Science
What you can do with Animal Science
The biology and care of animals, from companion pets to livestock. The classic pre-veterinary path.
- Careers
- 5
- Early career
- $46,600
- Mid-career
- $79,000
- Growing fast
- 2 of 5
How these numbers work: A major does not have its own salary. Early and mid-career pay is what people who hold this degree earn at the start of their careers and midway through them. Career pay comes from the 5 careers an Animal Science degree commonly leads to, and counts everyone in those jobs, including people who have been doing them for thirty years. The two answer different questions, which is why they do not match.
The New York Fed does not report Animal Science on its own. Its early and mid-career figures here are for Animal and Plant Sciences, the broader group it places this major in.
2 of 5 careers this degree leads to are projected to grow faster than average from 2024 to 2034. Of those, Veterinary Technologist has the most openings, about 14,300 a year.
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5 careers this degree leads to
Veterinarian
$130,100Diagnose and treat illness and injury in animals, from companion pets to livestock, and safeguard public health through disease control.
- Middle half of workers
- $101,460 to $166,120
- Growth
- Much faster than average
- Openings a year
- 3,000
Work-life68Remote1- Clinical Diagnosis
- Surgery
- Science
- Active Learning
Farmer / Agricultural Manager
$89,900Run farms, ranches and greenhouses: crops, livestock, equipment, markets and the money.
- Middle half of workers
- $66,300 to $118,860
- Growth
- Declining
- Openings a year
- 85,500
- Operations
- Agronomy Basics
- Budgeting
- Equipment
Zoologist / Wildlife Biologist
$76,780Study animals in the wild and the lab, informing conservation and how species and habitats are managed.
- Middle half of workers
- $61,180 to $96,100
- Growth
- Slower than average
- Openings a year
- 1,400
Work-life51Remote58- Field Research
- Species Identification
- Data Collection
- Science
Agricultural Technician
$49,630Support agricultural research and production by collecting samples, running tests and maintaining crops and animals.
- Middle half of workers
- $40,950 to $63,630
- Growth
- About average
- Openings a year
- 2,900
- Lab Techniques
- Fieldwork
- Record Keeping
- Equipment
Veterinary Technologist
$47,380Run lab tests, assist in surgery, and provide nursing care for animals under a veterinarian's direction.
- Middle half of workers
- $38,910 to $57,650
- Growth
- Much faster than average
- Openings a year
- 14,300
Work-life68Remote1- Laboratory Testing
- Animal Handling
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
Related majors
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Where these pay figures come from
Early and mid-career pay is the median annual wage of full-time workers who hold a bachelor's degree in that major, ages 22 to 27 and ages 35 to 45, from 2024 data. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (IPUMS). Published as Outcomes by Major by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.