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Ranch hand demographics and statistics in the US

Ranch hand demographics research summary. Zippia estimates ranch hand demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our ranch hand estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about ranch hands after extensive research and analysis:

  • There are over 17,375 ranch hands currently employed in the United States.
  • 21.7% of all ranch hands are women, while 78.3% are men.
  • The average ranch hand age is 40 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of ranch hands is White (62.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (26.8%), Black or African American (4.2%) and Unknown (3.1%).
  • Ranch hands are most in-demand in Kingsville, TX.
  • The health care industry is the highest-paying for ranch hands.
  • 3% of all ranch hands are LGBT.
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Ranch hand demographics by:

Ranch hand gender statistics

21.7% of ranch hands are women and 78.3% of ranch hands are men.
  • Male, 78.3%
  • Female, 21.7%

Ranch hand gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male78.3%
Female21.7%

Ranch hand gender pay gap

Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$28,677
female-income
Female income
$26,813

Ranch hand gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in ranch hand positions over time. Currently, 21.7% of ranch hands are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Ranch hand gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201083.14%16.86%
201184.40%15.60%
201284.04%15.96%
201383.02%16.98%
201481.24%18.76%
201580.59%19.41%
201680.61%19.39%
201779.77%20.23%
201878.28%21.72%
201979.54%20.46%
202080.62%19.38%
202178.31%21.69%

Ranch hand related jobs gender ratio

We compared ranch hands with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, ditch rider and custom harvester have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Groom19%81%
Stable Hand20%80%
Nursery Worker22%78%
Ranch Hand78%22%
Hay Baler94%6%
Custom Harvester96%4%
Ditch Rider97%3%
Male
Female

Ranch hand demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among ranch hands is White, which makes up 62.9% of all ranch hands. Comparatively, 26.8% of ranch hands are Hispanic or Latino and 4.2% of ranch hands are Black or African American.
  • White, 62.9%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 26.8%
  • Black or African American, 4.2%
  • Unknown, 3.1%
  • Asian, 1.8%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%

Ranch hand race

Ranch hand racePercentages
White62.9%
Hispanic or Latino26.8%
Black or African American4.2%
Unknown3.1%
Asian1.8%
American Indian and Alaska Native1.2%

Ranch hand race and ethnicity over time

See how ranch hand racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Ranch hand race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201063.30%4.84%1.31%28.66%
201163.85%5.29%1.26%27.54%
201263.45%5.36%1.27%27.56%
201363.19%5.08%1.27%28.01%
201464.45%4.66%1.34%27.15%
201566.25%4.75%1.48%25.13%
201665.76%4.28%1.35%26.41%
201767.90%3.90%1.35%24.52%
201868.71%4.30%1.30%23.23%
201967.69%4.07%1.26%24.49%
202069.62%4.20%1.39%20.11%
202162.94%4.24%1.80%26.80%

Ranch hand wage gap by race

$31,000
$30,000
$29,000
$28,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$28,547
White$29,481
Black or African American$28,712
Asian$28,469
Hispanic or Latino$28,191

Average ranch hand age

See how the average age of ranch hands varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Ranch hand age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Black or African American5144.5
Unknown3637
Asian40.553
Hispanic or Latino4040
White3737
American Indian and Alaska Native36.5

Ranch hand age breakdown

The average age of ranch hands is 40+ years years old, representing 50% of the ranch hand population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Ranch hand age breakdown

Ranch Hand YearsPercentages
40+ years50%
30-40 years26%
20-30 years23%

Ranch hand educational attainment

  • Bachelor's, 38%
  • High School Diploma, 33%
  • Associate, 19%
  • Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

Ranch hands by degree level

Ranch hand degreePercentages
Bachelor's38%
High School Diploma33%
Associate19%
Diploma6%
Other Degrees4%

Ranch hand jobs you might like

Ranch hand wage gap by degree level

$30,000
$29,000
$28,000
$27,000
High School Diploma or Less
Bachelor's Degree
No Education
Some College/ Associate Degree
EducationSalary
High School Diploma or Less$28,034
Bachelor's Degree$29,074
No Education$27,477
Some College/ Associate Degree$29,148

Ranch hand employment statistics

Most ranch hands work for a private in the professional industry.

