SOC 45-2021 · Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations
Animal Breeders
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries
Nationally, animal breeders earned a median of $51,130 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 1,330 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.
National pay distribution
Pay by state
Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
| State | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $68,980 | $33.16 | 80 | 0.0 |
| California | $59,280 | $28.50 | 410 | 0.0 |
| Alabama | $53,200 | $25.58 | 60 | 0.0 |
| Wisconsin | $51,130 | $24.58 | 40 | 0.0 |
| Texas | $48,410 | $23.27 | 60 | 0.0 |
| New York | $48,350 | $23.25 | 140 | 0.0 |
| Minnesota | $47,900 | $23.03 | 170 | 0.1 |
| South Dakota | $44,850 | $21.56 | 40 | 0.1 |
| Nebraska | $40,220 | $19.34 | 40 | 0.0 |
Pay by metro area
All 3 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.
| Metro area | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $69,070 | $33.21 | Not published | Not published |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $58,440 | $28.09 | Not published | Not published |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $49,350 | $23.72 | 50 | 0.0 |
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.