Veterinary & Animal Sciences: Now What?
Quick Facts: Veterinarians
Found on the Occupational Outlook Handbook
- 2021 Median Pay: $100,370 per year
- Entry-Level Education: Doctoral or professional degree
- Work Experience in a Related Occupation: None
- On-the-job Training: None
- Number of Jobs, 2020: 86,800
- Job Outlook, 2020-30: 17% (Much faster than average)
- Employment Change, 2020-30: 14,500
What is Animal Science?
Animal science is the study of animals that live alongside humans. People rely on animals for food, fiber, labor and companionship. Using knowledge form the fields of physiology, biology, nutrition, genetics, husbandry, molecular biology, ethics, animal behavior, public health, and communication, animal scientists help us to understand and manage these animals. Animal science is used to maximize the efficiency, output, safety, and sustainability of farming and food production techniques. A degree in animal sciences can prepare you for a wide range of jobs in agriculture and related biomedical fields. Some with an animal science degree plan to continue on to veterinary school after graduation.
Selection of Employers for recent (Class of 2023 & 2024) UMass Amherst Animal Science, Pre-Veterinary Sciences, and Veterinary Technology alumni:
• Animal Adventure LLC
• Associates of Cape Cod
• Back Bay Veterinary Clinic
• Bay State Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Services
• BluePearl Veterinary Partners
• Boston Animal Hospital
• Boston Children’s Hospital
• Boston Veterinary Clinic
• Brandywine Veterinary Hospital
• Canine Rehabilitation Center
• Canterbury Tails Veterinary Clinic
• Capralogics
• Fitzgerald Fences Inc.
• Liverpool Animal Health Center
• Lovelane Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program
• Massachusetts Gaming Commission
• Massachusetts General Hospital – Medical Practice Evaluation Center
• National Veterinary Associates (NVA)
• Nevins Farm
• NORC at the University of Chicago
• Northborough Canine Rehab Center
• Ocean State Veterinary Specialists
• Paws Steps Veterinary Center
• Petco
• Pieper Memorial Veterinary Center
• Sudbury Animal Hospital
• Teach for America
• Town of Duxbury, MA
• Tufts Veterinary School of Medicine
• UMass Chan Medical School
• University of Pennsylvania
• Valet Park of America
• Valley Inn for Pets
• Williamsburg Animal Clinic
Other Top Employers for UMass Animal Science, Pre-Veterinary Sciences, and Veterinary Technology Majors after Graduation (Class of 2021 - 2022):
• Avon Veterinary Emergency Referral
• All Creatures Great and Small Animal Hospital
• Angell Animal Medical Center
• Arlington Animal Clinic
• Best Friends Animal Society
• Best Friends Pet Hotel
• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
• Biomodels
• Boston Road Animal Clinic
• Broadway Veterinary Care
• Charles River Laboratories
• City Kitty Veterinary Care for Cats
• Compassionate Care Veterinary Services
• Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University
• Dave’s Soda & Pet Food
• DIGS Canine Hotel Spa & Daycare
• East Springfield Veterinary Hospital
• Emerson Hospital
• Ethos Veterinary Health
• Hampstead Animal Hospital
• Harvard Medical School
• Holyoke Community College
• Hospital for Special Surgery
• Lexington Bedford Animal Hospital
• Linwood Veterinary Clinic
• Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital
• Merrimack Veterinary Hospital
• MSPCA Angell Memorial Animal Hospital
• Natick Animal Clinic
• Ocean State Veterinary Specialists
• Parkway Veterinary Hospital
• Pet Hotel Hadley
• Pine Point Animal Clinic
• Red Dog Inn and Resort
• Riverlin Animal Hospital
• Saugus Animal Hospital
• Signpost
• South Coast Dermatology
• Southwick Zoo
• The Hadley Farm
• Forest Park Zoo
• Tufts VETS (Veterinary Emergency Treatment & Specialties)
• US Fish and Wildlife Service
• University of Massachusetts Center for Agriculture
• Valley Veterinary Hospital
• VCA Animal Hospitals
• VET VIP Inc.
