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Animal Science

Types of Degrees Animal Science Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Animal Science have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	50
Associate’s Degree	271
Bachelor’s Degree	7,135
Master’s Degree	607
Doctor’s Degree	213

What Animal Science Majors Need to Know

Programs in Animal Science emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Animal Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Animal Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Food Production — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Animal Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Animal Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Animal Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	4.0 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Animal Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Microsoft Internet Explorer	Internet browser software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Image editing software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Animal Science graduates include:

• Adjunct Instructor
• County Extension Agent
• Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent
• Agriculture Extension Specialist
• Agriculture Consultant
• Home Economics Extension Worker
• 4-H Agent
• Future Farmers of America Advisor (FFA Advisor)
• 4-H Youth Development Educator
• 4-H Youth Development Specialist
• District Extension Service Agent
• Teacher
• Extension Specialist
• Extension Officer
• Agricultural Extension Agent

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Animal Science graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	51.6%
Doctoral degree	15.4%
Bachelor’s degree	13.3%
Post-doctoral training	5.8%
Postsecondary certificate	3.6%
Less than a high school diploma	2.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.2%
Some college courses	0.4%
Post-master’s certificate	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Animal Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 81.7% of Animal Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6,779	81.7%
Men	1,516	18.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Animal Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,532	66.7%
Asian	261	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	1,354	16.3%
Black or African American	359	4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	25	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	7	0.1%
Two or More Races	356	4.3%
Race Unknown	148	1.8%
International Students	253	3.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Animal Science Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Animal Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$34,873
4 years	$43,315
5 years	$54,045

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $54,045 — roughly 55% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Animal Science Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Animal Science. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	4
Bachelor’s	4	5
Master’s	4	4

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Animal Science Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Animal Science graduates earn a median of $43,315 four years after completion — roughly 14% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Agriculture Ag Operations	01
Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services	01.05
Agricultural and Food Products Processing	01.04
Agricultural Business and Management	01.01
Agricultural Mechanization	01.02
Agricultural Production Operations	01.03
Agricultural Public Services	01.08
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other	01.99
Agriculture, General	01.00
Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs	01.13
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services	01.06
Food Science and Technology	01.10

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.