23% of these careers already have a full profile page; the rest publish with the next tranche and show the same bank data here in the meantime.
Careers Working With Animals (2026)
Veterinarian tops this list at $130,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with +9.6% projected employment change over 2024–2034. Below are 13 careers that meet the criteria, each with its real median wage, outlook and entry requirement.
Occupations whose day-to-day work involves animals, wildlife, or livestock.
- Careers on this list
- 13
- Median pay on the list
- $47,380
- Projected to grow
- 11 of 13
- Openings a year
- 183,900
From 923 in the bank
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Combined, BLS EP
How we built this list
- Included when O*NET tasks and work activities involve animals, wildlife or livestock.
- Occupations with no BLS wage or projection data are excluded rather than estimated.
- The list is regenerated from source data on every bank refresh. It is not hand-picked and no editorial ranking is applied.
The top 13 careers working with animals
1. Veterinarian
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $130,100
- Growth
- +9.6%
- Openings/yr
- 3,000
- Education
- Doctorate
Diagnose, treat, or research diseases and injuries of animals.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
2. Wildlife Biologist
Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Median pay
- $76,780
- Growth
- +1.6%
- Openings/yr
- 1,400
- Education
- Bachelor's
Study the origins, behavior, diseases, genetics, and life processes of animals and wildlife.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
3. Fish and Game Warden
Protective Service
- Median pay
- $74,060
- Growth
- -6.0%
- Openings/yr
- 500
- Education
- Bachelor's
Patrol assigned area to prevent fish and game law violations.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
4. Animal Scientist
Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Median pay
- $68,940
- Growth
- +5.8%
- Openings/yr
- 200
- Education
- Bachelor's
Conduct research in the genetics, nutrition, reproduction, growth, and development of domestic farm animals.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
5. First-Line Supervisor of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
- Median pay
- $59,320
- Growth
- +2.5%
- Openings/yr
- 8,500
- Education
- High school
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of agricultural, forestry, aquacultural, and related workers.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
6. Animal Breeder
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
- Median pay
- $51,130
- Growth
- +2.4%
- Openings/yr
- 1,200
- Education
- High school
Select and breed animals according to their genealogy, characteristics, and offspring.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
7. Veterinary Technician
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $47,380
- Growth
- +9.1%
- Openings/yr
- 14,300
- Education
- Associate's
Perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals.
Veterinary Technician salary & outlook →8. Animal Control Worker
Protective Service
- Median pay
- $45,660
- Growth
- +3.9%
- Openings/yr
- 1,300
- Education
- High school
Handle animals for the purpose of investigations of mistreatment, or control of abandoned, dangerous, or unattended animals.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
9. Animal Trainer
Personal Care and Service
- Median pay
- $39,990
- Growth
- +5.1%
- Openings/yr
- 7,100
- Education
- High school
Train animals for riding, harness, security, performance, or obedience, or for assisting persons with disabilities.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
10. Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutter and Trimmer
Production
- Median pay
- $38,300
- Growth
- +5.5%
- Openings/yr
- 18,400
- Education
- No formal credential
Use hands or hand tools to perform routine cutting and trimming of meat, poultry, and seafood.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
11. Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker
Healthcare Support
- Median pay
- $38,150
- Growth
- +8.7%
- Openings/yr
- 22,200
- Education
- High school
Feed, water, and examine pets and other nonfarm animals for signs of illness, disease, or injury in laboratories and animal hospitals and clinics.
Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker salary & outlook →12. Farmworker, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animal
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
- Median pay
- $36,670
- Growth
- -5.0%
- Openings/yr
- 31,200
- Education
- No formal credential
Attend to live farm, ranch, open range or aquacultural animals that may include cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses and other equines, poultry, rabbits, finfish, shellfish, and bees.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
13. Animal Caretaker
Personal Care and Service
- Median pay
- $35,360
- Growth
- +12.1%
- Openings/yr
- 74,600
- Education
- High school
Feed, water, groom, bathe, exercise, or otherwise provide care to promote and maintain the well-being of pets and other animals that are not raised for consumption, such as dogs, cats, race horses, ornamental fish or…
Animal Caretaker salary & outlook →
Careers Working With Animals: FAQ
What is the top career on the careers working with animals list?
Veterinarian leads the list with a median wage of $130,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025) and projected employment change of +9.6% over 2024–2034. Typical entry-level education is doctorate.
How was this list put together?
Occupations whose day-to-day work involves animals, wildlife, or livestock. Included when O*NET tasks and work activities involve animals, wildlife or livestock. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET 30.3 Database.
How much do careers working with animals pay?
Across the 13 careers on this list the middle occupation pays $47,380 a year, from $35,360 at the bottom to $130,100 at the top (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The median across all US occupations is $50,980.
How many of these careers can you enter without a degree?
8 of the 13 careers on this list have a typical entry requirement below an associate's degree: a high school diploma, a postsecondary certificate, or no formal credential (BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034).