• VetCor
Previous Internship Sites as self-reported by UMass Amherst Animal Science, Pre-Veterinary Sciences, and Veterinary Technology students (2019 – 2022):
• Animal Resources at Boston Children’s Hospital
• Borash Veterinary Clinic
• Brookside Animal Hospital
• Cambridge Veterinary Care
• Franklin Park Zoo
• Massachusetts General Hospital - Center for Comparative Medicine
• MIT Division of Comparative Medicine
• North Attleboro Animal Clinic
• PAWS
• South River Veterinary
• The Alex Foundation
• The O’Connor Lab
• Turtle Back Zoo
• Wildflower Stables
• Yellowstone Bear World
What Can I Do With A Bachelor’s Degree In Animal Science?
Animal Health Product Sales
Feed Sales/Management
Livestock Equipment Sales/Mgt
Livestock Procurement
Field Representative
Consultant
A.I. Breeding Technician
Livestock Feedlot Operator
Research and Lab Technician
Public Relations Specialist
Market Forecaster
Livestock Marketing Specialist
Sales
Technical Representative
Teacher
Housing & Environmental Quality Specialist
Livestock Insurance
Representative
Animal Scientist
Researcher
Food/Meat Product Development
Quality Assurance
Food Service Management
Farm Management
Dairy Equipment Specialist
Market Reporter
Meat Grade
Financial Analyst
Financial Representative
Extension Specialist
Who Could I Work For?
• Animal breeders
• Animal shelters
• Biotech companies
• Dairy industry
• Universities and schools
• Equine industry
• Feed manufacturers
• Historic farms
• Veterinary hospitals
• Human societies
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Research foundations
• Wildlife rehabilitation groups
• Zoos
• Federal government agencies, such as:
o Department of Agriculture
o Department of Interior
o Department of Health and Human Services
o Environmental Protection Agency
• State government agencies, such as:
o Department of Agriculture
o Department of Commerce
o Department of Environmental Protection
o Department of Health
Farm Organizations
Beef cattle production
-Stocker or grower programs
-Feedlot
- Milk production
-Swine
-Farrowing operations
-Grower/finisher operations
-Farrow to finish
-Sheep
Feed/slaughter inspection
-Private consulting
Wheat pasture growing/finishing programs
-Poultry
-Broiler production
-Egg production
-Horses
-Mare Breeding Farm
-Training facility
Livestock feed
-Production, Sales, and Distribution
Technology Development and Application (Biotechnology)
-Laboratory technical support
-Animal caretakers
-Research scientists
-Genetics and Animal Breeding
-Population genetics
-Molecular genetics
-Genetic engineering
-Reproductive management
-Endocrinology
-Cloning
-Embryo technology
-Nutrition
-Feeding programs
-Nutrition/reproduction interactions
-Nutrition/health/immunity interactions
Food Science
-Product development
-Food processing
-Fermentation
Grain companies
Veterinary Medicine
-Practice
-Research
-Product development
-Teaching
-Inspection
Meat or dairy foods
-Production
-Product development
-Quality control
-Distribution and marketing
Teaching
Where Else Might I Do an Internship in Animal Science?
Umass Amherst Animal Science Majors Have Done Internships At The Following Sites:
Agri-Mark
Amherst (Town of)
Andover Animal Hospital
Associates of Cape Cod
Banfield Pet Hospital
Biogen Idec Inc
Blue Star Equiculture
CampusLIVE Inc
CBSET INC.
Como Park Zoo/Conservatory
Dakin Pioneer Valley
Days End Farm Horse Rescue
Diggity Service Dogs
Drumlin Farm & Sanctuary
Humane Society
Jon Turati Farrier Service
Lincoln Park Zoo
Mass Audobon
Medicine Mammals
Medicine
MSPCA
New England Aquarium
New England Wildlife Center
Novartis
Rep. Chris Hodgkins
Riverbend Animal Hospital
Rozalia Project
Sova Animal Hospital
Stewart Equine Clinic
Tufts Veterinary School
UMass Mullins Center
Vet’s First Choice
Walt Disney World
Westford Emergency Animal Hospital
Westside Animal Clinic
Windham Animal Hospital
Wildlife Center Silicon Valley
Wyeth Biotech
Zoo in Forest Park (The)
Zoo New England
Career Planning Resources & Websites
UMass Amherst CNS Career Center www.cns.umass.edu/careers
UMass Handshake Database of Internships & Jobs https://umass.joinhandshake.com/
FOCUS2 Career and Education Planning www.umass.edu/careers/planning for sign-in button
What Can I Do With This Major? https://www.umass.edu/careers/planning (Click on "What Can I do with this Major" icon on the right-hand column.)
UMass VASCI Opportunities Page www.vasci.umass.edu/undergraduate
Careers in Animal Science https://www.vasci.umass.edu/sites/vasci/
Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook www.bls.gov/ooh
Animal Care Occupations https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/animal-care-and-service-workers.htm
Farming/ Agriculture Occupations https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/farmers-ranchers-and-other-agricultural-managers
Vet Tech Occupations www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/veterinary
O-Net: Vet Technologists and Technicians www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-2056.00
Massachusetts Career Information System www.masscis.intocareers.org
(Click Mass Resident to login with “Amherst/01003” Then click “Occupations” or “Assessments”)
Animal Science Career Guide www.khake.com/page10.html
Animal Behavior Institute www.animaledu.com/Careers.aspx
Study of Employment Opportunities in USA 2015-20 www.purdue.edu/usda/employment/
Net Vet: Veterinary Career Resources http://netvet.wustl.edu/vcareer.htm
Student Resources in Animal Science www.asas.org
The Fields of Animal Science www.animalsmart.org/animal-science
Animal Science Internships
American Veterinary Medical Association https://www.avma.org/education
* Finding Independent Research On Campus www.umass.edu/biochem/undergraduate/lab
Agriculture/Animal Science
Agricultural Industry Jobs https://www.agcareers.com/
Aquaculture Jobs www.aquaculturejobs.com
Continental Search Outplacement Inc. www.consearch.com/
Hoard’s Dairyman www.hoards.com/intel/150526_art5
Animal Care, Aquariums & Zoos
Animal Care and Control- NYC https://www.nycacc.org/careers
Animal Care Jobs www.animalcarejobs.org/
Association of Zoos & Aquariums www.aza.org/joblistings/
Horse Jobs (North America) www.horsejobs.ca
Metro Pet Jobs www.metropets.org/How2help/jobs.php
Pet Sitters www.pet-sitters.biz
Government Agencies
USA Jobs (All Government Jobs) www.usajobs.gov
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/banner/careers
Natural Resources & Conservation
Conservation Job Board www.conservationjobboard.com
Environment Jobs www.environmentjobs.com/Index.asp
Pharmaceutical Companies/Biotech
Novartis https://www.novartis.com/careers
Veterinary Medicine
Pre-Vet Internships www.thebalancecareers.com/pre-vet
I Hire Veterinary www.ihireveterinary.com
Vet Jobs www.vet.com/veterinarian_jobs.html
Veterinary Jobs www.veterinaryjobs.com
Equine Veterinary Medicine www.thebalancecareers.com/equine-vet
General Search Engines
Federation of Animal Sciences Societies www.fass.org/jobs/
Science Careers http://jobs.sciencecareers.org
One-Stop Career Centers (search by zip code) http://careeronestop.org/jobsearch/findjobs
Glass Door www.glassdoor.com/index.htm
Indeed www.indeed.com
SimplyHired www.simplyhired.com
Professional Organizations (* = of particular note)
Many professional organizations’ websites have career information on them. You can often use them to search for networking events, meet a mentor in your field of study, find current research, search for internships or jobs, and gain insight into what direction you may wish to pursue within the field.
