For wages and benefits, bigger dairies may be better

California recently surpassed Wisconsin as the nation's number-one dairy state. To be productive, California's dairies rely heavily on hired labor. However, wages and benefits offered to dairy employees are highly variable. Herd managers and milers earn more on larger dairies. Union employees out-earn their non-union counterparts in wages and benefits. Although managerial treatment of employees is not highly variable, some practices such as team training or providing continuing education may influence herd productivity. Well-trained employees may increase herd productivity through improving disease detection and prevention, and increasing the effectiveness of breeding and nutrition programs.