Also called: Pickup Man, Bronc Pickup Rider
Rides alongside bucking horses at rodeos to help riders get off safely after the buzzer, then releases the flank strap and guides the horse out.
A pickup rider sits on a strong, calm horse in the arena as a bronc explodes out of the chute. When the eight-second buzzer sounds, they ride beside the bucking horse, let the cowboy grab on and swing off, then loosen the bronc's flank strap and herd it to the exit.
Approximate; paid per performance; top pickup riders work the big finals.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
No formal education, about 0 years after high school. Expert horsemanship from years on ranches and rodeos.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Growing about average. Every rough-stock rodeo needs pickup riders.
Low risk for 10 years. Split-second horseback rescue work in an arena can't be automated.
Classes: Agriculture or FFA, Physical education, Animal science.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.