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Animal Behavior & Ethology

Types of Degrees Animal Behavior & Ethology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Animal Behavior & Ethology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	240
Master’s Degree	18
Doctor’s Degree	9

What Animal Behavior & Ethology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Animal Behavior & Ethology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Biology — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Chemistry — Importance 2.8 / 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 Behavior & Ethology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Science — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Animal Behavior & Ethology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Animal Behavior & Ethology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
IBM Lotus 1-2-3	Spreadsheet software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Statistical software	Analytical or scientific software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Animal Behavior & Ethology graduates include:

• Biotechnologist
• Research and Development Associate (R & D Associate)
• Fowl Blood Tester
• Environmental Technician
• Biology Specimen Technician
• Biological Field Technician (Biological Field Tech)
• Microbiology Technician
• Biomedical Technician
• Biology Research Assistant
• Wildlife Biology Technician
• Medical Research Assistant
• Artificial Breeding Laboratory Technician (Artificial Breeding Lab Tech)
• Biological Science Aide
• Research Associate
• Artificial Inseminator

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	52.6%
Master’s degree	34.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.9%
Post-doctoral training	1.8%
Doctoral degree	1.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.8%
Some college courses	0.8%
Postsecondary certificate	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Animal Behavior & Ethology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 83.9% of Animal Behavior & Ethology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	224	83.9%
Men	43	16.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	212	79.4%
Asian	6	2.2%
Hispanic or Latino	15	5.6%
Black or African American	11	4.1%
Two or More Races	15	5.6%
Race Unknown	5	1.9%
International Students	3	1.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Animal Behavior & Ethology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Animal Behavior & Ethology 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	$29,186
4 years	$39,528
5 years	$51,678

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $51,678 — roughly 77% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Animal Behavior & Ethology Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Animal Behavior & Ethology. 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 Animal Behavior & Ethology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Animal Behavior & Ethology graduates earn a median of $39,528 four years after completion — roughly 4% 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
Zoology/Animal Biology	26.07
Animal Physiology	26.0707
Entomology	26.0702
Wildlife Biology	26.0709
Zoology/Animal Biology, Other	26.0799
Zoology/Animal Biology	26.0701
Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography	26.1302
Aquatic Biology/Limnology	26.1304
Biochemistry	26.0202
Bioinformatics	26.1103
Biology/Biological Sciences, General	26.0101
Biomedical Sciences, General	26.0102

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.