Career Overview
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.
Also Known As
- Animal Technician
- Artificial Insemination Technician (AI Technician)
- Breeder
- Dog Breeder
Alternate Job Titles
- Animal Breeder
- Animal Husbandman
- Animal Husbandry Technician
- Animal Technician
- Artificial Insemination Technician (AI Technician)
- Artificial Inseminator
- Aviculturist
- Bee Breeder
- Breeder
- Canary Breeder
- Cat Breeder
- Chicken Fancier
- Dairy Husbandman
- Dairy Husbandry Worker
- Dog Breeder
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches.
- Observe animals in heat to detect approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary.
- Treat minor injuries and ailments and contact veterinarians to obtain treatment for animals with serious illnesses or injuries.
- Purchase and stock supplies of feed and medicines.
- Select animals to be bred, and semen specimens to be used, according to knowledge of animals, genealogies, traits, and desired offspring characteristics.
- Examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury.
- Build hutches, pens, and fenced yards.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sales and Marketing
- Administration and Management
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Near Vision
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Category Flexibility
- Oral Comprehension
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Far Vision
- Trunk Strength
- Static Strength
- Multilimb Coordination
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Perseverance
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Independence
- Working Conditions
- Achievement
- Support
- Recognition
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Photoshop
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft SharePoint
Tools & Equipment
- Agar plates
- Animal blood analyzers
- Animal blood collection syringes
- Animal pregnancy testing kits
- Animal vaccination syringes
- Artificial insemination syringes
- Artificial vaginas
- Automated feed batch mixers
- Automatic watering devices
- Birth alarms
- Branding equipment
- Compact digital cameras
- Computer laser printers
- Dehorners
- Densimeters
Work Environment
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
- Consequence of Error
- Outdoors, Under Cover
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $37,130 |
| Median | $52,000 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $89,970 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 1,730
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
Education: Some College Courses
Median Salary: $36,150
Animal Caretakers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $33,470
Animal Trainers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $38,750
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $37,320
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: $87,980
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.