What the Agrohub study showed

In 2025 the average monthly income of tractor operators in Ukraine reached UAH 31,600 without bonuses — roughly 12% higher than in 2024. Including bonuses the average income rises to about UAH 36,300.

Agricultural companies' labor costs for tractor operators increased by about 5%. At the same time the average staff size decreased: from 27 to 25 people per 10,000 ha, and on average one tractor operator is responsible for 3,700 ha.

Pay rates by operation

The highest rates are for harvesting: UAH 383 per hour (+5% y/y). Next in cost are spraying — UAH 320 per hour (+8%) and seeding — UAH 271 per hour (+14%). The lowest pay is for rolling — UAH 142 per hour (+17%).

Work is distributed unevenly among tractor operators: slightly less than a third are engaged in seeding, less than a fifth in spraying, even fewer in harvesting; only about 0.5% perform all three operations.

"Notably, the share of multitasking workers has not increased in recent years, even though they are in high demand..."

— authors of the Agrohub study

"We see that the market is gradually moving from simple piece-rate to more complex pay models... Versatility is becoming a key factor in income growth in this profession"

— Dmytro Lebedev, head of Agrohub HR360 Benchmarking

Mechanization, outsourcing and drones

About 9 out of 10 companies operate on their own equipment; the share of outsourcing is about 11% (2% less than in 2024). Modern technologies, including drones for spraying and desiccation, are present but so far have a minor impact — just over 1% of treated areas.

Why wages rose and why it matters

The rise in compensation is the result of several factors: staff reductions amid unchanged or growing workload on equipment, increased demand for versatile operators, inflationary pressure and rising production costs. LIGA.net has written about the impact of global prices on nitrogen fertilizers (which depend on gas costs) — this increases pressure on margins and forces companies to review pay policy.

Consequences for farmers and communities

For rural communities, higher wages mean more stable income and greater purchasing power. For agroholdings — a challenge: they need to invest in operator training, staff retention and technologies that reduce dependence on manual labor and make costs predictable.

Study data

The Agrohub HR360 Benchmarking study was conducted in January–October 2025. It included 7 agroholdings encompassing 41 field companies and 3,634 specialists.

Conclusion

The increase in tractor operators' earnings is a marker of the agricultural sector's adaptation to external shocks and internal staffing challenges. For this trend to translate into a sustainable improvement in productivity and rural well-being, investments are needed in operator education, technical modernization and policies that support innovation in the fields. Whether there will be enough time and resources to do this systemically is a key question for the country's economic resilience and food security.