H-2A Jobs in Kentucky (FY2026): Employers & Wages
In FY2026 (through Q2), the Department of Labor certified 5,485 H-2A positions for worksites in Kentucky — #13 among all states — across 608 employer applications. The median offered wage was $13.94/hour (middle half of offers: $13.94–$15.87).
Hiring season
86% of certified positions in Kentucky start in March, April or February, 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 Kentucky
| Employer | Worksite city | Positions | Median wage | Main occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APHIX, LLC | Lexington | 115 | $17.99/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Richgrove Tobacco LLC | Hopkinsville | 90 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| HLM Landscape Services, LLC | Lexington | 86 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Breckinridge Tobacco Company LLC | Irvington | 70 | $15.87/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Harton Tobacco (Partnership) | Cadiz | 67 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Robey Farms | Adairville | 64 | $14.63/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| FUTRELL FARMS INC | Murray | 60 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Cornett Enterprises, LLC | London | 57 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| O'Bryan Composting LLC | Owensboro | 55 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Sandy Abrams Landscaping Co Inc. | Milton | 54 | $15.87/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Birge Farms LLC | Summer Shade | 47 | $15.34/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Mastronardi Richmond, Inc. | Richmond | 45 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Mastronardi Morehead Inc. | Morehead | 45 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Tobacco Way Farms LLC | Hopkinsville | 42 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Christopher Brown | Glasgow | 41 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Russell Scott Lowe | Murray | 41 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| SANDRA ARIZMENDI | Crittenden | 41 | $15.87/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| L & H Farms LLC | Cadiz | 40 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Durham Brothers Farm LLC | Crofton | 40 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Juddmonte Management LLC | Lexington | 40 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals |
| Judd Farms LLC | Greensburg | 36 | $15/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Murdock Farms Inc. | Murray | 34 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Jones Brothers Farms LLC | Warsaw | 32 | $15.36/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| Maplebreeze Farms LLC | Hopkinsville | 32 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
| White Oak Tobacco LLC | Fountain Run | 30 | $13.94/hr | Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse |
What the jobs are
| Occupation | Positions |
|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 4,958 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals | 352 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 142 |
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 10 |
| Light Truck Drivers | 8 |
| Construction Laborers | 6 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch and Aquacultural Animals. | 5 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers | 1 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 1 |
| Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals. | 1 |
Where: Lexington (456) · Murray (283) · Hopkinsville (280) · Cadiz (231) · Owensboro (163) · Paris (161) · Adairville (136) · Cynthiana (130).
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 Kentucky numbers
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