. employers hire foreign workers for temporary agricultural work — planting, harvesting, packing, nursery and greenhouse work, livestock and dairy. The employer, not the worker, starts the process: they must first offer the job to U.S. workers, get the Department of Labor certification shown on this page, and then petition USCIS for the visas.
Every certified opening must be posted publicly on the DOL's official registry, SeasonalJobs.dol.gov — that is the place to search and apply for current openings. Beware of anyone charging workers "visa fees": recruitment fees charged to H-2A workers are illegal.
More Illinois numbers
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