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The national median salary for Animal Breeders is $51,126 per year ($24.58/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $44,325 and $62,088 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $90,542 per year. There are approximately 1,330 animal breeders employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.4%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
1K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
8K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Support Activities for Animal Production
NAICS 115200
750
$47,900
Animal Slaughtering and Processing
NAICS 311600
100
$63,930
Wage range across top 5 industries: $47,900 to $63,930 (33% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$18.50
$38,480
P25
$21.31
$44,325
P50MEDIAN
$24.58
$51,126
P75
$29.85
$62,088
P90
$43.53
$90,542
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average animal breeders salary?
The national median salary for Animal Breeders is $51,126 per year ($24.58/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $44,325 and $62,088 annually.
How much do top-earning animal breeders make?
The 90th percentile salary for Animal Breeders is $90,542 per year ($43.53/hr). The 75th percentile is $62,088 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for animal breeders?
Entry-level Animal Breeders (10th percentile) earn approximately $38,480 per year ($18.50/hr). The 25th percentile is $44,325 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.