by our College Data Analytics TeamIf you are an animal lover, a major in Animal Services might be perfect for you.
Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services is a rapidly growing field that allows you to work with and train different types of animals. Since there are many career possibilities within this major, a school will require you to choose an area of concentration. There are a variety of specialties including dog/pet/animal grooming, animal training, equestrian/equine studies, or taxidermy.
Animal Services was the 271st most popular major in the 2021-2022 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 979 degrees in this year alone. This year's Best Animal Services Schools ranking compares 10 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom animal services rankings further below.
The field of Animal Services includes more than just training animals; also included within this is grooming, husbandry, monitoring, exercising, and examining for illness. Since this is a broad major, there are many different careers available to graduates. However, patience and a love for animals are two important traits that cover all concentrations. You must also be detail oriented and have strong problem solving skills. Sometimes training animals can be difficult, so as a trainer, you must have the necessary skills to assess which methods will be most successful on certain animals.
While studying Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services, you will take classes in animal anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and biology. You will become acquainted with everything there is to know about the animals you are working with so you can properly care for and train them.
Many jobs in training animals require experience. You will start out with basic jobs until you work your way up to positions with responsibility. To gain the necessary experience, begin by volunteering at an animal shelter or with someone who works closely with animals. Nearly all employers require candidates to have previous experience with animals.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most animal services degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. Specific animal services careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
Animal Services degree levels vary. You can get anything from a in animal services to the highest animal services degree, a . How long it takes to complete some common animal services degree levels is shown below.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A doctor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to animal services, with approximately 18.4% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for animal services workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 41.2% |
| Doctoral Degree | 13.3% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 12.4% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 8.1% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 6.5% |
See the chart below for the most common degree level workers in animal services have received.
The education level required is different depending on the animal services career you are seeking.
Some possible careers within this field include animal trainers, non-farm animal caretakers, groomers, and taxidermists. You may also decide to go into zoology or become an animal keeper.
Want a job when you graduate with your animal services degree? Animal Services careers are expected to grow 21.2% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to animal services.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Caretakers | 300,000 | 24.2% |
| Animal Trainers | 61,000 | 11.1% |
| Agricultural Sciences Professors | 13,600 | 7.9% |
Animal Services graduates between <nil> reported earning an average of $21,433 in the <nil> timeframe. Earnings can range from as low as $6,481 to as high as $34,104. As you might expect, salaries for animal services graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for animal services graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers animal services grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Agricultural Sciences Professors | $90,890 |
| Animal Trainers | $35,260 |
| Animal Caretakers | $25,890 |
With over 123 different animal services degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased animal services school rankings to help you with this.
One of 18 majors within the Agriculture & Agriculture Operations area of study, Animal Services has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Equine Studies | 528 |
| Dog/Pet/Animal Grooming | 351 |
| Animal Training | 68 |
| Agricultural & Domestic Animal Services | 31 |
| Taxidermy/Taxidermist | 1 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | 8,951 |
| Animal Science | 8,178 |
| Agricultural Economics & Business | 8,140 |
| Horticulture | 3,591 |
| Veterinary Medicine | 3,468 |
Image Credit: By Corey Hensley under License More about our data sources and methodologies.
