Animal Scientists Salary
Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations · 3.1K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$68,940
Median hourly
$33
Average annual
$88,350
Typical range
$44,350–$166,000
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Animal Scientists is $68,940 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $33 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Conduct research in the genetics, nutrition, reproduction, growth, and development of domestic farm animals..
Most earn between $44,350 and $166,000 a year. There are roughly 3.1K people employed as animal scientists in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Animal Scientists.
- Hourly
- $33.14
- Daily
- $265
- Weekly
- $1,326
- Bi-weekly
- $2,652
- Monthly
- $5,745
- Annual
- $68,940
$68,940 a year is around the 50th percentile for Animal Scientistss. The median is $68,940.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Texas$132,830
- 2Minnesota$88,640
- 3Wisconsin$84,310
- 4Washington$83,160
- 5Kansas$80,090
- 6Maryland$77,750
- 7Pennsylvania$77,660
- 8South Dakota$77,300
- 9Iowa$75,290
- 10North Dakota$72,100
- 11Michigan$60,010
- 12Nebraska$55,300
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR$240,370
- 2New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$102,540
- 3Madison, WI$84,310
- 4Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$82,810
- 5Lincoln, NE$79,410
- 6Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$77,880
- 7Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$76,530
- 8Omaha, NE-IA$73,740
- 9Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$63,740
- 10Kansas City, MO-KS$63,300
- 11Lansing-East Lansing, MI$55,450
Related job titles
Employers advertise Animal Scientists roles under these titles.
- Animal Geneticist
- Animal Nutrition Consultant
- Animal Nutritionist
- Animal Scientist
- Beef Cattle Nutritionist
- Beef Cattle Specialist
- Companion Animal Nutritionist
- Dairy Nutrition Consultant
- Dairy Nutrition Specialist
- Dairy Research Nutritionist
- Dairy Scientist
- Nutrition Partner
- Nutrition Specialist
- Poultry Scientist
- Sericulturist
- Swine Extension Field Specialist
Related occupations
- Soil and Plant Scientists$78,850
- Food Scientists and Technologists$88,720
- Microbiologists$87,990
- Biochemists and Biophysicists$127,410
- Veterinarians$130,100
- Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary$98,700
- Biological Scientists, All Other$98,920
- Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers$89,900
What a Animal Scientists does
- Study nutritional requirements of animals and nutritive values of animal feed materials.
- Write up or orally communicate research findings to the scientific community, producers, and the public.
- Develop improved practices in feeding, housing, sanitation, or parasite and disease control of animals.
- Advise producers about improved products and techniques that could enhance their animal production efforts.
- Conduct research concerning animal nutrition, breeding, or management to improve products or processes.
- Study effects of management practices, processing methods, feed, or environmental conditions on quality and quantity of animal products, such as eggs and milk.
- Research and control animal selection and breeding practices to increase production efficiency and improve animal quality.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Animal Scientists make?
- The median annual wage for Animal Scientists is $68,940 ($33 per hour). Pay ranges from about $44,350 at the 10th percentile to $166,000 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Animal Scientists?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $88,350, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Animal Scientistss the most?
- Texas has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $132,830.
- Is Animal Scientists a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 3.1K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Animal Scientists do?
- Study nutritional requirements of animals and nutritive values of animal feed materials.; Write up or orally communicate research findings to the scientific community, producers, and the public.; Develop improved practices in feeding, housing, sanitation, or parasite and disease control of animals..