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Ranch help needed in SE Montana

Good luck Faster Horses. I've been looking for help also. It's slim pickings out there or I just don't know where to find good help. If you get too many PM's send a few my way.
 
curious.... what is a yearly salary in Montana for an all around hand??

here if you farm / ranch you will be paying $30-$35 thousand and then a few perks thrown in
 
thats been a problem around here aswell. the exchange program seems to work pretty good for those who use it around here. several foreigners around the neighborhood. most of them that i have met seem to be hard workers, and willing to learn. the bad thing about that program is about the time they get everything down, and you can really turn them lose, they either have to go home or you have to give them to someone else. but they are workers.
 
Same problem around here. There are many farm, ranch and feedlots looking for help and just can't find people that want to work. And to hire and keep the good one it will be 30-40 thousand and some extras.
 
We have to compete with the oil patch $350 to $1000 per day salaries. No amount of perks can compete with that. I get some of those guys on their time off but mostly it is just the wife and myself now. The bright side is she is a heck of a worker and makes up for my deficiencies.
 
You know, I think it is a load of BS that folks do not want to work. Yet I hear it all the time on these boards and other ag type boards.

You try raising a familiy, paying rent (not a mortgage - cannot afford one), paying health care, buying gas to get to work and a whole bunch more - after tax on 30-40K gross.

40K is 769 bucks a week before tax. Try to fix your kids teeth and pay for those new tires on that salary - plus rent and food and clothes.

Oops need new glasses. Even worse now.

19 bucks an hour on a 40 hour week. But only 12 and change on a 60 hour week.

And then try to save a few bucks so you can buy a house.

If you have two kids and a wife that does not / can not work you are dead in the water.

If you have a wife that works she pays most of it out to day care.

Now - I know it is tough - but you jump that to 50K and benefits and folks will come and stay.

Just the way it is.

Cannot afford to pay that cash? Then maybe you need to manage your business a bit better or plan to not hire any help and work from there.

Way I hear it the rich farmer / rancher works the help like slaves and pays like schitte - with no benefits.

Not always true I know.

Anyone paying under 40 and keeping their guy is rare - the proof is in the pudding - we see it here all the time - so it is not the work ability - it is the damned poor pay cheque that drives them away and keeps them away.

A lot easier to love your job if you own the land, the cattle and control the money.

Even the best worker gets tired of earning chump change and not getting at least a little bit ahead - eventually gets pissed off and leaves.

So would you if you were honest.

So - all those folks leaving for other places or not coming back - might not be wrong - perhaps the ag community is wrong - most of the ag community are far removed from what it is like to live on a paycheque and not have their own home.

Ag is known in many places as the employer of last choice - and often for good reason

Most folks - not all - on here - have not collected a paycheque in a long time - the first number on the stub is always a lot bigger than the last one - you know - the one that is called take home.

We deal in bulk money and we decide where it goes - the hired hand / employee deals in small amounts and does not decide where the money goes - it is decided for him.

Now everyone - go right ahead - read only pieces of this and pile on and start kicking my ash - but for Cheerists Sake - there are a lot of folks out there than cannot afford to leave their benefits for a job that would put them in the poor house.

Time to put a mile or two in the shoes of the low wage earner.

And I do not care how low your ranch income is - you are 90 plus % of the time - far better off than the hired hand and you know it.

So - everyone of you that has bitched about not being able to find someone to work - perhaps you need to look in the mirror and ask the following:

Why should they come to work for me - what do I have to make it attractive to the employee?

Generally the answer - if you are honest - You have nothing to offer that IS attractive.

It all boils down to schitte pay and lousy or no benefits means no help.

Want the help - gotta pay - plain and simple.

And finally remember this - this talk about "who works and who does not" from this side of the house equates to "who pays and who does not" from the other side of the house.

Two way street.

FH - apologies for the hijack - hope you find what you are looking for.

Roger, out!

BC
 
We've worked for a few different outfits, and if an empolyee would be allowed to run some cows of their own, it'd be alot easier to fill postions, but those owners are few and far between....just my 2 cents worth......
 
BC you are right on the money. I have had many excellent workers in the past and 3 of them came back after trying the waters elsewhere. I just can't justify a proper salary for them right now so we went the low input low cost route and I think are better off anyway. I will farm out labor to mobile mechanics and trucking firms and welders, etc as needed.
 
According to BC I guess I must be a low wage earner! :roll: There's a whole lot more to life than cash. I've been making 40 thousand or less my entire life. The job i have now pays me more than I have ever made and comes with insurance. Never had that either. But too many people think they are owed something. They want a starter mansion right as soon as they get married. They want a boat and toys and vacations all over the place. And they have absolutely no idea what work is or saving or responsibility. They want instant gratification! Forty thousand dollars a year is a lot of money if you have half a brain with it! But paying someone that small amount of money and excepting them to work a little is asking to much I guess. :shock: Heck, I know guys who don't make 40 thousand themselves per year. How they gonna hire someone for 60? And since I have walked more than a mile in the shoes of a "Low wage earner" as you defined, I guess you won't have a problem with me calling out your logic. Whats wrong with the world isnt the amount of money being paid! It's the lack of work ethic, the lack of responsibility, the wanting instead of needing and the credit mentality that way too many people have. Too many people are scared to do real work. Or they are just plain ash spoiled! BC, I have pretty much agreed with everything you post from politics to cows, but your statement here is one I sure disagree with. If you want to blame "low wages" on the reason people don't want to work a ranch job maybe you've lost touch with us bottom dwellers. The real reason is folks have gotten soft and WONT WORK ANYMORE! Now you can start kicking my butt back! :wink: :lol:
 
