Income from wage and salary jobs is the largest contributor to farm operator off-farm income

In 2009, earnings from farming constituted an estimated 9 percent of the average income of farm operator households. Two-thirds of income-and more than 70 percent of off-farm income-is considered earned off-farm income. Most earned off-farm income is from wages and salary jobs and the rest from nonfarm businesses, but this varies by size of farm. Retirement and other transfer income makes up about 16 percent of farm household income, with most coming from public sources. Other important sources of income include interest and dividend income. This figure was originally published in the Farm Household Economics and Well-Being: Farm Household Income briefing room.

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