Piece-rate pay for pickers: formula and example
What to pay for bins, kilograms or trees, and how to stay above the minimum wage.
How to calculate piece-rate pay
- Choose the unit you pay for: a bin, a kilogram net, a tree or a row. The picker must see how many units they did.
- Set the piece rate, the pay for one unit. If you have an hourly rate and an output norm, piece rate = hourly rate ÷ units per hour.
- Calculate the earnings: quantity × piece rate. Add a bonus for quality or a met norm as a separate line.
- Compare the month's earnings with the minimum wage. If the worker met the norm and earned less, pay the difference.
Examples for one day
| What is paid | Calculation | Earned |
|---|---|---|
| Bins | 41 bins × UAH 12 | UAH 492 |
| Kilograms net | 85 kg × UAH 10 | UAH 850 |
| Trees pruned | 72 trees × UAH 5 | UAH 360 |
| Bins with a quality bonus | 41 bins × UAH 12 + UAH 50 | UAH 542 |
| One bin shared by two pickers | 14 kg ÷ 2 × UAH 10 | UAH 70 each |
| Piece rate from the output norm | UAH 80 an hour ÷ 8 bins an hour | UAH 10 a bin |
The rates are an example, not a recommendation. In Ukraine, the minimum wage from 1 January 2026 is UAH 8,647 a month and UAH 52 an hour (the State Budget Law of Ukraine for 2026).
Questions about piece-rate pay
What is piece-rate pay?
It is pay for the quantity of work done, not for the hours worked. The picker gets a rate for each unit: a bin, a kilogram or a tree. The more they pick, the more they earn.
What is the piece-rate formula?
Earnings = quantity × piece rate. To find the piece rate, divide the hourly rate by the hourly output norm. Example: UAH 80 an hour ÷ 8 bins an hour = UAH 10 a bin.
How is piece rate with a bonus different from straight piece rate?
Straight piece rate is only quantity × rate. Piece rate with a bonus adds pay for a condition: quality, a met norm or a hard block. Announce the bonus condition before the work starts.
Can a picker earn less than the minimum wage?
In Ukraine, not if the worker fully met the norm: Article 3-1 of the Law on Remuneration of Labour says so. In 2026 the minimum wage is UAH 8,647 a month or UAH 52 an hour.
How do you split a bin that two people picked?
The simplest way is equal shares: a 14 kg bin picked by two gives each picker 7 kg. Announce the split rule before the harvest starts, so there are no disputes.
How do you avoid mistakes in the count?
Record every bin when it is handed in: who picked it, its weight and the time. Hortusys records this on the crew leader's phone and calculates each picker's earnings for the day, with the bonus, payments and debt.
Start with one crew
Start with one or two crews, even mid-season. We move your data and set the system up for your crops.