Animal Scientists pay in the U.S.
$88,350avg. a year
$42.48 an hour · 3,100 employed
Animal Scientists in the U.S. earn an average of $88,350 a year and a median of $68,940. Pay is highest in Texas ($129,960) and lowest in Illinois ($50,640).
$68,940Median pay
$42.48Average hourly
+19%Avg. pay since 2020
3,100Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for animal scientists
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
140 jobs
Texas
$129,960
$62.48 an hour
2100 jobs
Minnesota
$114,380
$54.99 an hour
360 jobs
Iowa
$100,940
$48.53 an hour
4280 jobs
Wisconsin
$93,390
$44.90 an hour
5190 jobs
Maryland
$91,580
$44.03 an hour
690 jobs
Pennsylvania
$90,580
$43.55 an hour
7
Kansas
$88,630
$42.61 an hour
840 jobs
Washington
$86,440
$41.56 an hour
940 jobs
North Dakota
$82,190
$39.51 an hour
1090 jobs
South Dakota
$79,940
$38.43 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Animal Scientists pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $80k$80k–$89k$89k–$93k$93k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $96,050 | $46.18 |
| Madison, WI | $95,940 | $46.13 |
| Lincoln, NE | $81,260 | $39.07 |
Related jobs
- Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$116,840
- Biological Scientists, All Other$106,330
- Biochemists and Biophysicists$129,840
- Conservation Scientists$77,130
- Microbiologists$97,600
- Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists$83,020
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Animal Scientists pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $50,640 | $47,930 | – |
| Iowa | $100,940 | $75,290 | 60 |
| Kansas | $88,630 | $80,090 | – |
| Maryland | $91,580 | $77,750 | 190 |
| Michigan | $60,600 | $60,010 | 80 |
| Minnesota | $114,380 | $88,640 | 100 |
| Nebraska | $71,280 | $55,300 | 210 |
| North Dakota | $82,190 | $72,100 | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $90,580 | $77,660 | 90 |
| South Dakota | $79,940 | $77,300 | 90 |
| Texas | $129,960 | $132,830 | 40 |
| Washington | $86,440 | $83,160 | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $93,390 | $84,310 | 280 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Madison, WI
$95,940
220 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$96,050
160 jobsLincoln, NE
$81,260
100 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do animal scientists make?
The average is $88,350 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $68,940 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $42.48, and the median is $33.14 an hour.
Which state pays animal scientists the most?
Texas, with an average of $129,960 a year. The best-paying metro area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $96,050.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $44,350 a year, and the top 10% earn over $166,000.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-1011. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.