Reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture show that food, agricultural, renewable energy, and environmental natural resources sectors of America’s economy will create almost 60,000 yearly openings for people with higher education degrees in environmental, renewable energy, and food specialties by 2020. Other industries related to livestock are a very important part of the U.S. economy, and there are so many excellent career opportunities for anyone who has training in the field of animal science. Animal agriculture is a very big part of the American economy because it involves so many things, including livestock production, public affairs, marketing, processing, transportation, companion animal management, research, and so much more. In short, animal science is an interesting industry with tons of great opportunities for employment.

People who are in the field of livestock production have many concerns with production. Those concerns include sheep, cattle, horses, goats, poultry, and swine, which means that livestock producers and their employees are the main ideas of the animal industry. Not only is it important for all those involved in livestock production to be excellent business people, but it is also important for them to have lots of knowledge about nutrition, meats, behavior, and genetics. Those in the livestock production industry must also know how to manage livestock well and have experience with marketing. For all their expertise, livestock producers and their employees can expect their salary to fall somewhere around $50,000, and they will also have access to life insurance, health insurance, housing, retirement investments, vehicle, utilities, and an allowance for milk or meat.

Graduates with a degree in animal science can also find work in the food processing industry. Food processing has to do with more than marketing milk, eggs, and meat because its basis is the creation of new products. This means that those in food processing can also be involved in the production of food items that are special and will appeal to those who are conscious of healthy eating choices. This component of agriculture is more progressive and focuses on hiring those with animal science training to be quality control specialists, livestock buyers, sales personnel, and plant managers with the possibility of a salary as high as 100,000 and a number of insurance and investment benefits. A background in animal science offers the potential for a range of employment opportunities with great benefits and numerous possibilities.