| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 86 (%) | Description: Select animals to be bred, and semen specimens to be used, according to knowledge of animals, genealogies, traits, and desired offspring characteristics. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Examine animals to detect symptoms of illness or injury. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Purchase and stock supplies of feed and medicines. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Feed and water animals, and clean and disinfect pens, cages, yards, and hutches. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Observe animals in heat to detect approach of estrus and exercise animals to induce or hasten estrus, if necessary. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Brand, tattoo, or tag animals to allow animal identification. |
| Importance: 71 (%) | Description: Build hutches, pens, and fenced yards. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Record animal characteristics such as weights, growth patterns, and diets. |
| Importance: 67 (%) | Description: Treat minor injuries and ailments and contact veterinarians to obtain treatment for animals with serious illnesses or injuries. |
Associate Degree Careers and Jobs
Explore Careers and Jobs Predominantly Filled by Those with an Associate's Degree or Less - All On One Page.
Sorted by median annual U.S. salary and including percentage of job holders with Associate's Degree or less.
An associate's degree can open doors to skilled technical, healthcare, and business support roles without the time commitment of a four-year degree. For people who want a faster, more affordable path into a stable career. Compare careers ranked by salary, review degree-holder and experience percentages, and access preparation resources for each role.
Here is a short Helper Video 
.
This page will take you through 4 steps, relative to an Associate's Degree, to (1) Select a career, (2) Find active job listings, (3) Prepare for the career you chose, and (4) Provide web resources specific to the career you chose.
Step 1: Select a Career: You will be presented with a listing of Associate's Degree careers. The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of careers below
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply browse the list of careers. There may be many that you might never have considered. This may help you to discover careers that might be of interest.
Once you have identified a career of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the career you selected. Information includes core and supplemental duties, general and specific work activities, knowledge required, essential and transferable skills required, day-in-the-life summaries, knowledge required, software skills required, preparation required, educational requirements, training and work experience required, local salary information, certifications, professional associations, current job listings for the job selected along with multiple similar job titles, and related careers (related to what they do, what they know, and what they're called).
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that will provide detailed (updated) links to occupational information specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career
Leading Books About Associate Degree Jobs
What jobs can you get with an Associate's Degree? Scroll through the picklist (below). These are careers related to the Associate's Degree level, with at least 30% of job holders having an Associate's Degree. - 571 specific careers are listed, with matching jobs currently available. Select those careers that may be of interest - you will then get links to matching active job listings, and detailed resources to help you prepare.
You can use this form two ways:
1) Enter a Keyword - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the listing to those careers that contain the keyword entered
2) Browse the list (Don't enter a keyword) - You can simply browse the list of careers. There may be many that you might never have considered. This may help you to discover jobs that might be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title - Sorted by Annual Salary -(scroll and Select) :
Legend: Career Title Link / (% having Associate's Degree or less) / (Median Annual U.S. Salary)
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Job Listings for: Animal Breeders.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Prepare for the "Animal Breeders" Career
The details below will provide a pathway to your specific job goal and help you to identify an appropriate career ladder.
