Beekeepers

Earnings for beekeepers vary greatly, even from year to year, as honey prices fluctuate and production from hives changes. Other variables that affect earnings include the number of hives a beekeeper has, the type of honey produced, and the season's weather conditions. Some beekeepers end up with no profits. Commercial beekeepers may only make in the $10,000 to $20,000 range. In September 2019, PayScale reported that beekeepers working anywhere in the United States averaged about $40,000 per year. The National Agricultural Statistics Service reports the average price paid for the honey crop was nearly $2.17 per pound in 2018, down from about $2.20 in 2017, and colonies averaged a production of 54.4 pounds in 2018, down 2 percent from the previous year. This means that a beekeeper could potentially earn about $118 from every colony owned. Remember, however, expenses and taxes have not been subtracted from this amount. To make a profit, a beekeeper typically needs to have thousands of colonies producing well. Medium- and small-sized operations usually have a difficult time turning any profit.