Food Scientists and Technologists
Median $88,720
Occupation · SOC 19-1011
Animal Scientists: pay and where the jobs are
What animal scientists earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$68,940 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $88,350
- Median hourly wage
- $33.14
- Mean hourly wage
- $42.48
- Employment
- 3,100
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 19-1011.
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How much do animal scientists make?
The median annual wage for animal scientists was $68,940 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $44,350 and the highest-paid 10% more than $166,000. As an hourly rate, the median is $33.14. About 3,100 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Texas ($132,830), Minnesota ($88,640) and Wisconsin ($84,310). Texas also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for animal scientists 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 | $44,350 | $21.32 | $3,696 | $3,151 |
| 25th percentile | $49,770 | $23.93 | $4,148 | $3,514 |
| Median | $68,940 | $33.14 | $5,745 | $4,777 |
| 75th percentile | $103,300 | $49.67 | $8,608 | $6,792 |
| 90th percentile | $166,000 | $79.81 | $13,833 | $10,394 |
Animal Scientists: pay by state
13 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
$105,150 take-home in national prices
2
$71,355 take-home in national prices
3
$68,703 take-home in national prices
Where a median animal scientist paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 40 | $132,830 | $44,490 | $211,650 | $102,055 | $105,150 |
| Minnesota | 100 | $88,640 | $63,520 | $202,910 | $66,294 | $67,221 |
| Wisconsin | 280 | $84,310 | $57,400 | $153,570 | $64,646 | $68,703 |
| Washington | 40 | $83,160 | $63,730 | $112,450 | $66,179 | $61,842 |
| Kansas | Not published | $80,090 | $59,370 | $126,760 | $61,504 | $68,286 |
| Maryland | 190 | $77,750 | $59,950 | $147,580 | $60,200 | $57,356 |
| Pennsylvania | 90 | $77,660 | $59,010 | $167,260 | $61,025 | $62,544 |
| South Dakota | 90 | $77,300 | $50,660 | $101,990 | $63,211 | $71,355 |
| Iowa | 60 | $75,290 | $50,580 | $186,390 | $59,587 | $67,896 |
| North Dakota | 40 | $72,100 | $51,320 | $153,500 | $59,406 | $66,779 |
| Michigan | 80 | $60,010 | $47,080 | $87,330 | $48,098 | $49,989 |
| Nebraska | 210 | $55,300 | $48,150 | $118,980 | $44,977 | $49,917 |
| Illinois | Not published | $47,930 | $39,630 | $66,510 | $38,464 | $38,480 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 19-1011. *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.