<p>Improving non-farm employment quality for rural laborers is essential for achieving decent work. Digital infrastructure plays a critical role in meeting this urgent need, promoting sustainable income growth and equitable access to opportunities. Using four waves of micro-level data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) (2014–2020), matched with city-level data, this study examines the impact of digital infrastructure on non-farm employment quality, underlying mechanisms, and heterogeneity. The results show that digital infrastructure significantly improves employment quality in rural China. This improvement occurs through an enhancement effect through better access to information, human and social capital, and is partly offset by a substitution effect arising from digital entertainment and firm digitalization. Moreover, digital infrastructure exerts a stronger impact on informal employment and benefits rural laborers with higher education or skills, but women face higher thresholds to quality improvements. These findings highlight the need for targeted policies to expand rural digital infrastructure, enhance skills for vulnerable groups, and mitigate potential negative impacts of digitalization.</p>