Company size where ranch hands work

Below, you can see the size of companies where ranch hands work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Ranch hand jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees15%
50 - 100 employees24%
100 - 500 employees26%
500 - 1,000 employees9%
1,000 - 10,000 employees18%
> 10,000 employees8%

Ranch hand jobs by company type

Employees with the ranch hand job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most ranch hands prefer to work at private companies over public companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Ranch hand jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education4%
Public10%
Private83%
Government4%

Ranch hand jobs by industry

The most common industries for ranch hands are professional, manufacturing and retail.

Professional

Manufacturing

Retail

Hospitality

Media

Ranch hand turnover and employment statistics

Ranch hand unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for ranch hands between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Ranch hand unemployment rate by year

YearRanch hand unemployment rate
201014.65%
201113.95%
201214.17%
201312.64%
201410.53%
20159.52%
20168.71%
20177.84%
20188.05%
20196.81%
20208.39%
20218.02%

Average ranch hand tenure

The average ranch hand stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 12,750 ranch hands resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Ranch hand tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year31%
1-2 years28%
3-4 years14%
5-7 years14%
8-10 years5%
11+ years9%

Foreign languages spoken by ranch hands

The most common foreign language among ranch hands is Spanish at 71.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is German at 6.4% and Dakota is the third-most popular at 4.8%.
  • Spanish, 71.1%
  • German, 6.4%
  • Dakota, 4.8%
  • French, 4.8%
  • Portuguese, 2.1%
  • Other, 10.8%

Ranch hand languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish71.1%
German6.4%
Dakota4.8%
French4.8%
Portuguese2.1%
Other10.8%

Ranch hand jobs

Ranch hand location demographics

Where do ranch hands earn the most?

Ranch hands earn the most in North Dakota, where the average ranch hand salary is $35,156. The map here shows where ranch hands earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Average salary

Which city has the most Ranch Hands?

By looking through more than 12,750 resumes, we found that the most popular places for ranch hands are Stephenville, TX and Cody, WY.
Number of Ranch Hands

Ranch hand jobs by state

RankStateNumber of jobsAverage salary
1Montana76$25,423
2California40$32,137
3Texas34$23,699
4New York25$31,320
5Minnesota19$28,751
6Wisconsin16$29,397
7Illinois14$28,652
8Florida14$24,280
9Kentucky13$29,922
10Pennsylvania13$28,045
11Nebraska12$32,669
12Washington12$26,845
13North Carolina12$24,507
14Missouri11$28,530
15Georgia11$23,892
16Utah10$31,087
17Ohio10$28,961
18Colorado9$28,457
19North Dakota8$35,156
20Oregon8$29,652
21Iowa7$31,685
22New Jersey7$31,188
23Oklahoma7$23,219
24West Virginia6$24,429
25Indiana6$21,797
26Virginia6$21,369
27Michigan5$27,201
28District of Columbia5$27,177
29South Carolina4$26,240
30Nevada3$27,519
31Alaska3$21,627
32Maryland3$25,015
33Tennessee3$22,988
34Idaho2$32,675
35Wyoming2$26,986
36Kansas2$29,164
37Arizona2$27,152
38South Dakota1$30,415
39Connecticut1$34,247
40Delaware1$30,764
41New Mexico1$30,245
42New Hampshire1$27,174
43Louisiana1$24,929
44Alabama1$24,459
45Maine0$33,586
46Vermont0$33,845
47Massachusetts0$31,460
48Rhode Island0$31,361
49Hawaii0$29,432
50Mississippi0$26,720
51Arkansas0$25,343

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