Daily AncestorHired man
A hired man was a farm worker paid by the month or season who usually lived with the farm family; a hired girl did the same for housework.
Many young men worked a few years as hired men before getting land of their own. They slept and ate in the farmer's house, so the census lists them inside the household, often as servant, laborer or farm hand.
The 1940 census instructions told enumerators to count a servant, hired hand or other employee who slept in the house as a member of that household. Do not mistake him for a relative.
As seen in a recordHousehold listing in the 1880 to 1940 census
Jno. Olsen, 19, Hired man, Norway
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Hired man." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/hired-man. Last checked 2026-10-01.