>At 60 they have paid off most of the land which is now worth millions and so are rich by any measure in ways most tech jobs cannot get to
A person with the drive and intelligence to start ranching at 20 and put in 80 hours weeks in their youth could have done well in tech too, socking away $100k or more in tax advantaged retirement accounts, all the while having PTO and weekends.
Also, most people like to leave near urban areas with access to airports and a variety of grocery stores and kids' activities and schools filled with kids of other high achievers.
You can only put $38k/year into tax advantages accounts working for someone else - $20k in the 401k, $10k with a match (that would be a generous match, but not unrealistic), and $8k in an IRA. You can double it if you are married. Everything is is not tax advantaged. If you work for yourself there are other retirement laws.
You can of course put as much as you want into real estate (which if you rent out can give a nice return), or other investments. However the tax advantages do not apply.
Ranchers don't normally put anything into tax advantaged accounts, but they tend to put a large portion of their gross income into real estate. By 60 their take home pay is higher than tech and those large investments have grown to more than most in tech make.
Urban and rural areas allow for different life styles. I've lived both and when I'm in one I miss the other.
A person with the drive and intelligence to start ranching at 20 and put in 80 hours weeks in their youth could have done well in tech too, socking away $100k or more in tax advantaged retirement accounts, all the while having PTO and weekends.
Also, most people like to leave near urban areas with access to airports and a variety of grocery stores and kids' activities and schools filled with kids of other high achievers.