Animal Scientists build complex problem solving, judgment and decision making and systems analysis 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 Industrial Ecologists (77%).
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 | Industrial Ecologists | 77% | $82,220Pay for the broader BLS group “Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health” | Not compared | None |
| 2 | Environmental Restoration Planners | 75% | $82,220Pay for the broader BLS group “Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health” | Not compared | None |
| 3 | Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 74% | $98,700 | +43% | None |
| 4 | Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 73% | $82,220 | +19% | None |
| 5 | Statisticians | 72% | $105,650 | +53% | None |
| 6 | Astronomers | 71% | $128,820 | +87% | None |
| 7 | Natural Sciences Managers | 70% | $167,220 | +143% | None |
| 8 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | 70% | $101,920 | +48% | None |
| 9 | Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary | 70% | $93,250 | +35% | None |
| 10 | Nanosystems Engineers | 70% | $122,930Pay for the broader BLS group “Engineers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
Compared with Animal Scientists, median $68,940. 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 scientists (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.
77% skill match · $82,220 (broader BLS group)
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
75% skill match · $82,220 (broader BLS group)
Management of Financial Resources · Equipment Selection · Social Perceptiveness
74% skill match · $98,700 · +43% pay
Instructing · Coordination
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Industrial Ecologists (77% skill match, median $82,220), Environmental Restoration Planners (75% skill match, median $82,220) and Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary (74% skill match, median $98,700), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 16 pay more than animal scientists at the median. The biggest increases: Natural Sciences Managers (+143%, $167,220), Astronomers (+87%, $128,820) and Mathematicians (+84%, $126,710).
25 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.