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Animal Training

Types of Degrees Animal Training Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Animal Training may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	2
Bachelor’s Degree	55
Master’s Degree	115

What Animal Training Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Animal Training emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Animal Training careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.0 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Animal Training professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Epic Systems	Medical software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Animal Training graduates include:

• Dairy Science Teacher
• Farm Management Teacher
• Soil Science Teacher
• Agricultural Engineering Technology Instructor
• Farm Instructor
• Agricultural Science Teacher
• Silviculture Teacher
• Fisheries Instructor
• Horticulture Teacher
• Agriculture Instructor
• Sericulture Teacher
• Agronomy Professor
• Olericulture Professor
• Associate Professor
• Animal Science Instructor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	33.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	17.3%
Post-doctoral training	16.5%
Less than a high school diploma	8.8%
Master’s degree	8.6%
Some college courses	6.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.5%
Postsecondary certificate	3.1%
Bachelor’s degree	1.5%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Animal Training?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 90.7% of Animal Training degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	156	90.7%
Men	16	9.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	123	71.5%
Asian	2	1.2%
Hispanic or Latino	21	12.2%
Black or African American	8	4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.6%
Two or More Races	3	1.7%
Race Unknown	12	7.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Animal Training Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Animal Training 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 Training Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Animal Training. 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
Bachelor’s	1	0
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 Training Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Animal Training 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
Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services	01.05
Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services, Other	01.0599
Dog/Pet/Animal Grooming	01.0504
Equestrian/Equine Studies	01.0507
Farrier Science	01.0509
Taxidermy/Taxidermist	01.0508
Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations	01.0102
Agricultural and Food Products Processing	01.0401
Agricultural and Horticultural Plant Breeding	01.1104
Agricultural Animal Breeding	01.0902
Agricultural Business and Management, General	01.0101
Agricultural Business and Management, Other	01.0199

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.