Summer job alert: BC fruit-pickers are getting a 7% raise this year

Already thinking of where to apply for a summer job in 2024? Well, there’s one sector in Western Canada that’s sure to be making more than last year.

Farm workers who harvest crops by hand in BC will be getting a 7% increase in their piece rate on January 1. That includes fruit-pickers on peach, apricot, apple, blueberry, cherry, grape, pear, plum, raspberry, and strawberry farms. Those who harvest Brussels sprouts, daffodils, mushrooms, and beans will also see the increase.

These workers are paid based on how much produce they harvest, rather than an hourly wage.

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It’s a popular warm-weather gig for people from across Canada and abroad, who come to BC’s fruit and vegetable farms in the Fraser Valley, Okanagan, and beyond to harvest produce by hand.

The BC government says the 7% rate increase is in line with a similar increase to minimum wage due to inflation. The last time farm-worker piece rates increased was a 3% jump in January 2023 and an 11.5% increase in 2019.