Animal Breeders — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$51,130
United States, 2025
Employment
1,330
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Select and breed animals according to their genealogy, characteristics, and offspring. May require knowledge of artificial insemination techniques and equipment use. May involve keeping records on heats, birth intervals, or pedigree.
- O*NET code
- 45-2021.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches.
- Observe animals in heat to detect approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary.
- Treat minor injuries and ailments and contact veterinarians to obtain treatment for animals with serious illnesses or injuries.
- Purchase and stock supplies of feed and medicines.
- Select animals to be bred, and semen specimens to be used, according to knowledge of animals, genealogies, traits, and desired offspring characteristics.
- Examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury.
- Build hutches, pens, and fenced yards.
- Record animal characteristics such as weights, growth patterns, and diets.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$38,480
25th percentile
$44,320
75th percentile
$62,080
90th percentile
$90,550
Most important skills
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Science3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Operations Monitoring2.9
- Writing2.8
- Time Management2.8
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 8 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
8
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Science | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $35,730
Compare with Animal BreedersSupplemental
National median $38,300
Compare with Animal BreedersSupplemental
National median not published
Compare with Animal BreedersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, CA | $69,070 | — | 2025 |
| OH | $68,980 | 80 | 2025 |
| CA | $59,280 | 410 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $58,440 | — | 2025 |
| AL | $53,200 | 60 | 2025 |
| WI | $51,130 | 40 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $49,350 | 50 | 2025 |
| TX | $48,410 | 60 | 2025 |
| NY | $48,350 | 140 | 2025 |
| MN | $47,900 | 170 | 2025 |
| SD | $44,850 | 40 | 2025 |
| NE | $40,220 | 40 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Animal Breeders to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.