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What is a field hand and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
introduction image
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a field hand. For example, did you know that they make an average of $14.14 an hour? That's $29,401 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 1% and produce 6,900 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreField HandUS Average
Salary
2.3

Avg. Salary $29,401

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.6

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
8.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.23%

Asian 1.89%

Black or African American 4.94%

Hispanic or Latino 29.11%

Unknown 3.12%

White 59.72%

Gender

female 11.10%

male 88.90%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress level
6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Field hand career paths

Key steps to become a field hand

  1. Explore field hand education requirements

    Most common field hand degrees

    High School Diploma

    41.4 %

    Bachelor's

    32.0 %

    Associate

    13.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific field hand skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Frac Tanks12.23%
    Oilfield Equipment7.38%
    Manual Labor7.30%
    Routine Maintenance5.64%
    Shop Hand4.56%
  3. Complete relevant field hand training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New field hands learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a field hand based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real field hand resumes.
  4. Research field hand duties and responsibilities

    • Certify in running man lifts as well as H2S full mask fresh air.
    • Operate heavy equipment with CDL certification.
    • Groom, clip, trim, and/or castrate animals; dock ears and tails; and/or shear coats to collect hair.
  5. Prepare your field hand resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your field hand resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a field hand resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable field hand resume templates

    Build a professional field hand resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your field hand resume.
    Field Hand Resume
    Field Hand Resume
    Field Hand Resume
    Field Hand Resume
    Field Hand Resume
    Field Hand Resume
    Field Hand Resume
    Field Hand Resume
    Field Hand Resume
  6. Apply for field hand jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a field hand job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first field hand job

Zippi

Are you a field hand?

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Average field hand salary

The average field hand salary in the United States is $29,401 per year or $14 per hour. Field hand salaries range between $24,000 and $35,000 per year.

Average field hand salary
$29,401 Yearly
$14.14 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do field hands rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Field hand reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2021
Pros

Working with cattle

Cons

They wants alot work and they don't pay not even the minimum wage of 8.75 with the salary and they thinking we don't have a personal life and we need time off.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2021
Pros

To take care of fresh good ,to organize the goods ,I to work by touch .on the market they clean good

Cons

To destroy goods when time is for harvesting ,I don't want to damage the goods


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019
Cons

I like all this job


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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