$Who Earns What

How much does a animal breeder make?

US Animal Breeders

Answer: A typical animal breeder in the United States makes $51,130 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Yearly pay of a typical person doing this job in the US
$51,130

Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 1,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).

Lower earner
$38,480
10th from the bottom of 100
Typical person
$51,130
Right in the middle (median)
Higher earner
$90,550
10th from the top of 100

If 100 people had this job

Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-right

Hover over a person to see their yearly pay

54 of 100
more than half

Animal breeder pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)

Animal breeder pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$38,480$51,130$90,550about 1,000

Why does pay differ?

In the United States, pay can differ with experience and skills, the employer and location, and how difficult or responsible the work is. Some states license certain kinds of breeders, so requirements can differ by job and place.

What if you lived in a different state?

Pay varies a lot by state in the US
Whole US$51,130
Ohio$68,980
California$59,280
Alabama$53,200
Wisconsin$51,130
Texas$48,410
Minnesota$47,900
South Dakota$44,850
Nebraska$40,220

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

What does a animal breeder 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. Excludes “Animal Scientists” (19-1011) whose primary function is research and “Animal Caretakers” (39-2021) who may occasionally breed animals as part of their other caretaking duties.

What's a typical day like?

They check animals’ health and traits, choose which animals to breed, and may use prepared semen for breeding. They record animals’ weights, growth, diets, and breeding results while caring for them.

How to get this job

In the U.S., animal breeders usually need a high school diploma; some jobs ask for more schooling, and livestock experience can help. They often learn on the job, and certain types of breeders need a license in a few states.

High school plus some training (preparation level 2 of 5)

Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized.

Did you know?

In the U.S., some animal breeders use a syringe to place prepared sperm inside a female animal to help it reproduce.

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Sources and data

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY