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Poultry Science

Types of Degrees Poultry Science Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Poultry Science have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	2
Associate’s Degree	1
Bachelor’s Degree	110
Master’s Degree	26
Doctor’s Degree	22

What Poultry Science Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Poultry Science build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Poultry Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Poultry 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

The skill set developed in a Poultry 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

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Poultry 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, Poultry 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 Poultry Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation 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	—
Microsoft Dynamics	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Kahoot!	Multi-media educational software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Poultry Science graduates include:

• Adjunct Instructor
• County Extension Agent
• Extension Agent
• County Agricultural Agent
• Home Services Advisor
• Home Economics Extension Worker
• 4-H Youth Educator
• Farm Agent
• Farm Services Consultant
• Cooperative Extension Agent
• Cooking Instructor
• Extension Service Specialist
• Future Farmers of America Advisor (FFA Advisor)
• Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent
• Youth Development Professional

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Poultry 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 Poultry Science?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 49.1% women and 50.9% men among Poultry Science graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	79	49.1%
Men	82	50.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	108	67.1%
Asian	2	1.2%
Hispanic or Latino	17	10.6%
Black or African American	5	3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.6%
Two or More Races	3	1.9%
International Students	25	15.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Poultry Science Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Poultry Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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 Poultry Science Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Poultry 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
Master’s	1	0

^{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 Poultry Science Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Poultry 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
Dairy Science	01.0905
Livestock Management	01.0906
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.