Animal Breeders build complex problem solving, judgment and decision making and operations monitoring skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (75%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation | 75% | $46,340 | −9% | None |
| 2 | Log Graders and Scalers | 71% | $46,330 | −9% | None |
| 3 | Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | 69% | $47,380 | −7% | Certificate or associate |
| 4 | Pest Control Workers | 69% | $45,250 | −12% | None |
| 5 | Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers | 69% | $38,150 | −25% | None |
| 6 | Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 67% | $40,130 | −22% | None |
| 7 | Animal Caretakers | 67% | $35,360 | −31% | None |
| 8 | Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 66% | $48,570 | −5% | None |
| 9 | Animal Control Workers | 66% | $45,660 | −11% | None |
| 10 | Paperhangers | 66% | $52,140 | +2% | None |
Compared with Animal Breeders, median $51,130. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as animal breeders (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
75% skill match · $46,340 · −9% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Repairing · Equipment Selection
71% skill match · $46,330 · −9% pay
Negotiation · Instructing · Equipment Maintenance
69% skill match · $47,380 · −7% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Repairing · Instructing
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation (75% skill match, median $46,340), Log Graders and Scalers (71% skill match, median $46,330) and Veterinary Technologists and Technicians (69% skill match, median $47,380), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 7 pay more than animal breeders at the median. The biggest increases: Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters (+53%, $78,000), Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters (+20%, $61,390) and First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers (+16%, $59,320).
22 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.