Pen rider vs ranch hand

The differences between pen riders and ranch hands can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pen rider has an average salary of $50,738, which is higher than the $27,569 average annual salary of a ranch hand.

The top three skills for a pen rider include stray animals, yard maintenance and computer system. The most important skills for a ranch hand are harvest, farm work, and farm machinery.

Pen rider vs ranch hand overview

	Pen Rider	Ranch Hand
Yearly salary	$50,738	$27,569
Hourly rate	$24.39	$13.25
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	3,091	4,309
Job satisfaction	-	1
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	-	-

What does a pen rider do?

A pen rider looks after a large herd of cattle, usually in a ranch setting, by monitoring and moving the cattle in a pen. Modern pen riders are trained animal care specialists who must also be excellent on horseback. Pen riders monitor animals for sickness or distress and isolate the sick from a herd for care. They are also responsible for moving herds through different pens for feeding, veterinary services, milking, and any other farm operation.

What does a ranch hand do?

A ranch hand is a person who takes care of livestock animals in a ranch. Ranch hands perform the ranch husbandry job, which involves keeping them healthy, feeding them, and overseeing breeding. The primary duty they serve is to assist in the day-to-day operations in the ranch. They prepare livestock animals for slaughter or sale. They must have experience in cattle handling and/or animal husbandry. They should also be adaptable, enthusiastic, and know ranch equipment and maintenance.

Pen rider vs ranch hand salary

Pen riders and ranch hands have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pen Rider	Ranch Hand
Average salary	$50,738	$27,569
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $106,000	Between $21,000 And $34,000
Highest paying City	-	Petersburg, ND
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Williams International
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between pen rider and ranch hand education

There are a few differences between a pen rider and a ranch hand in terms of educational background:

	Pen Rider	Ranch Hand
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Animal Science	Business
Most common college	-	-

Pen rider vs ranch hand demographics

Here are the differences between pen riders' and ranch hands' demographics:

	Pen Rider	Ranch Hand
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 75.3% Female, 24.7%	Male, 78.3% Female, 21.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.6% Asian, 1.8% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%	Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 26.8% Asian, 1.8% White, 62.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between pen rider and ranch hand duties and responsibilities

Pen rider example responsibilities.

Review water orders and contact customers determining total CFS need daily.
Review water orders and contact customers determining total CFS need daily.

Ranch hand example responsibilities.

Manage habitat, predators, whitetail and several species of exotic animals.
Assist with lessons and summer camps which include helping riders groom, tack up and mount.
Relocate wheel line sprinklers used to irrigate crops.
Halter training fillies and colts, handling mares, studs and foals
Operate a backhoe to dig dirt and move large oil field equipment.
Clean livestock stalls and sheds using disinfectant solutions, brushes, and shovels.

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Pen rider vs ranch hand skills

Common pen rider skills

Stray Animals, 91%
Yard Maintenance, 6%
Computer System, 3%

Common ranch hand skills

Harvest, 15%
Farm Work, 12%
Farm Machinery, 9%
Physical Characteristics, 7%
Cattle Ranch, 6%
Farm Animals, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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