Wondering How Much Do Bull Riders Make?
Bull riding is a sport in which a rider mounts a bucking bull and attempts to stay atop the animal as it tries to buck the rider off.
Bull riding in the United States is seen as “sport’s most deadly eight seconds,” and you might wonder how much bull riders make because of this.
The rider must stay on top of the bull for eight seconds while gripping a bull rope tied behind the bull’s forelegs with one hand to earn a point.
A no-score ride occurs if the rider touches the bull with their free hand or fails to reach the eight-second mark.
Up to four judges may judge the rider, and four judges may judge the bull depending on the bull riding organization and the contest.
Summary
| Guide | How Much Do Bull Riders Make? |
|---|---|
| Average Income | $64,167 per year |
| Highest Income | $190,000 per year |
| Qualification | Not Required |
| Bull Rider training program | 1-3 days of training programme |
Who Are Bull Riders?
Like bareback and saddle bronc riders, Bull riders must get onto the back of a 2,000-pound animal and stay there for an eight-second ride.
With one hand gripping a flat braided rope around the bull’s torso, their other hand must keep above their head.
They will not earn a score if their free hand touches the bull or themselves at any stage.
The “tail” of the bull rope is put through a loop on the opposite end and tightened around the bull.
Unlike the other rough stock competitors, Bull riders do not have to mark off or spur the animals.
How Much Does Bull Riders Make?
Bull riding is a popular activity, but those who excel at it may become a career.
A typical bull rider’s compensation ranges from $19,910 to $187,200, with a median of $64,167.
Because so much of a rider’s success in the sport depends on talent, this range is attributable to the competitive nature of bull riding.
Many bull riders participate on weekends while working throughout the week to make ends meet.
Bull riders, like other athletes, can join a variety of organizations.
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (RDCA), the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), and Championship Bull Riding all compete for huge money, but PBR isn’t the only one.
1. How Much Do Bull Riders Make an Hour?
Bull Riders make a minimum of $7.45 an hour and a maximum of $28.61 an hour.
2. How Much Do Bull Riders Make a Month?
Bull Riders make a minimum of $1,292 a month and a maximum of $4,958 a month.
3. How Much Do Bull Riders Make a Year?
Bull Riders make a minimum of $15,500 a year and a maximum of $59,500 a year.
Highest Salary Of Bull Riders In 2023
Being a bull rider, the wage is not only your Salary because you participate in competitions and those competitions have a prize pool.
If you are good at being a bull rider, there is a high chance you will earn some now and then. However, you also get a salary from the team or the organization that you are entitled to.
Looking at several job boards and statistics from authorities, we see that the highest Salary of bull riders goes as high as around $190,000 annually.
This is already a high number when compared to the average Salary in the States.
Still, many successful bull riders generally earn millions annually because of the prizes they win from the competitions.
Is Being A Bull Rider Good Or Bad?
Bull riding is a dangerous sport that is not suitable for everyone.
Professional riders frequently have several injuries over their careers, some of which hinder.
Work can also be intermittent, with many riders giving up their lassos once the hardships of the job become too much for them.
Bull riders, on the other hand, get worldwide respect and acclaim. Those who make it to the top tiers of the sport can earn millions of dollars throughout their careers.
The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) group has several members who claim million-dollar and six-figure profits.
It all depends on your tolerance to these risks whether you are willing to take this risk/award ratio.
Pros and Cons of Being A Bull Riders
Pros
- Adventurous
- No education degree required
- Less working hours
Cons
- Risk of life
- Accidents are common
How To Become Bull Riders?
Being a bull rider does not require any specific thing from you. There are no college degrees or anything that you must have to be a bull rider.
However, since it is extremely dangerous to be a bull rider, you need to have the necessary information, which is something you can obtain at bull riding classes you can get anywhere around the country.
This is not a must, but without this, it would be tough to compete as you do not know anything, and you could fail without any professional help.
What does it take to Become a Bull Rider?
How Many Hours Does Bull Rider Work?
Most Bull riding events last for 2-3 hours, so Bull Riders need to be available during the event. Before the event, they spend time practicing as per their choice, so there is no fixed set of working hours for Bull Riders really.
What is the Starting Pay of Bull Rider?
The starting pay of a Bull Rider is $7.45 an hour or $15,500 a year. With more time and by gaining more popularity and experience, they can make as much as $28.61 an hour or $59,500 a year.
Bull Rider Training Programs
The Bull riding lessons are available to people as young as 12 years old.
Bull riding schools are everywhere around the country and typically offer one to three days of instruction to bull riders of different ability levels.
These seminars often have teachers of retired bull riders who know the ins and outs of setting a bull.
Taking a bull riding lesson can assist you in developing the necessary mental attitude, form, and skill to succeed in this highly competitive activity.
Also Read: How Much Do Survivor Contestants Make?
Conclusion
To sum up, being a bull rider is not easy because of the nature of the job, as it is extremely risky.
However, this risk pays off in financials as you might earn up to six figures when you have enough experience and are good at what you are doing.
That is why being a bull rider is controversial for many people about whether it is good or not.
You do not have to study at any college for it, which is another upside.
FAQ
How much do bull riders make from competitions?
This depends on what competition they choose to join. If it is a national or an international one, the prize pool is really high, which could go as high as $500,000 or maybe even more. But if we are looking at local competitions, they are way lower.
How much do bull riders make when they go into their first bull riding in a professional area?
They make the lowest amount most of the time.
How much do bull riders make if they are not professionals?
If you are not a professional, chances are you doing this as a hobby, and then you will have no salary but only the prizes you get from the competitions, which depends on how much you join and how many of them you win.
Shefali Jain is a Content Writer & Editor at USWorkforce.org
After completing her graduation in hospitality, Shefali decided to follow her passion and started writing. Shefali has been writing for two years now and contributes to our website as a skilled editor and content writer with strong research skills. Writing product and service reviews, biographies, and book reviews are some of her key areas, among many others in which she specializes. In her time at the organization, she has written and edited content on a range of topics, including employment law, human resources, and business management.
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