Animal Care and Training
Certificate of Achievement
Program Details
This program offers preparation for students interested in entering the expanding animal care industry. The increasing importance of zoos and wildlife education to the efforts of conservation as well as the use of animals in various entertainment fields present many career options to graduates of this curriculum. Entry-level positions exist in zoos, oceanariums, animal parks, government facilities, wildlife rehabilitation centers, and the entertainment field.
Animal Care and Training Pathways
Pathways listed below are for the catalog year 2025-2026. Maps for previous years are available on each pathway page. What is a catalog year?
Featured Careers
Find your calling. Explore high-earning careers with entry-level data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
Doctoral degree, Post-doctoral training
- Job growth: Stable
- Low salary: 49,080
- High salary: 160,870
- Average salary: 86350
Animal Trainers
High school diploma/GED, No high school diploma/GED
- Job growth: Rising
- Low salary: 29,120
- High salary: 70,800
- Average salary: 38750
First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers
Bachelor's degree, High school diploma/GED
- Job growth: Stable
- Low salary: 39,610
- High salary: 90,840
- Average salary: 59330
All Careers in Animal Care and Training (23)
| Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, & Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | Master's degree, Doctoral degree | Stable | 101,390 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management Analysts | Bachelor's degree, Master's degree | Rising | 101,190 |
| Forestry & Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary | Doctoral degree, Post-doctoral training | Stable | 100,830 |
| Business Teachers, Postsecondary | Doctoral degree, Master's degree | Rising | 97,270 |
| Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary | Doctoral degree, Post-doctoral training | Stable | 87,710 |
| Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | Doctoral degree, Post-doctoral training | Stable | 86,350 |
| Agricultural Engineers | Bachelor's degree | Rising | 84,630 |
| Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary | Doctoral degree, Post-doctoral training | Rising | 83,460 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades & Extraction Workers | - n/a | Rising | 78,690 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, & Repairers | High school diploma/GED, Some college | Stable | 78,300 |
| Family & Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | Doctoral degree, Master's degree | Stable | 77,280 |
| Soil & Plant Scientists | Master's degree, Bachelor's degree | Rising | 71,410 |
| Range Managers | Bachelor's degree | Rising | 67,950 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers | Bachelor's degree, High school diploma/GED | Stable | 59,330 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, & Groundskeeping Workers | Bachelor's degree, High school diploma/GED | Stable | 56,170 |
| Agricultural Technicians | High school diploma/GED, Bachelor's degree | Rising | 46,790 |
| Exercise Trainers & Group Fitness Instructors | Certificate after high school, High school diploma/GED | Rising | 46,180 |
| Animal Control Workers | High school diploma/GED, Certificate after high school | Stable | 45,830 |
| Animal Trainers | High school diploma/GED, No high school diploma/GED | Rising | 38,750 |
| Veterinary Assistants & Laboratory Animal Caretakers | High school diploma/GED, Certificate after high school | Rising | 37,320 |
| Animal Caretakers | High school diploma/GED, Associate's degree | Rising | 33,470 |
| Buyers & Purchasing Agents, Farm Products | Bachelor's degree | Rising | |
| First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine & Vehicle Operators | High school diploma/GED, Some college | Stable |
Program Pathways Mapper incorporates information from O*NET Web Services by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.