Animal Breeders
Description: 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.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Animal Breeders":
U.S. Total Employment (2023):
8,400U.S. Total Employment (2033 est.):
8,200
Employment Change (2023-2033 est.):
-300 (-3.2%) Average Annual Job Openings (2023-2033 est.):
1,300
Core Duties
Supplemental Duties
| Important Supplemental Job Duties (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Exercise animals to keep them in healthy condition. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Adjust controls to maintain specific building temperatures required for animals' health and safety. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Bathe and groom animals. |
| Importance: 55 (%) | Description: Inject prepared animal semen into female animals for breeding purposes, by inserting nozzle of syringe into vagina and depressing syringe plunger. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Maintain logs of semen specimens used and animals bred. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Exhibit animals at shows. |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Clip or shear hair on animals. |
| Importance: 51 (%) | Description: Place vaccines in drinking water, inject vaccines, or dust air with vaccine powder to protect animals from diseases. |
| Importance: 39 (%) | Description: Arrange for sale of animals and eggs to hospitals, research centers, pet shops, and food processing plants. |
| Importance: 34 (%) | Description: Examine semen microscopically to assess and record density and motility of gametes, and dilute semen with prescribed diluents, according to formulas. |
| Importance: 34 (%) | Description: Measure specified amounts of semen into calibrated syringes, and insert syringes into inseminating guns. |
| Importance: 28 (%) | Description: Package and label semen to be used for artificial insemination, recording information such as the date, source, quality, and concentration. |
Work Activities
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 81 (%) | Description: Performing General Physical Activities: Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. |
| Importance: 77 (%) | Description: Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
Specific Work Activities
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Adjust building climate control systems. | |
| Build agricultural structures. | |
| Care for animals. | |
| Clean equipment or facilities. | |
| Communicate with other workers to coordinate activities. | |
| Examine animals to detect illness, injury or other problems. | |
| Maintain operational records. | |
| Mark agricultural or forestry products for identification. | |
| Monitor animal behavior or condition. | |
| Order medical supplies or equipment. | |
| Perform animal breeding procedures. | |
| Prepare materials or solutions for animal or plant use. | |
| Promote agricultural or hunting activities. | |
| Provide care for animals. | |
| Purchase products or services. | |
| Record agricultural or forestry inventory data. | |
| Sell agricultural products. | |
| Treat animal injuries or illnesses. | |
Knowledge Required
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
| Importance: 77 (%) | Description: Sales and Marketing: Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Biology: Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment. |
| Importance: 62 (%) | Description: Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Administrative: Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology. |
Essential Skills
| Essential Skills (in order of importance)
These are the foundational skills most central to success in this occupation. For the Top 5 most important, how can you begin building experience and confidence using these skills now? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. |
Day-in-the-Life Summaries
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance. |
| Activity: Build structures. |
| Activity: Care for plants or animals. |
| Activity: Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas. |
| Activity: Communicate with others about operational plans or activities. |
| Activity: Examine people or animals to assess health conditions or physical characteristics. |
| Activity: Maintain operational records. |
| Activity: Mark materials or objects for identification. |
| Activity: Monitor health conditions of humans or animals. |
| Activity: Prepare mixtures or solutions. |
| Activity: Promote products, services, or programs. |
| Activity: Purchase goods or services. |
| Activity: Sell products or services. |
| Activity: Treat injuries, illnesses, or diseases. |
Software Skills
|
Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
|||||
| Emerging Tech Skills | |||||
| Data base user interface and query software: | |||||
| Microsoft Access | |||||
| Desktop publishing software: | |||||
| Adobe InDesign | |||||
| Document management software: | |||||
| Adobe Acrobat Microsoft SharePoint | |||||
| Electronic mail software: | |||||
| Microsoft Outlook | |||||
| Graphics or photo imaging software: | |||||
| Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop | |||||
| Office suite software: | |||||
| Microsoft Office software | |||||
| Operating system software: | |||||
| Microsoft Windows | |||||
| Spreadsheet software: | |||||
| Microsoft Excel | |||||
| Word processing software: | |||||
| Microsoft Word | |||||
| General Software Tools | |||||
| Analytical or scientific software: | |||||
| Questionmark Perception VSN International GenStat | |||||
| Computer based training software: | |||||
| Respondus | |||||
| Data base user interface and query software (scroll table below): | |||||
| |||||
| Electronic mail software: | |||||
| Email software | |||||
| Internet browser software: | |||||
| Microsoft Internet Explorer |
Preparation Required
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed |
| 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. |
| Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. |
| These occupations involve following instructions and often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include dishwashers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, counter and rental clerks, dental laboratory technicians, and security guards. |
Education Required
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 85.7 (%) | Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 5.7 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.5 (%) | Level of Education: Some College Courses |
| Frequency of Attainment: 3.4 (%) | Level of Education: Bachelor's Degree |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.6 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. |
Training and Experience Required
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 47.3 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 23.9 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 12.0 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 11.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.5 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 0.6 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years |
Local Salary Information
Select a State (scroll and Select) :
Please select a State to see State and National Salaries
Job Listings
Related Careers to Consider
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated)
This section contains detailed resources appropriate to "Animal Breeders". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Videos
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Job Description
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
Interviews
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Step-by-Step
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Animal Breeders
LinkedIn®
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
Developed by Dr. Ralph Jagodka, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus of Business Management at Mt. San Antonio College and author of the Harvard Business Impact article "What to Do When Students Ask You for Career Advice." - Full bio. © 2026 About This Page
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