Produce brokers connect produce growers and packers with retailers and distributors — matching supply with demand, negotiating terms, and earning commission on sales.
Produce Broker pay typically runs $59K–$99K at this level.
Workdays involve constant phone work with growers, packers, and buyers — tracking what's available, what's needed, and negotiating each transaction. Markets move fast in produce — pricing windows can be hours, and brokers who can't move quickly miss deals.
Collaboration involves growers, packers, retailers, distributors, and sometimes shippers. What's harder than expected is the perishability dimension — produce decisions have narrow time windows, and a broker who hesitates often watches the deal go to someone else or watches the product spoil.
People who thrive tend to be knowledgeable about produce, fast-moving, and good at relationship-based business. If you've built expertise in the trade, the role often fits well. People without produce background usually find both the speed and the relationships harder to build than the financial side suggests — produce brokerage rewards specific knowledge and quick judgment.
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Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Business Operations roles →Produce brokers connect produce growers and packers with retailers and distributors — matching supply with demand, negotiating terms, and earning commission on sales.
Median pay for a Produce Broker is about $76K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $46K to $128K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening, Persuasion, and Reading Comprehension.
Most people in this role hold a bachelor's degree.
Closely related roles include Cattle Broker, Senior Farm Products Shipper, and Produce Shipper.
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