H-2A Apple Harvest Jobs in Washington State (2026)

Washington State grows the majority of America's fresh apples, and its orchards have become one of the largest users of the H-2A program in the entire country. Tens of thousands of seasonal farm positions are certified in Washington each year, concentrated in the sunny valleys east of the Cascade mountains. If you want US farm work with comparatively high wages, Washington apples belong at the top of your list.

Where and when

The industry centres on the Yakima Valley, Wenatchee, Chelan, Okanogan and the Columbia Basin. The main harvest runs roughly from August through early November, moving through varieties: Gala first, then Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, Granny Smith and Fuji among others. Many employers also certify longer contracts that begin in spring with thinning and orchard maintenance, then flow into harvest, so contracts of three to nine months both exist. Cherry harvest in June and July is a separate, shorter season in the same region, and some workers string cherries and apples together with the same employer.

The work

• Picking into a shoulder bag from the ground and from ladders, or on platforms in modern trellis orchards
• Careful handling: apples bruise, and quality standards are enforced
• Thinning, pruning and tree training earlier in the season
• Full days outdoors, cool mornings and hot afternoons, with smoke from wildfires an occasional reality in late summer

Pay: the highest AEWR region

Washington shares an Adverse Effect Wage Rate with Oregon, and it is consistently among the highest in the nation, in recent years around $19 to $20 per hour; check dol.gov for the current figure. Harvest is often paid by piece rate per bin, with the hourly AEWR as a guaranteed floor, and productive pickers can exceed it. Combined with the three-quarters work guarantee and long possible contracts, a Washington season can be one of the best-earning options in US agriculture.

Housing, transport and costs

As with all H-2A jobs, housing is provided free of charge and inspected against federal standards; in Washington this ranges from farm labour camps to purpose-built worker housing. Daily transport to the orchards is provided, inbound travel is reimbursed at the contract midpoint, and return travel is paid at completion. Employers must also cover visa-related fees in practice through reimbursement rules. If any recruiter asks you to pay for the job itself, refuse; worker-paid recruitment fees are prohibited.

What arrival and the season rhythm look like

Workers typically arrive a few days before picking starts, settle into camp housing and get orientation on ladder safety, bin quality standards and heat rules. The season then moves fast: crews follow ripening blocks, sometimes changing orchards within the same employer's operation, and the busiest stretch from mid-September to late October is when piece-rate earners make their best money. Autumn in eastern Washington means cold mornings, so bring layers, gloves and rain gear. Towns like Yakima and Wenatchee have large Spanish-speaking communities, established shops and remittance services, which makes daily life easier than in more isolated farm regions. Workers who finish the harvest well are often asked on the spot about returning for next year's thinning or cherry season, which is how multi-season relationships begin.

One more practical note: Washington's scale means jobs range from small family orchards with a dozen workers to corporate operations employing thousands across multiple valleys. Larger employers tend to have more formal housing, HR processes and grievance channels; smaller ones offer a more personal environment. Neither is automatically better, but ask how many H-2A workers the employer hires and how long they have used the program, since experience usually means smoother logistics for you.

How hiring works

Washington growers hire through large orchard companies, grower associations and licensed farm labour contractors. Recruitment for the autumn harvest typically happens from late winter through summer. H-2A has no annual visa cap, so the bottleneck is not a lottery but getting matched with a real employer and passing the consular interview. Returning workers with a good record are rehired heavily, so a strong first season often turns into a yearly arrangement. For background on the overall system, see our guide to US work visas.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Wage rates change annually and program rules evolve; confirm current details at dol.gov and uscis.gov.

Orchard employers actively look for pickers with experience and reliability. Create your free profile on Workmerica, mention any orchard or harvest experience, and let employers contact you directly. It is free, with no credit card required.