Animal Breeders
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
Breeding decisions rest on genealogy, physical traits, and the kind of offspring wanted, including which animals to mate and which semen to use. Daily care is hands-on: feeding and watering, cleaning and disinfecting pens, cages, yards, and hutches, and sometimes building those enclosures. Animals are watched for heat, illness, and injury; minor ailments are treated on site, and a veterinarian is called for serious cases. Records cover weights, growth, diets, heats, birth intervals, and pedigree, and supplies of feed and medicine have to be bought and stocked. People who like close animal care, careful selection, and detailed breeding records tend to fit this work.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$51'130
Median Wage Market Position
$51'130
What you might do
- Select animals and semen for desired offspring
- Watch animals for signs they are ready to breed
- Feed and water animals and clean pens
- Treat minor ailments or call a veterinarian
- Record weights, growth patterns, and diets
- Purchase and stock feed and medicines
Skills that matter
- Selection of breeding stock by pedigree
- Watching animals for signs of heat
- Treatment of minor injuries and ailments
- Talks with veterinarians on serious cases
- Records of weights, growth, and diets
- Choice of semen for desired traits
AI & the future of this role
Selecting breeding stock and managing live animals depends on hands-on observation, timing, and genetic judgment that stay hard to fully automate. Pedigree tracking and trait analysis may lean more on digital tools, but day-to-day breeding work and animal handling still anchor demand.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details