Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 45-2021

Animal Breeders

O*NET task statements lead this Animal Breeders card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers, Forest and Conservation Workers, Agricultural Inspectors, Log Graders and Scalers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Animal Breeders: First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers ($59K) , Forest and Conservation Workers ($44K) , Agricultural Inspectors ($50K) , Log Graders and Scalers ($46K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Animal Breeders publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 45-2021 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches
  2. 2. Observe animals in heat to detect approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary
  3. 3. Treat minor injuries and ailments and contact veterinarians to obtain treatment for animals with serious illnesses or injuries
  4. 4. Arrange for sale of animals and eggs to hospitals, research centers, pet shops, and food processing plants
  5. 5. Place vaccines in drinking water, inject vaccines, or dust air with vaccine powder to protect animals from diseases
  6. 6. Purchase and stock supplies of feed and medicines
  7. 7. Bathe and groom animals
  8. 8. Select animals to be bred, and semen specimens to be used, according to knowledge of animals, genealogies, traits, and desired offspring…
  9. 9. Examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury
  10. 10. Exercise animals to keep them in healthy condition
  11. 11. Adjust controls to maintain specific building temperatures required for animals' health and safety
  12. 12. Build hutches, pens, and fenced yards

Animal Breeders: O*NET ranks Critical Thinking first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 45-2021 - lead skill Critical Thinking at 3.3 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Critical Thinking 3.3
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.0
  3. 3. Speaking 3.0
  4. 4. Science 3.0
  5. 5. Active Learning 3.0
  6. 6. Monitoring 3.0
  7. 7. Complex Problem Solving 3.0
  8. 8. Judgment and Decision Making 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 4.2
  2. 2. Sales and Marketing 3.9
  3. 3. Administration and Management 3.5
  4. 4. Biology 3.3
  5. 5. Mathematics 3.2
  6. 6. Administrative 3.1
National median after O*NET task lead
$51,130
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches
$51K
National median
↑ +2%
Growth 2024-2034
1,200
Annual openings
1,330
Estimated US jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
Highest-pay peer · $59K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Animal Breeders

1. Ohio $68,980
2. New York $48,350
3. Wisconsin $51,130
4. Alabama $53,200
5. California $59,280
6. South Dakota $44,850
7. Nebraska $40,220
8. Minnesota $47,900
9. Texas $48,410

Other Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations titles

  1. 1. Agricultural Inspectors $49,940
  2. 2. Forest and Conservation Workers $43,680
  3. 3. Log Graders and Scalers $46,330
  4. 4. Fallers $52,100
  5. 5. Logging Workers, All Other $50,840
  6. 6. First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers $59,320

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Animal Breeders (SOC 45-2021). The national OEWS median is $51,130 inside Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations. Same-group neighbors: First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers, Forest and Conservation Workers, Agricultural Inspectors, Log Graders and Scalers. Lead published task: Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches.

Employment Projections expect +2% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,200 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Ohio at $68,980. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers at $59,320. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Animal Breeders pay-rank #3 in Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations

Among 13 detailed Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations with a published OEWS median, Animal Breeders is pay-rank #3, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 45-2021 · national median $51,130 · upper third of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations (#3/13). The day-to-day tasks above set this role apart from peers with a similar title.

Animal Breeders salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 45-2021

Ohio · top state for Animal Breeders

$69K published median

New York · #2 state pay

$48K · behind Ohio

First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers

Highest-pay peer vs Animal Breeders · $59K

Forest and Conservation Workers

Lower-pay peer beside Animal Breeders · $44K

Compare Animal Breeders

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Animal Breeders with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Animal Breeders full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations titles sit near Animal Breeders at the top of the pay table? ▼
Animal Breeders is pay-rank #3 of 13 detailed Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Logging Workers, All Other ($51K), Fallers ($52K), Agricultural Inspectors ($50K), First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers ($59K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do animal breeders do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Animal Breeders. Leading ones include: Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches; Observe animals in heat to detect approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary; Treat minor injuries and ailments and contact veterinarians to obtain treatment for animals with serious illnesses or injuries; Arrange for sale of animals and eggs to hospitals, research centers, pet shops, and food processing plants. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for animal breeders? ▼
For SOC 45-2021, O*NET importance scores lead with Critical Thinking (3.3), Active Listening (3.0), Speaking (3.0), Science (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, Administration and Management. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Animal Breeders? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $51,130 as the national median for Animal Breeders. The published 10th-90th range is $38,480 to $90,550. Beside First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers ($59,320), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Animal Breeders? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Animal Breeders is +2%. Projected annual openings: about 1,200. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Animal Breeders? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Animal Breeders. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Animal Breeders? ▼
Ohio ($68,980), New York ($48,350), Wisconsin ($51,130) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Animal Breeders card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 45-2021. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Animal Breeders. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics