What degree do you need to be an animal scientist?

You need a master's degree to be an animal scientist. Animal scientists must have at least a master's degree in biology, chemistry or another related field. To term as a scientist implies that someone has graduate level training in research methodology and statistics. Some also earn a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM).

How To Become An Animal Scientist: What It Is and Career Path

What is an animal scientist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Quoted expert

Bryan Reiling

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an animal scientist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $32.04 an hour? That's $66,653 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 8% and produce 3,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an animal scientist?

Bryan Reiling

Assoc Professor, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

While a Bachelor’s degree is important and functions to help graduates obtain employment within the industry, it should be viewed as a starting point, not a terminal ending point for one’s education. A Bachelor’s degree provides the foundation upon which young professionals must build to develop their careers. Young professionals are encouraged to continue seeking knowledge and skills at every available opportunity, for the industry is rapidly changing.

ScoreAnimal ScientistUS Average

Salary

5.2

Avg. Salary $66,653

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.1

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 9.38%

Black or African American 3.66%

Hispanic or Latino 5.95%

Unknown 2.75%

White 78.03%

Gender

female 40.00%

male 60.00%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

6.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.7

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an animal scientist

Explore animal scientist education requirements

Most common animal scientist degrees

Bachelor's

56.3 %

Doctorate

25.0 %

Master's

18.8 %

Start to develop specific animal scientist skills

Skills	Percentages
Statistical Analysis	36.26%
USDA	32.28%
Elisa	31.46%

Complete relevant animal scientist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New animal scientists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an animal scientist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real animal scientist resumes.

Research animal scientist duties and responsibilities

Develop and manage third party claim investigations and contractor remedial oversight for various insurance companies.
Develop laboratory protocols for genetic extraction/gel electrophoresis.
Analyze parallel synthesis libraries using high-throughput LC/MS methods with UV/ELS detection including mass determination, purity evaluation, and quantification.

Prepare your animal scientist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your animal scientist resume.

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Choose from 10+ customizable animal scientist resume templates

Build a professional animal scientist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your animal scientist resume.