* American Animal Hospital Association www.aahanet.org
* American Association for Laboratory Animal Science www.aalas.org
American Association of Zoo Keepers https://aazk.org/zoo-keeping-as-a-career/
American Dairy Science Association www.adsa.org
American Kennel Club www.akc.org
American Meat Science Association https://careers.meatscience.org/
American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists www.arpas.org/about.asp?view=what
* American Society of Animal Science www.asas.org
* American Veterinary Medical Association www.avma.org/vcc
Animal Behavior Institute www.animaledu.com
Animal Behavior Society www.animalbehaviorsociety.org
Animal Science Monitor www.animalsciencemonitor.com
ASPCA www.aspca.org
* Association of Zoos and Aquariums www.aza.org
Association of Pet Dog Trainers www.apdt.com
Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians www.arav.org
* Federation of Animal Science Societies www.fass.org
Humane Society Academy www.humanesociety.org
International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council www.avma.org
National Agri-Marketing Association https://www.nama.org/
National Animal Control Association www.nacanet.org/careeropps.html
National Association of Agricultural Educators www.naae.org
* National Institute of Food and Agriculture http://nifa.usda.gov
What Does A Veterinarian Do?
Thinking about going onto vet school and curious about the profession?
Veterinarians typically do the following:
• Examine animals to diagnose their health problems
• Treat and dress wounds
• Perform surgery on animals
• Test for and vaccinate against diseases
• Operate medical equipment such as x-ray machines
• Advise animal owners about general care, medical conditions, and treatments
• Prescribe medication
• Euthanize animals
Veterinarians in private clinical practices treat the injuries and illnesses of pets and farm animals with a variety of medical equipment, including surgical tools and x-ray machines. They provide treatment for animals that is similar to what a doctor would do to treat humans.
The following are common types of veterinarians:
Companion animal veterinarians treat pets and generally work in private clinics. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, 77 percent of veterinarians who work in private clinical practice treat pets. They most often care for cats and dogs, but also treat other pets, such as birds, ferrets, and rabbits. These veterinarians diagnose animal health problems, consult with owners of animals, and carry out medical procedures, such as vaccinations and setting fractures.
Equine veterinarians work with horses. About 6 percent of private practice veterinarians treat horses.
Food animal veterinarians work with farm animals such as pigs, cattle, and sheep. About 8 percent of private practice veterinarians treat food animals. They spend much of their time at farms and ranches treating illnesses and injuries and testing for and vaccinating against disease. They also may advise owners or managers about feeding, housing, and general health practices.
Food safety and inspection veterinarians inspect livestock and animal products and enforce government food safety regulations. They may inspect livestock, checking the animals for E. coli and other transmittable diseases. They check for food purity and sanitation by inspecting food products, animals and carcasses, and slaughtering and processing plants. Others may work along the country’s borders in food safety and security, ensuring abundant and safe food supplies.
Research veterinarians work in laboratories, conducting clinical research on human and animal health problems. These veterinarians may perform tests on animals to identify the effects of drug therapies, or they may test new surgical techniques. They may also research how to prevent, control, or eliminate food- and animal-borne illnesses and diseases.
Important Transferable Qualities To Include On Your Resume for ANY Animal Sciences Job
Compassion. Veterinarians must be compassionate when working with animals and their owners. They must treat animals with kindness and must be sensitive when dealing with the owners of sick pets.
Decision-making skills. Veterinarians must decide the correct method for treating the injuries and illnesses of animals. Deciding between euthanizing and treating a sick animal, for instance, can be very difficult.
Interpersonal skills. Strong communication skills are essential for veterinarians, who must be able to explain treatment options to animal owners and give instructions to their staff.
Management skills. Management skills are important for those veterinarians who are in charge of running private clinics or laboratories. In these settings, they are responsible for providing direction, delegating work, and overseeing daily operations.
Manual dexterity. Manual dexterity is important for veterinarians because they must control their hand movements and be precise when treating injuries and performing surgery.
Problem-solving skills. Veterinarians need strong problem-solving skills because they must figure out what is ailing animals. Those who test animals to determine the effects of drug therapies also need excellent diagnostic skills.
What Do Employers Look For? (Source: NACE 2024 Job Outlook for Students)
Top 10 Skills Employers Seek on Candidate Resumes
- Problem-solving skills
- Ability to work in a team
- Communication skills (written)
- Strong work ethic
- Flexibility/adaptability
- Communication (verbal)
- Technical Skills
- Analytical/Quantitative Skills
- Initiative
- Detail-oriented
Top 7 Attributes that can positively influence employers the most
- Internship with the organization
- Internship within the industry
- Major
- General work experience
- Leadership experience
- Extracurricular activities
- High GPA (3.0 or above)