Animal Scientists
Life, Physical, and Social Science
The research covers genetics, nutrition, reproduction, and growth in domestic farm animals, including how feed, housing, and management affect products such as eggs and milk. Typical work is studying what animals need to eat, testing feeding or breeding practices, and looking for better ways to house animals and control parasites and disease. Findings are written up or presented to other scientists, producers, and the public, and producers are advised on techniques that could raise quality or output. This suits a preference for long-term scientific questions about livestock, careful research on feeding and breeding, and explaining results to farmers as well as researchers.
Typical education: Doctoral Degree (Ph.D., Ed.D.)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$68'940
Median Wage Market Position
$68'940
What you might do
- Study the nutritional needs of farm animals
- Research breeding methods that improve livestock quality
- Test how feed and housing affect milk and eggs
- Develop better feeding, housing, and sanitation practices
- Advise producers on methods that improve animal production
- Present research findings to scientists and the public
Skills that matter
- Studying nutritional needs of farm animals
- Writing papers on breeding findings
- Advising producers on feeding and housing
- Solving breeding and management problems
- Listening to producers about their animals
- Planning research on eggs and milk
AI & the future of this role
Research on breeding and nutrition increasingly relies on data analysis and modeling that AI tools may accelerate. Lab design, farm trials, and interpreting messy biological results still require expert judgment, yet desk-heavy analytical work looks more exposed.
Does Animal Scientists fit your values?
Take the free LostInCareer assessment to see personalized matches based on your core values—not just a personality label.
Related careers
Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details