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Dairy Science

Types of Degrees Dairy Science Majors Are Earning

Those studying Dairy Science may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	6
Associate’s Degree	18
Bachelor’s Degree	102
Master’s Degree	10
Doctor’s Degree	7

What Dairy Science Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Dairy Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Food Production — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Dairy Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Dairy Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	—
Microsoft Internet Explorer	Internet browser software	—
Kahoot!	Multi-media educational software	—
Order management software	Procurement software	—
ServiceNow	Data base user interface and query software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Dairy Science graduates include:

• Adjunct Instructor
• County Extension Agent
• 4-H Youth Development Educator
• CTE Teacher (Career and Technical Education Teacher)
• Cooking Instructor
• 4-H Agent
• Extension Worker
• Program Management Advisor
• 4-H Club Agent
• Resource Management Specialist
• Home Services Advisor
• Extension Specialist
• Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent
• Family and Consumer Sciences Educator (FACS Educator)
• Agriculture Consultant

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	47.9%
Bachelor’s degree	14.9%
Doctoral degree	13.3%
Post-doctoral training	4.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.3%
Postsecondary certificate	4.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.7%
Less than a high school diploma	2.7%
Some college courses	0.9%
Post-master’s certificate	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Dairy Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 74.7% of Dairy Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	115	74.7%
Men	39	25.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	130	84.4%
Asian	1	0.6%
Hispanic or Latino	8	5.2%
Two or More Races	4	2.6%
Race Unknown	1	0.6%
International Students	10	6.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Dairy Science Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Dairy 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.}

Is a Degree in Dairy Science Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Dairy 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
Animal Sciences	01.09
Agricultural Animal Breeding	01.0902
Animal Health	01.0903
Animal Nutrition	01.0904
Animal Sciences, General	01.0901
Animal Sciences, Other	01.0999
Livestock Management	01.0906
Poultry Science	01.0907
Agronomy and Crop Science	01.1102
Plant Sciences, General	01.1101
Animal/Livestock Husbandry and Production	01.0302
Apiculture	01.0310

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.