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Animal Services

Types of Degrees Animal Services Majors Are Earning

Those studying Animal Services may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	390
Associate’s Degree	182
Bachelor’s Degree	394
Master’s Degree	458

What Animal Services Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Animal Services emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set built by a Animal Services program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Instructing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	3.8 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Animal Services professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Animal Services graduates include:

• Faculty Member
• Adjunct Instructor
• Associate Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Professor
• Instructor
• Animal Handler
• Cat Groomer
• Dog Groomer
• Pet Groomer
• Olericulture Teacher
• Aquaculture Professor
• Soil Biology Teacher
• Horticulture Manager
• Soil Science Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	21.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	20.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	15.0%
Post-doctoral training	9.7%
Bachelor’s degree	8.1%
Master’s degree	7.0%
Less than a high school diploma	6.7%
Postsecondary certificate	5.9%
Some college courses	5.6%
Post-master’s certificate	0.3%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Animal Services?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 85.6% of Animal Services degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,219	85.6%
Men	205	14.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	776	54.5%
Asian	5	0.4%
Hispanic or Latino	540	37.9%
Black or African American	23	1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	6	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.3%
Two or More Races	30	2.1%
Race Unknown	31	2.2%
International Students	9	0.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Animal Services Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Animal Services 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	$25,658
4 years	$29,442
5 years	$34,298

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $34,298 — roughly 34% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Animal Services Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Animal Services. 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	6	4
Bachelor’s	2	1
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 Animal Services Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Animal Services graduates earn a median of $29,442 four years after completion — about 23% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{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 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
Animal Sciences	01.09
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.