Agricultural Inspectors
Median $49,940
Occupation · SOC 45-2021
Animal Breeders: pay and where the jobs are
What animal breeders earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$51,130 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $57,010
- Median hourly wage
- $24.58
- Mean hourly wage
- $27.41
- Employment
- 1,330
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 45-2021.
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See where your pay falls among animal breeders nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do animal breeders make?
The median annual wage for animal breeders was $51,130 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $38,480 and the highest-paid 10% more than $90,550. As an hourly rate, the median is $24.58. About 1,330 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Ohio ($68,980), California ($59,280) and Alabama ($53,200). Ohio also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for animal breeders looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $38,480 | $18.50 | $3,207 | $2,758 |
| 25th percentile | $44,320 | $21.31 | $3,693 | $3,149 |
| Median | $51,130 | $24.58 | $4,261 | $3,605 |
| 75th percentile | $62,080 | $29.85 | $5,173 | $4,338 |
| 90th percentile | $90,550 | $43.53 | $7,546 | $6,044 |
Animal Breeders: pay by state
9 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$60,258 take-home in national prices
2
$48,092 take-home in national prices
3
$44,243 take-home in national prices
Where a median animal breeder paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 80 | $68,980 | $43,110 | $140,850 | $55,904 | $60,258 |
| California | 410 | $59,280 | $47,400 | $94,450 | $47,445 | $42,851 |
| Alabama | 60 | $53,200 | $25,190 | $64,600 | $42,716 | $48,092 |
| Wisconsin | 40 | $51,130 | $42,900 | $59,170 | $41,631 | $44,243 |
| Texas | 60 | $48,410 | $32,970 | $73,260 | $41,077 | $42,323 |
| New York | 140 | $48,350 | $41,360 | $73,660 | $38,775 | $35,929 |
| Minnesota | 170 | $47,900 | $38,480 | $56,310 | $38,713 | $39,254 |
| South Dakota | 40 | $44,850 | $38,480 | $48,750 | $38,217 | $43,141 |
| Nebraska | 40 | $40,220 | $39,530 | $43,210 | $33,546 | $37,231 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 45-2021. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.