There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a herdsman. For example, did you know that they make an average of $14.56 an hour? That's $30,283 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 1% and produce 10,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

What Does a Herdsman Do

There are certain skills that many herdsmen have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed listening skills, dexterity and mechanical skills.

Learn more about what a Herdsman does

How To Become a Herdsman

If you're interested in becoming a herdsman, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 44.6% of herdsmen have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 2.3% of herdsmen have master's degrees. Even though some herdsmen have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become a Herdsman

Herdsman Career Paths

Average Salary for a Herdsman

Herdsmen in America make an average salary of $30,283 per year or $15 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $62,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $14,000 per year.
Average Herdsman Salary
$30,283 Yearly
$14.56 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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Roles and Types of Herdsman

There are several types of herdsman, including:

Farm Hand

Role:

A farmhand is responsible for assisting farmers in growing plants and feeding livestock on the farm. Your work is basically to ensure a smooth running of the farm by performing various tasks throughout a working day. You are expected to maintain the machinery by fixing it when necessary, cleaning it regularly, and maintaining the condition of building the farm.

Since farming is an unpredictable industry, your work differs per season. Nonetheless, you will be required to do heavy lifts and manual labor throughout the day to help farmers to reduce unforeseen and unpredictable circumstances. Helping out farmers involves a lot of participation in farm activities, which include providing water for the animals, cleaning out pens and closures, and providing fresh straw and hay. You are also responsible for moving animals from one area of the farm to another, planting and spraying crops, and watching them as they grow.

As a farmhand, you have to be very vigilant in every aspect to alert the farmer whenever you observe a problem concerning the animals or the crops. Sensitivity, flexibility, attention to detail, problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and a genuine love for farm work are crucial for this role. You must also be physically fit for this role. Plus, you need a bachelor's degree in agriculture or other related fields. The average salary of a farmhand annually is $25,000.
  • Average Salary: $26,594
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Ranch Hand

Role:

A ranch hand works on a farm or ranch, tending to animals and doing menial tasks around the ranch. They either live on the ranch or near it, and work long tedious hours. They attend to live farm or ranch animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, bees, or poultry that produce animal products such as milk, fur, skins, meat, feathers, eggs, and honey. They are responsible for feeding, watering, herding, grazing, castrating, branding, weighing, catching, and loading animals into transport vehicles.

The ranch hand cleans and maintains animal housing areas, shears wool from sheep, collects eggs from hatcheries, and do routine menial tasks such as repairing fences, operating heavy machinery like tractors, and so on. They require physical stamina to do tasks around the ranch. They have to be up very early in the mornings and retire late at night.

Only a high school diploma or GED is necessary. A ranch hand earns an average of $25,368 per year, which translates to $12.20 per hour. Career growth is described as having little or no change at 1% and will produce 10,900 new jobs across the US by 2028.

  • Average Salary: $27,569
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Farm Worker

Role:

If you want to be a Farm Worker, you will be employed for labor in agriculture, including harvesting. You will maintain crops such as vegetables, grains, fruits, nuts or look after livestock, and you will work under the supervision of an agricultural manager and receive on-the-job training. You can work on farms of all sizes, from small family farms to large industrial agriculture operations.

You will be responsible for maintaining ditches pipes and pumps, direct and monitoring work crews' activities, operating and service farm machinery, spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control environmental pests, feed livestock, and cleaning and disinfecting the yards. You need to be stable, persistent, genuine, practical, and thrifty. You need to like tasks that are physical, athletic, or mechanical. You must also be communicative and able to follow orders. You will make a salary of $26,000 per year.
  • Average Salary: $26,598
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

States With The Most Herdsman Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active herdsman jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where herdsmen earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Herdsman Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1Oklahoma8$24,078
2Idaho3$23,007
3Washington2$24,816
4Illinois1$24,409
5Vermont0$37,572
6Maine0$37,070
7Rhode Island0$35,764
8Massachusetts0$34,932
9New Hampshire0$32,984
10New York0$35,011
11Pennsylvania0$29,859
12Connecticut0$31,958
13Ohio0$28,512
14North Dakota0$28,521
15New Jersey0$30,448
16West Virginia0$27,931
17Michigan0$27,555
18Georgia0$28,218
19Delaware0$29,463
20Nebraska0$27,775
21New Mexico0$27,630
22Kansas0$26,707
23Mississippi0$26,361
24Maryland0$28,173
25Missouri0$26,419
26Florida0$26,548
27Nevada0$26,101
28South Dakota0$24,719
29Arizona0$24,783
30Hawaii0$29,302
31Wyoming0$23,988
32Wisconsin0$23,651
33Tennessee0$23,344
34South Carolina0$23,639
35Alabama0$22,881
36Kentucky0$22,659
37Minnesota0$23,660
38Utah0$23,567
39Virginia0$23,791
40Arkansas0$21,723
41California0$24,378
42Oregon0$23,213
43Iowa0$21,602
44Texas0$22,351
45North Carolina0$21,670
46Alaska0$21,006
47Louisiana0$20,983
48Indiana0$20,795
49Colorado0$21,682
50Montana0$21,449

Herdsman Education

Herdsman Majors

Herdsman Degrees

Bachelors

44.6 %

Associate

24.7 %

High School Diploma

18.3 %

Top Skills For a Herdsman

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 27.5% of herdsmen listed milking on their resume, but soft skills such as listening skills and dexterity are important as well.

  • Milking, 27.5%
  • Dairy Farm, 14.6%
  • Dairy Cattle, 12.0%
  • Pigs, 5.5%
  • Farm Equipment, 5.0%
  • Other Skills, 35.4%

Choose From 10+ Customizable Herdsman Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Herdsman templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Herdsman resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Herdsman Resume
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Herdsman Demographics

Herdsman Gender Distribution

Male
Male
70%
Female
Female
30%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among herdsmen, 29.7% of them are women, while 70.3% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among herdsmen is White, which makes up 71.5% of all herdsmen.

  • The most common foreign language among herdsmen is Spanish at 76.0%.

Online Courses For Herdsman That You May Like

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3. Value-Based Care: Population Health

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COURSE 2 of 7. This course is designed to introduce you to the concept of population health and related key terms. Refine your understanding of population health and what influences health care costs. Gain an overview of population health management, beginning with a high-level review of four critical areas: addressing behavioral and social determinants of health, the prevalence of chronic disease, attributes of an aging population, and key barriers of access to health care. Use the Population...

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Best States For a Herdsman

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a herdsman. The best states for people in this position are Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, and New York. Herdsmen make the most in Vermont with an average salary of $37,572. Whereas in Maine and Rhode Island, they would average $37,070 and $35,764, respectively. While herdsmen would only make an average of $35,011 in New York, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Vermont

Total Herdsman Jobs: 0
Highest 10% Earn:
$64,000
Location Quotient:
0

2. Maine

Total Herdsman Jobs: 0
Highest 10% Earn:
$63,000
Location Quotient:
0

3. Rhode Island

Total Herdsman Jobs: 0
Highest 10% Earn:
$66,000
Location Quotient:
0
Full List Of Best States For Herdsmen

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Top Herdsman Employers

Most Common Employers For Herdsman

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1University of Wisconsin System$44,672$21.482
2Cargill$42,504$20.433
3Oregon State University$38,183$18.362
4Murphy Family Ventures$32,308$15.533
5Engstrom Services$31,660$15.221
6Madera High School$31,516$15.151
7Rouses Markets$30,499$14.661
8Hoffman Construction$30,074$14.461
9Lambs Farm$27,916$13.422
10Dairy Farmers of America$27,277$13.112