Based on the Nacional Households Survey (PNAD), this paper analyzed the employment quality in the Brazilian agriculture and six main crops (rice, coffee, sugarcane, manioc, corn and soybean) in the 2001-2004 period. An Employment Quality Index (EQI) was created for this analysis, based on four dimensions: level of education; degree of job formalization; main job income; and employee benefits. The EQI was calculated for the permanent and temporary workers, considering the local of the households (urban and rural).