Animal Science Major

Animal science is a major that typically falls into the Agriculture category.

There are 34 programs available throughout the country that offer an associate’s degree in animal science, 116 that offer a bachelor’s degree, and 71 that offer a master’s degree. There are also at least 50 schools in the nation where you can get your doctorate degree in the field.

Who Is Getting an Animal Science Degree?

In 2017, roughly 6,000 animal science majors graduated with a bachelor’s degree. This makes it #69 in popularity of all the majors we track. The major attracts more women than men. About 78.9% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial Distribution

At the countrywide level, the racial distribution of animal science majors is as follows:

• Asian: 3%
• Black or African American: 3.6%
• Hispanic or Latino: 10.8%
• White: 74.9%
• Non-Resident Alien: 1%
• Other Races: 6.7%

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in animal science. About 1% of those graduating in 2017 were international students. The most popular countries sending animal science majors to the U.S. are China, Brazil and India.

What Will You Learn as an Animal Science Major?

An O*NET survey asked people with careers related to animal science to rate how important certain subject areas were to their job. The following are some of the results of that survey. Importance was rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Animal Science Majors

Animal science majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

Skills for Animal Science Majors

Animal science majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

Abilities for Animal Science Majors

A major in animal science will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

What Can You Do With an Animal Science Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with animal science:

Careers Related to Animal Science

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Farm and Home Management Advisors	7.7%	$49,840
Aquacultural Managers	-0.8%	$67,950
First-Line Supervisors of Animal Husbandry and Animal Care Workers	2.1%	$46,960
Agricultural Sciences Professors	7.9%	$84,640
Farm and Ranch Managers	-0.8%	$67,950
Animal Scientists	4.9%	$58,380

Animal Science Major Salary

Average salaries range from $53,000 to $80,000 for careers related to animal science. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, the typical high school graduate makes between $29,000 and $57,000 a year. The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $44,000 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,000 and $120,000.

The area of the country you choose to work in will also affect your career and salary prospects. Getting a graduate degree may open up more options with higher salary potential.

Amount of Education Required for Animal Science Major Jobs

Some careers associated with animal science require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much education do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to animal science have obtained the following education levels.

Education Levels for Careers Associated With Animal Science

Level of Education	Percentage of Workers
Less Than a High School Diploma	0.9%
High School Diploma or Equivalent	11.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate	10.1%
Some College Courses	1.6%
Associate's Degree or Equivalent	4.7%
Bachelor's Degree	22.7%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate	2.1%
Master's Degree	19%
Post-Master's Certificate	1.5%
First Professional Degree	0%
Doctoral Degree	20.1%
Post-Doctoral Training	5.7%

Online Animal Science Programs

There are 116 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in animal science, with 1 of them offering at least some courses online.

Online learners must listen or watch video lectures, participate in group chats or forums, submit papers and assignments electronically, take tests, and meet deadlines.

Getting your degree online is not easy and includes watching and listening to hours of lectures, participating in group charts, submitting papers by the appropriate deadline and taking tests. Some online programs will also feature internships or in-person clinical hours.

Is an Animal Science Major Worth It?

The median salary for an animal science grad is $68,000 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 74% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $575,800 after 20 years!

Related Majors

• General Agriculture
• Agricultural Economics
• Agricultural Mechanization
• Agricultural Production
• Food Processing
• Animal Services
• Horticulture
• International Agriculture
• Agricultural Public Services
• Animal Science
• Food Science Technology
• Plant Sciences
• Soil Sciences
• Other Agriculture

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
O*NET Online
Image Credit: Billy Hathorn via License