Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Animal Breeders
Animal Breeders 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.
Table of contents
What they do
Animal Breeders 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.
- Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches.
- Observe animals in heat to detect the 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.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Animal Breeders examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury. They feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches.
A typical day for an Animal Breeder will also include:
- Exercise animals to keep them in healthy condition.
- Adjust controls to maintain specific building temperatures required for animals’ health and safety.
- Bathe and groom animals.
- Observe animals in heat to detect the approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary.
- Arrange for sale of animals and eggs to hospitals, research centers, pet shops, and food processing plants.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Animal Breeders also purchase and stock supplies of feed and medicines. They may also prepare containers of semen for freezing and storage or shipment, placing them in dry ice or liquid nitrogen.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Animal Breeders bathe and groom animals. They might also exhibit animals at shows.
In addition, they record animal characteristics such as weights, growth patterns, and diets.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them brand, tattoo, or tag animals to allow animal identification.
To some Animal Breeders, it is also their responsibility to clip or shear hair on animals.
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
62% said they were satisfied with their job and 57% said they found their job meaningful.
I have been breeding and crossbreeding fish, and have kept both freshwater and saltwater aquariums for over 20 years. I am someone who has never been able to have my own children, and being a marine life breeder has been extremely fulfilling in that void of my life. I’ve been called as an advisor for larger specimen breedings at labs across the country, such as hybrid sharks. It’s amazing some of the things I get to see and help do. During the cooler months, I am unable to breed my own fish successfully due to the acclimate weather, as many of my aquariums are heated by natural sunlight and in a greenhouse – but 9 months out of the year I am busy working sometimes 16 hour days every day. I do several things every day, and one of these things is spending sufficient time working on the ambience of my tanks, in order to ensure the environment is perfect for my fish to breed, and most importantly ensuring the PH of my tanks is absolutely perfect.
The most difficult parts of my day though are dealing with the many species of egg laying fish I breed. When a group of eggs hatch, the fish are called a fry. The biggest problem is ensuring that the fry have food small enough to eat in order for them to grow and maintain good health. That is the sole purpose of my job, directing my efforts to see absolute minimal casualties. I spend a couple of hours each day culturing something called infusoria. Infusoria is microscopic, making it that much harder to monitor. In a nutshell, infusoria is grown by introducing nutrients into the water where your organisms are living. In most cases, I place a piece of lettuce or a banana peel into a tank where I keep my organisms, and this allows the delicious infusoria to grow – thus creating a food supply for the first phase of egg hatched fish.
From that point on though, if you can get through the hours and dedication – it’s relatively simple. I have been doing this for nearly 20 years, and look forward to another 20 years, hopefully bringing a few million more fish into the world.
Pros
- I get to experience bringing new life into the ecosystem on a weekly basis.
- I always have more work than I can handle. While this may seem like a con, it’s actually great considering the job market right now.
- I get to be as creative as I like when I am scouting and determining what aquatic life to pair up. Seeing the end result is greater satisfaction than I could ask for. It’s like fish are my paintbrush, and my masterpiece is born from them.
- I am always prepared for birthday parties! Not anything too fancy, but nothing puts a smile on a kid’s face greater than getting their own guppy or barb. My supplies are seemingly endless!
Cons
- I have gotten my fair share of criticism from animal activists and rights groups claiming what I do is not morally right. I know what I do is actually helpful for the environment, but it doesn’t stop people coming from the woodwork to harass me over my profession.
- The pay varies. Much of my work comes from universities and research labs, and they do not pay as much as you would expect. Because of this, I run a second business, teaching others everything they need to know about underwater life and growing their own aquariums.
Pros
Suitable for people who like practical and hands-on work.
Suitable for people who want independence and like to work on their own and make decisions.
This career is perfect for people who love to work both indoors and outdoors.
It is not too difficult to get into this career. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to help and teach others.
Salary is below average.
Demand for this career is declining.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Animal Breeders with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $24,060 to $30,500 per year or $12 to $15 per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $64,680 | $31 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $54,530 | $26 |
| Median | $40,770 | $20 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $30,500 | $15 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $24,060 | $12 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Animal Breeders based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | $48230 | $23.19 |
| Support Activities for Animal Production | $45490 | $21.87 |
| Other Personal Services | $45060 | $21.66 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Animal Breeders work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Animal Breeders including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support Activities for Animal Production | 540 | $45490 | $21.87 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 70 | $48230 | $23.19 |
| Other Personal Services | 30 | $45060 | $21.66 |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
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Telephone
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Group discussions
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Public speaking
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Level of competition
How much competitive pressure is in this job?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant majors
Apiculture
Animal/Livestock Husbandry and Production
Horse Husbandry/Equine Science and Management
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
They also like working with ideas and require an extensive amount of thinking. They like searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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