The median total monthly income of tractor operators (excluding bonuses) rose to UAH 31,600, nearly 12% higher than in 2024. These findings come from the annual Agrohub HR360 Benchmarking Research, which covered seven agricultural holdings comprising 41 field operations companies and 3,634 specialists.

Overall, the monthly payroll costs for tractor operators increased by 5% across the market. This was partly driven by a decline in the number of employees involved — from 27 to 25 workers per 10,000 hectares. The median monthly pay including bonuses reached UAH 36,300.

Harvesting Remains the Highest-Paid Field Operation

Rates incorporating a variable component also increased across different types of fieldwork. As in previous years, spraying, sowing and harvesting remain among the highest-paid operations.

Harvesting continues to command the highest pay, with tractor operators earning an average of UAH 383 per hour in 2025, up 5% from 2024. Spraying ranked second at an average of UAH 320 per hour, an 8% year-on-year increase. The average rate for sowing reached UAH 271 per hour, up 14% from 2024. Rolling remained the lowest-paid operation at UAH 142 per hour, despite a 17% increase. In 2025, each tractor operator worked an average of 3,700 hectares.

Another factor affecting earnings is an employee’s ability to perform different field operations. Some 29% of tractor operators are involved in sowing, 18% in spraying and 14% in harvesting. The share of specialists able to combine any two of these operations is 3.3% for each combination. Only 0.5% of tractor operators perform all three operations.

Notably, the share of multi-skilled employees has not increased in recent years, despite strong demand for them among agricultural companies. Their broader skill sets also give them the potential to earn higher incomes.

According to the 2025 study, 89% of all fieldwork was carried out using companies’ own machinery, while 11% was outsourced. The share of outsourced work decreased by 2 percentage points compared with the previous year.

Some agricultural companies have also begun experimenting with modern high-tech solutions, including drones, as supplementary technologies for certain types of fieldwork. Drones are used primarily for spraying and desiccation. Their overall contribution remains limited, however: just over 1% of all fields were sprayed using drones.

Combined Pay Model Is the Most Common

As in previous years, the market uses three main compensation models for tractor operators: combined, piece-rate and fixed pay. The combined model, consisting of fixed, piece-rate and bonus components, is the most common and is used by nearly 76% of agricultural companies. Around 21% rely on pure piece-rate pay, while a fixed monthly salary is used in only 2% of cases.

Within the combined compensation model, the market average is 36% fixed pay, 53% variable pay and 11% bonuses. Companies are increasingly moving away from pure piece-rate compensation in favour of combined models as a way to motivate and retain employees. Increasing the fixed component of combined pay also provides a stronger competitive advantage in attracting workers than raising variable piece rates.

Workforce Age Structure and a Younger Generation Entering the Profession

The age structure of the tractor operator workforce is as follows: 52% of workers are under 45, 34% are aged 45–55, and 10% are under 25. Over the past three years, the share of workers under 25 has increased from 6% to 10%, while the share of workers aged 55 and over has declined from 18% to 14%.

“We are seeing the market gradually shift from straightforward piece-rate pay towards more sophisticated compensation models. For companies, attracting tractor operators and retaining them is becoming increasingly important. Employees who can perform several field operations are particularly valuable, yet they remain very scarce in the market. Versatility is becoming a key factor in income growth within the profession,” said Dmytro Lyebyediev, Head of Agrohub HR360 Benchmarking.

The 2025 Agrohub HR360 Benchmarking Research of tractor operators’ income and responsibilities was conducted by Agrohub from January to October 2025. It covered seven agricultural holdings, 41 field operations companies and a total of 3,634 specialists. Agricultural producers interested in participating in future studies can contact Agrohub at dl@agrohub.org.