Animal Breeders
What Animal Breeders Do
Select and breed animals according to their genealogy, characteristics, and offspring. May require knowledge of artificial insemination techniques and equipment use. May involve keeping records on heats, birth intervals, or pedigree.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 3.4%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.2/5
- Sales and Marketingimportance 3.9/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.5/5
- Biologyimportance 3.3/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.2/5
- Administrativeimportance 3.1/5
- Production and Processingimportance 2.9/5
- English Languageimportance 2.8/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.9/5
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.8/5
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions4.3/5
- Consequence of Error3.7/5
- Outdoors, Under Cover3.6/5
- Telephone Conversations3.5/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Sewers, Hand92% skill match
- Anesthesiologists91% skill match
- Transportation Inspectors91% skill match
- Surgical Assistants90% skill match
- Nuclear Power Reactor Operators90% skill match
- Agricultural Inspectors90% skill match
- Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers90% skill match
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks89% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 2.9/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.8/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.6/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 2.6/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 2.6/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.5/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Breedtrak
- Email software
- KinTraks
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Questionmark Perception
- Respondus
- Reudink Software ZooEasy
- VSN International GenStat
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Perseverance
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Self-Control
- Achievement Orientation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeMedium
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where animal breeders make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ0.60× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Railroad Conductors and YardmastersCareer Change
- Log Graders and ScalersLateral Move
- Agricultural InspectorsLateral Move
- Occupational Health and Safety TechniciansCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.