there is alot to be respected on both sides of this topic\post.both employer and employee.in the years past, there were percentages and cost shares where i could take the good with the bad.and reap what i sowed.NOW,corporate farming\ranches seems to be paper and cash with to many politics involved.alot of BTO's[big time operators]with little pay out and big tears.the only thing that seems to pay for the rancher is hard work,with lots of time and patience,and a belief in God.

Genesis 26:12
 
leanin' H said:
According to BC I guess I must be a low wage earner! :roll: There's a whole lot more to life than cash. I've been making 40 thousand or less my entire life. The job i have now pays me more than I have ever made and comes with insurance. Never had that either. But too many people think they are owed something. They want a starter mansion right as soon as they get married. They want a boat and toys and vacations all over the place. And they have absolutely no idea what work is or saving or responsibility. They want instant gratification! Forty thousand dollars a year is a lot of money if you have half a brain with it! But paying someone that small amount of money and excepting them to work a little is asking to much I guess. :shock: Heck, I know guys who don't make 40 thousand themselves per year. How they gonna hire someone for 60? And since I have walked more than a mile in the shoes of a "Low wage earner" as you defined, I guess you won't have a problem with me calling out your logic. Whats wrong with the world isnt the amount of money being paid! It's the lack of work ethic, the lack of responsibility, the wanting instead of needing and the credit mentality that way too many people have. Too many people are scared to do real work. Or they are just plain ash spoiled! BC, I have pretty much agreed with everything you post from politics to cows, but your statement here is one I sure disagree with. If you want to blame "low wages" on the reason people don't want to work a ranch job maybe you've lost touch with use bottome dwellers. The real reason is folks have gotten soft and WONT WORK ANYMORE! Now you can start kicking my butt back! :wink: :lol:
Click to expand...

:agree: :clap: :clap:

Remember this quote, "there's some jobs Americans won't do." I thought it was a disgusting thing to say by W then and still do today. If you need work to feed yourself or your family, the quote should be 'there's no job that I wouldn't do.' There seems to be to many that think some jobs are beneath them. I say take the stinko job until something better comes along, save your money and pull yourself up by your boot straps.
 
Triangle Bar said:
leanin' H said:
According to BC I guess I must be a low wage earner! :roll: There's a whole lot more to life than cash. I've been making 40 thousand or less my entire life. The job i have now pays me more than I have ever made and comes with insurance. Never had that either. But too many people think they are owed something. They want a starter mansion right as soon as they get married. They want a boat and toys and vacations all over the place. And they have absolutely no idea what work is or saving or responsibility. They want instant gratification! Forty thousand dollars a year is a lot of money if you have half a brain with it! But paying someone that small amount of money and excepting them to work a little is asking to much I guess. :shock: Heck, I know guys who don't make 40 thousand themselves per year. How they gonna hire someone for 60? And since I have walked more than a mile in the shoes of a "Low wage earner" as you defined, I guess you won't have a problem with me calling out your logic. Whats wrong with the world isnt the amount of money being paid! It's the lack of work ethic, the lack of responsibility, the wanting instead of needing and the credit mentality that way too many people have. Too many people are scared to do real work. Or they are just plain ash spoiled! BC, I have pretty much agreed with everything you post from politics to cows, but your statement here is one I sure disagree with. If you want to blame "low wages" on the reason people don't want to work a ranch job maybe you've lost touch with use bottome dwellers. The real reason is folks have gotten soft and WONT WORK ANYMORE! Now you can start kicking my butt back! :wink: :lol:
Click to expand...

:agree: :clap: :clap:

Remember this quote, "there's some jobs Americans won't do." I thought it was a disgusting thing to say by W then and still do today. If you need work to feed yourself or your family, the quote should be 'there's no job that I wouldn't do.' There seems to be to many that think some jobs are beneath them. I say take the stinko job until something better comes along, save your money and pull yourself up by your boot straps.
Click to expand...

Pretty hard to make blanket statements about anything.

But I think that what B.C. is saying is that there won't be much left over to save if a family is to live on 40 G's if they are paying mortgage or rent, health insurance, etc. out of that.

It's not that hard to figure out. Take $40,000 and start subtracting - taxes, rent/mortgage, insurances, clothing (won't be designer or fancy) groceries, meat . . .

The wage earner won't need a very big piggy bank for the savings.

Having said that, I have never made $40,000 a year in my whole 54 years. Except for when I sold a farm. And a lot of that went into paying down debt.

