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Custom Farming Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

CHS Inc

Custom Applicator

Newark, IL · On-site

$19.42 - $31.01/hr

CHS Inc. is a leading global agribusiness owned by farmers, ranchers and cooperatives across the United States that provides grain, food and energy resources to businesses and consumers around the ...

UnCommon Farms

Feedlot Assistant Manager

Geneseo, IL · On-site

$20 - $25/hr

... farm located just north of Geneseo, Illinois. For more than 30 years, we've been a leading Midwest custom feed yard, known for providing the highest quality of care for our customers' cattle and land.

UnCommon Farms LLC

Feedlot Assistant Manager

Geneseo, IL · On-site

$20 - $25/hr

... farm located just north of Geneseo, Illinois. For more than 30 years, we've been a leading Midwest custom feed yard, known for providing the highest quality of care for our customers' cattle and land.

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All JobsCustom Farming JobsCustom Farming Jobs in Illinois

Custom Farming information

See Illinois salary details

$38.8K

$49.3K

$57.2K

How much do custom farming jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 24, 2026, the average yearly pay for custom farming in Illinois is $49,258.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $45,500.00 and $52,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a custom farming?

A custom farming job involves contracting agricultural services, such as planting, harvesting, or spraying, for landowners or farmers who do not have the necessary equipment or labor. Custom farmers use their own machinery and expertise to complete specific farming tasks for a fee. This allows farm owners to save on equipment costs and focus on other aspects of their operation. Custom farming is common in large-scale agriculture where efficiency and specialization are key.

What are the typical daily responsibilities in a custom farming job?

As a custom farming professional, your typical day may include operating tractors, harvesters, and sprayers for various clients, maintaining equipment, and coordinating schedules to meet tight planting or harvest windows. You may also be responsible for monitoring crop health, applying fertilizers or pesticides in line with regulations, and maintaining accurate work records. Collaboration with farm owners or managers is common to ensure client expectations are met. The role often requires flexibility to adapt to weather changes and varying field conditions, making every day unique and challenging.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in custom farming, and why are they important?

To thrive in custom farming, you need expertise in operating and maintaining a variety of agricultural machinery, understanding crop production processes, and a solid background in agronomy or related agricultural fields. Familiarity with GPS-guided equipment, farm management software, and pesticide application certifications are often required. Strong communication, reliability, and problem-solving skills help you navigate the demands of working with multiple clients and adapting to changing conditions. These skills and qualifications ensure efficient farm operations, high-quality service, and strong client relationships in a competitive agricultural market.

How much do custom farmers make?

Custom farmers typically earn between $10,000 and $50,000 annually, depending on the size of the operation, location, and level of experience. They often work seasonally or part-time and may charge per acre or hour for their services.

What are the most commonly searched types of Custom Farming jobs in Illinois?

The most popular types of Custom Farming jobs in Illinois are:

What are popular job titles related to Custom Farming jobs in Illinois?

For Custom Farming jobs in Illinois, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Custom Farming jobs in Illinois look for?

The top searched job categories for Custom Farming jobs in Illinois are:

Custom Farming jobs near you
Infographic showing various Custom Farming job openings in Illinois as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 83% Full Time, 13% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $49,258 per year, or $23.7 per hour.

Custom Application Specialist

Midwestern BioAg

Milledgeville, IL • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 25 days ago

Job description

Company Description
Midwestern BioAg (MBA) is an innovative, sustainable agriculture, and soil-fertility company that is an industry leader in biological agriculture, with core facilities in 6 states. We take pride in helping our customers increase farm productivity and profitability while reducing the environmental impacts of their operations. Founded in 1983, we use a transformative, systems approach to soil health. In 2017, the company opened a new division that manufactures TerraNu; a breakthrough product that will expand the company's reach and allow for more scalable growth.
We are looking for an experienced, collaborative and highly-motivated individual who can share our passion and contribute to our overall success.
Job Description
General Description: The Custom Application Specialist operates specialized large scale farming application equipment. This position will be required to report to the facility dispatch office for instructions, and use assigned equipment to apply company product to customer sites.
Essential Job Responsibilities:
  • Operate application vehicle within company protocol to ensure accurately meeting customer orders by working with Precision Ag systems and data.
  • Perform minor routine maintenance on application vehicles to ensure efficiency and continued operation, coordinate major repairs or maintenance with operations facility.
  • Load product into application machinery at customer sites.
  • Act as the facility subject matter expert for all application concerns and questions from employees and customers.
  • Collect customer spatial data for soil management system mapping program and manage custom application data in the company program.
  • Provide maps to consultants and customer as needed, responsible for ensuring all maps and data are kept up to date and accurate.
  • Utilize proper product is used at each customer site.
  • Report all vehicle maintenance issues or problems to Operations Manager
  • Maintain cleaning and upkeep of application vehicles
  • Report soil management systems issue to soil management systems expert and make process improvement recommendations
  • Other duties as assigned

Qualifications
Requirements
  • High school diploma or equivalent
  • Valid Driver's license
  • Previous experience operating heavy farming equipment
  • Ability to operate a skid loader and heavy machinery
  • Knowledge of agronomy related products or application procedures
  • Ability to operate with limited supervision

Preferred
  • Experience working with an soil management systems program
  • Working knowledge of local geographical areas
  • Previous experience operating agronomy application equipment
  • Previous experience operating forklift
  • Previous experience operating skid loader
  • Previous customer service experience
  • CDL or the ability to obtain a Class A CDL

Other
  • Ability to work in extreme temperatures
  • Ability to work in dusty conditions
  • Ability to lift up to 50lbs repeatedly
  • Ability to climb in/out of trucks and application vehicles
  • Ability to periodically travel overnight

Competencies
  • Customer Focus: Builds effective relationships (internal and external), identifies customer expectations, sees issues from their point of view; offers practical recommendations.
  • Collaboration: seeks and enlists active participation of others to reach goals
  • Personal Accountability: Accepts responsibility for own actions, including failure. Embraces experiences as learning opportunities and not chances to blame.
  • Proactive Approach & Initiative: Identifies what needs to be done and doing it before being asked by developing a path to a desired outcome including sequence, feedback points, and time estimates.
  • Priority Setting: Determines the interrelationships and relative importance of tasks and takes action accordingly
  • Adaptability: Flexible style; receptive to change; able to fit the circumstances.
  • Innovation: Generates new ideas and approaches to enhance the organization's systems, products, or effectiveness.
  • Humor: Uses appropriate humor to maintain a positive environment.
  • Time Management: allocates time efficiently to the most important issues and knows what not to spend time on; completes work in a timely fashion.
  • Planning: develops a path to a desired outcome including sequence, feedback points, and time estimates.

To succeed in this job, the individual must perform each essential job responsibility satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential job responsibilities. Job descriptions represent a general outline of job responsibilities and qualifications. They are not intended to be comprehensive in nature. In addition, jobs evolve over time and, therefore, their descriptions may not reflect the precise nature of the position at a given point of time.
Additional Information
MBA is an equal opportunity employer.
To view this and other employment opportunities at Midwestern BioAg, please visit our website at www.midwesternbioag.com and select the CAREERS link at the bottom of the page.

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