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Ranch hand salary
Average ranch hand salary
$13.25
Average Ranch Hand Salary
The average salary for a Ranch Hand stands at $27,569 annually, or about $13 per hour. Factors such as location, years of experience, and specific job responsibilities can significantly affect earnings. For instance, ranch hands in states like Texas and Wyoming often report higher wages due to the demand for skilled labor in these regions.
Salary by Experience
Entry-level ranch hands may start at lower wages, while those with several years of experience can command higher salaries, often exceeding $30,000 annually. Positions that require specialized skills, such as veterinary care or advanced equipment operation, may also offer enhanced compensation.
Ranch Hand Salary by State
Variations in salary can be notable across different states. For example, ranch hands in Colorado and Montana typically earn more than those in the Midwest. The geographic location not only influences the salary but also the living conditions and job opportunities available.
Conclusion
Understanding the salary landscape for ranch hands is essential for job seekers in this field. By evaluating regional differences and opportunities for advancement, aspiring ranch hands can better navigate their careers within the agricultural sector.
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Where can a Ranch Hand earn more?
Ranch hand salary estimates from across the web
Average ranch hand salary by state
The average ranch hand salary in North Dakota, Connecticut, and Vermont are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average ranch hand salary states are Texas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for ranch hands
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | $35,156 | $16.90 |
| 2 | Nebraska | $32,669 | $15.71 |
| 3 | Iowa | $31,685 | $15.23 |
| 4 | Utah | $31,087 | $14.95 |
| 5 | Idaho | $32,675 | $15.71 |
| 6 | Kentucky | $29,922 | $14.39 |
| 7 | Maine | $33,586 | $16.15 |
| 8 | Vermont | $33,845 | $16.27 |
| 9 | South Dakota | $30,415 | $14.62 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $34,247 | $16.46 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $29,397 | $14.13 |
| 12 | New York | $31,320 | $15.06 |
| 13 | California | $32,137 | $15.45 |
| 14 | Oregon | $29,652 | $14.26 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $28,751 | $13.82 |
| 16 | New Jersey | $31,188 | $14.99 |
| 17 | Missouri | $28,530 | $13.72 |
| 18 | Ohio | $28,961 | $13.92 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $31,460 | $15.13 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $31,361 | $15.08 |
| 21 | Delaware | $30,764 | $14.79 |
| 22 | New Mexico | $30,245 | $14.54 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $26,986 | $12.97 |
| 24 | Kansas | $29,164 | $14.02 |
| 25 | Illinois | $28,652 | $13.78 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $28,045 | $13.48 |
| 27 | Colorado | $28,457 | $13.68 |
| 28 | Nevada | $27,519 | $13.23 |
| 29 | Michigan | $27,201 | $13.08 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $27,177 | $13.07 |
| 31 | Montana | $25,423 | $12.22 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $24,429 | $11.74 |
| 33 | Washington | $26,845 | $12.91 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $27,174 | $13.06 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $29,432 | $14.15 |
| 36 | Arizona | $27,152 | $13.05 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $26,240 | $12.62 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $26,720 | $12.85 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $24,507 | $11.78 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $25,343 | $12.18 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $23,219 | $11.16 |
| 42 | Texas | $23,699 | $11.39 |
| 43 | Florida | $24,280 | $11.67 |
| 44 | Alaska | $21,627 | $10.40 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $24,929 | $11.99 |
| 46 | Alabama | $24,459 | $11.76 |
| 47 | Georgia | $23,892 | $11.49 |
| 48 | Maryland | $25,015 | $12.03 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $22,988 | $11.05 |
| 50 | Indiana | $21,797 | $10.48 |
| 51 | Virginia | $21,369 | $10.27 |
Highest paying cities for ranch hands
The highest-paying cities for ranch hands are Petersburg, ND, Leeds, ND, and Antler, ND.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petersburg, ND | $36,509 | $17.55 |
| 2 | Leeds, ND | $36,361 | $17.48 |
| 3 | Antler, ND | $36,332 | $17.47 |
| 4 | Towner, ND | $36,103 | $17.36 |
| 5 | Hope, ND | $35,956 | $17.29 |
| 6 | Carpio, ND | $35,689 | $17.16 |
| 7 | Plaza, ND | $35,086 | $16.87 |
| 8 | Jamestown, ND | $34,970 | $16.81 |
| 9 | Ray, ND | $34,815 | $16.74 |
| 10 | Gackle, ND | $34,345 | $16.51 |
| 11 | Mandan, ND | $33,936 | $16.32 |
| 12 | Hyannis, NE | $33,210 | $15.97 |
| 13 | Lisco, NE | $33,105 | $15.92 |
| 14 | Clarkson, NE | $33,053 | $15.89 |
| 15 | Madrid, NE | $32,912 | $15.82 |
| 16 | Victor, ID | $32,831 | $15.78 |
| 17 | Lexington, NE | $32,774 | $15.76 |
| 18 | Harris, IA | $32,770 | $15.75 |
| 19 | Muir Beach, CA | $32,614 | $15.68 |
| 20 | Weiser, ID | $32,588 | $15.67 |
Ranch hand salary details
A ranch hand's salary ranges from $21,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $34,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a ranch hand's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 75th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
| Average | $27,569 | $2,297 | $13 |
| 25th Percentile | $24,000 | $2,000 | $12 |
| 10th Percentile | $21,000 | $1,750 | $10 |
Highest paying ranch hand jobs
The highest paying types of ranch hands are rider, shepherd, and wrangler.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groom | $30,872 | $2,573 | $14.84 | 9,302 |
| Farm Worker | $26,598 | $2,217 | $12.79 | 25,368 |
| Wrangler | $34,274 | $2,856 | $16.48 | 176 |
| Rider | $50,175 | $4,181 | $24.12 | 3,281 |
| Farm Labour | $26,720 | $2,227 | $12.85 | 25,319 |
| Farm Hand | $26,594 | $2,216 | $12.79 | 9,890 |
Top companies hiring ranch hands now:
Which companies pay ranch hands the most?
Ranch hand salaries at Williams International and Eco Material Technologies are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average ranch hand salary at companies like IBC Bank and Eaton are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams International | $33,674 | $16.19 |
| 2 | Eco Material Technologies | $32,580 | $15.66 |
| 3 | IBC Bank | $31,831 | $15.30 |
| 4 | Eaton | $31,545 | $15.17 |
| 5 | D.R. Horton | $30,087 | $14.46 |
| 6 | Slide Ranch | $29,463 | $14.16 |
| 7 | Amos Media | $29,081 | $13.98 |
| 8 | Bob Schafer | $28,895 | $13.89 |
| 9 | Braum's | $28,848 | $13.87 |
| 10 | Consolidated Investment Group | $28,667 | $13.78 |
| 11 | Grandy's | $27,814 | $13.37 |
| 12 | No Frills Supermarket | $27,612 | $13.28 |
| 13 | Newman and Company | $27,557 | $13.25 |
| 14 | Bradley | $27,487 | $13.21 |
| 15 | SADLER & Company | $27,261 | $13.11 |
| 16 | Andrews Distributing | $27,210 | $13.08 |
| 17 | Kyyba | $27,158 | $13.06 |
| 18 | Childhelp | $27,155 | $13.06 |
| 19 | International Business-Government Counsellors | $26,919 | $12.94 |
| 20 | Gordon | $26,910 | $12.94 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Ranch Hand salary by industry
The average ranch hand salary varies across industries:
- The average ranch hand salary in the health care industry is $28,651, the highest of any industry.
- The average ranch hand salary in the finance industry is $27,483.
- Ranch hands in the government industry earn an average salary of $25,358, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for ranch hands
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $28,651 | $13.77 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $27,483 | $13.21 |
| 3 | Transportation | $26,814 | $12.89 |
| 4 | Technology | $26,570 | $12.77 |
| 5 | Retail | $26,492 | $12.74 |
| 6 | Manufacturing | $26,349 | $12.67 |
| 7 | Professional | $25,980 | $12.49 |
| 8 | Government | $25,358 | $12.19 |
High paying ranch hand jobs
Ranch hand salary trends
The average ranch hand salary has risen by $6,653 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average ranch hand earned $20,916 annually, but today, they earn $27,569 a year. That works out to a 19% change in pay for ranch hands over the last decade.
Compare ranch hand salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average ranch hand salary over time
Compare ranch hand salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Ranch hand salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $27,600 | $13.25 | +4.5% |
| 2024 | $26,300 | $12.66 | +4.6% |
| 2023 | $25,100 | $12.09 | +4.1% |
| 2022 | $24,100 | $11.59 | +3.7% |
| 2021 | $23,200 | $11.16 | +3.1% |
Recently added ranch hand salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Lifestyle Properties | Ranch Hand | Santa Barbara, CA | 06/30/2025 | $35,479 |
| Steuben Foods | Senior Ranch Hand/Livestock Handler | Fine, NY | 06/24/2025 | $50,088 |
| Allied Electric Services | Ranch Hand/General Laborer | Georgetown, TX | 06/21/2025 | $33,392 |
| Brasada | Ranch Hand | Butteville, OR | 06/19/2025 | $37,566 |
| Colorado State University | Temporary Ranch Hand-Ecrc | Fort Collins, CO | 06/12/2025 | $31,305 |
| Equity Lifestyle Properties | Ranch Hand | Santa Barbara, CA | 05/27/2025 | $35,479 |
| Equity Lifestyle Properties | Ranch Hand | Santa Barbara, CA | 04/28/2025 | $35,479 |
| Trust Automation | Ranch Hand | San Luis Obispo, CA | 04/28/2025 | $41,740 |
| Rite of Passage Brand | Ranch Hand | Enon, VA | 04/18/2025 | $33,392 |
| Steuben Foods | Ranch Hand | Fine, NY | 04/13/2025 | $37,566 |
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