But somehow we always made it and had lots to eat and wear.
 
leanin' H said:
According to BC I guess I must be a low wage earner! :roll: There's a whole lot more to life than cash. I've been making 40 thousand or less my entire life. The job i have now pays me more than I have ever made and comes with insurance. Never had that either. But too many people think they are owed something. They want a starter mansion right as soon as they get married. They want a boat and toys and vacations all over the place. And they have absolutely no idea what work is or saving or responsibility. They want instant gratification! Forty thousand dollars a year is a lot of money if you have half a brain with it! But paying someone that small amount of money and excepting them to work a little is asking to much I guess. :shock: Heck, I know guys who don't make 40 thousand themselves per year. How they gonna hire someone for 60? And since I have walked more than a mile in the shoes of a "Low wage earner" as you defined, I guess you won't have a problem with me calling out your logic. Whats wrong with the world isnt the amount of money being paid! It's the lack of work ethic, the lack of responsibility, the wanting instead of needing and the credit mentality that way too many people have. Too many people are scared to do real work. Or they are just plain ash spoiled! BC, I have pretty much agreed with everything you post from politics to cows, but your statement here is one I sure disagree with. If you want to blame "low wages" on the reason people don't want to work a ranch job maybe you've lost touch with use bottome dwellers. The real reason is folks have gotten soft and WONT WORK ANYMORE! Now you can start kicking my butt back! :wink: :lol:
Click to expand...


Isn't this Broke Cowboy employed by a Gov't?

So, he's a goverment employee with a secured income....


Just sayin......................................
 
jingo2 said:
leanin' H said:
According to BC I guess I must be a low wage earner! :roll: There's a whole lot more to life than cash. I've been making 40 thousand or less my entire life. The job i have now pays me more than I have ever made and comes with insurance. Never had that either. But too many people think they are owed something. They want a starter mansion right as soon as they get married. They want a boat and toys and vacations all over the place. And they have absolutely no idea what work is or saving or responsibility. They want instant gratification! Forty thousand dollars a year is a lot of money if you have half a brain with it! But paying someone that small amount of money and excepting them to work a little is asking to much I guess. :shock: Heck, I know guys who don't make 40 thousand themselves per year. How they gonna hire someone for 60? And since I have walked more than a mile in the shoes of a "Low wage earner" as you defined, I guess you won't have a problem with me calling out your logic. Whats wrong with the world isnt the amount of money being paid! It's the lack of work ethic, the lack of responsibility, the wanting instead of needing and the credit mentality that way too many people have. Too many people are scared to do real work. Or they are just plain ash spoiled! BC, I have pretty much agreed with everything you post from politics to cows, but your statement here is one I sure disagree with. If you want to blame "low wages" on the reason people don't want to work a ranch job maybe you've lost touch with use bottome dwellers. The real reason is folks have gotten soft and WONT WORK ANYMORE! Now you can start kicking my butt back! :wink: :lol:
Click to expand...


Isn't this Broke Cowboy employed by a Gov't?

So, he's a goverment employee with a secured income....


Just sayin......................................
Click to expand...

You are a scab.

Just sayin'.
 
Cowboy, You are absolutely right from your position. Now you need to look at the problem from the Ranchers [employers] position. If you do you will see that it is not so simple.
~Rocky
 
leanin' H said:
According to BC I guess I must be a low wage earner! :roll: There's a whole lot more to life than cash. I've been making 40 thousand or less my entire life. The job i have now pays me more than I have ever made and comes with insurance. Never had that either. But too many people think they are owed something. They want a starter mansion right as soon as they get married. They want a boat and toys and vacations all over the place. And they have absolutely no idea what work is or saving or responsibility. They want instant gratification! Forty thousand dollars a year is a lot of money if you have half a brain with it! But paying someone that small amount of money and excepting them to work a little is asking to much I guess. :shock: Heck, I know guys who don't make 40 thousand themselves per year. How they gonna hire someone for 60? And since I have walked more than a mile in the shoes of a "Low wage earner" as you defined, I guess you won't have a problem with me calling out your logic. Whats wrong with the world isnt the amount of money being paid! It's the lack of work ethic, the lack of responsibility, the wanting instead of needing and the credit mentality that way too many people have. Too many people are scared to do real work. Or they are just plain ash spoiled! BC, I have pretty much agreed with everything you post from politics to cows, but your statement here is one I sure disagree with. If you want to blame "low wages" on the reason people don't want to work a ranch job maybe you've lost touch with us bottom dwellers. The real reason is folks have gotten soft and WONT WORK ANYMORE! Now you can start kicking my butt back! :wink: :lol:
Click to expand...

Your privilige - but you are well into the minority - respect you for what you are and what you do - but some folks want to own their own place and you cannot buy an outift without a lot of outside help if you are a low wage earner.

You may have yours - but once again in the minority.

And - no offense - if you are under 40K you are just that.

You might add that I used the words "most" and "not all" more than a few times. Allowing for a few exceptions.

Sure wish I had a boat ......

All it takes is one disaster and you are bust - got that T shirt - and you got that insurance - hang on to it - not many will get it working for an ag outfit.

And yes - ag is still the employer of last choice. For many reasons - but cash is a big one.

Get too sick and they can pull it or raise your costs - so stay healthy

After midnight here - off to bed.

Cheers

BC
 

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