Employment Spot

Jobs with Animals

Are you glued to Animal Planet on the TV every night, taking frequent trips to the zoo or always getting caught in a pet store?  If you love animals, how would you like to combine this passion with your career?  Caring for and protecting animals, forming companionships and gaining a better understanding of animal behavior are just some of the many ways jobs with animals provide great job satisfaction and fulfillment to animal lovers.  There are many different types of jobs with animals, from pet jobs such as dog groomers and obedience trainers, to jobs that involve exotic animals in the wild.

Veterinary medicine jobs

Veterinary Medicine Salary Calculator

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Current Veterinary Medicine Employment Opportunities

• Senior Veterinary Technician
  Location: US-TX-San Antonio
  Company: Banfield, The Pet Hospital - Hospital Openings
  Last Updated: 11/06
  Details: Sr. Veterinary Technician...standard for veterinary medicine and to making...for a great veterinary career with...


• Medicine Physician – Aerospace Engineer
  Location: US-TX-Lackland AFB
  Company: Air National Guard
  Last Updated: 11/15
  Details: ...and Responsibilities for the Medicine Physician - Aerospace Engineer...qualification. Provides aerospace medicine support. Establishes medical...


• View more Veterinary Medicine Employment Opportunites

Veterinary medicine offers a variety of choices for individuals interested in jobs with animals.  Do you want to work with small animals or large animals?  Would you like to work out of a local veterinary clinic or would you rather be a veterinarian at a zoo or a wildlife rehabilitation center?  The majority of veterinarians work in animal care jobs with small animals such as dogs, cats and other pets.  Other vets work with larger animals, such as livestock, and travel to farms, or work at zoos or laboratories.  To be a veterinarian, one must receive both a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a state license after completing their undergraduate college education.  Many veterinarians eventually open up their own practice, while others choose to move on to government work.  For more information on veterinarian jobs with animals, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Veterinarian page.     

Veterinary technician jobs

The relationship between veterinary technologists and veterinarians is comparable to the relationship between nurses and physicians.  Veterinary technicians assist veterinarians by performing laboratory tests, treating and diagnosing medical conditions in animals, and promoting general animal health.  Similar to the duties of a veterinarian, veterinary technicians also interact regularly with pet owners.  Individuals may also seek out jobs as laboratory animal technicians.  Most veterinary technicians have a two-year associate degree.  As with any jobs with animals, veterinary jobs may be physically and emotionally demanding, yet they offer great rewards for animal lovers.  More information on these animal jobs can be found at the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Veterinary Technologists and Technicians Web site.

Groomer jobs

For animal care jobs that do not require as much training as a veterinarian, grooming is a great option.  Groomers are responsible for grooming animals and maintaining their appearance.  Grooming jobs are usually thought of as dog jobs, although groomers may also groom pet cats or other larger animals, such as horses in stables.  Groomers may work at a veterinarian’s office, zoo or pet store, or they work at a specialty pet grooming business or dog “salon.”  Pet groomers usually receive their training through an apprenticeship or attend a licensed grooming school.

Animal trainer jobs

There are a variety of different jobs with animals that involve animal training.  Some animal trainer jobs include obedience training, service dog training to assist people with disabilities and police dog training for security.  Other animal trainers may train horses for riding, or they may train animals for shows and competitions.  One of the most sought-after animal trainer jobs involves marine mammals, particularly dolphins.  For the more adventurous, there are animal trainer jobs that involve training exotic animals to star in movies.  Dog trainers usually take courses or attend workshops, while marine mammal trainers typically need a college degree, such as a bachelor’s degree in biology, marine biology or animal science.  For these types of jobs with animals, experience and a love for animals may be more important than a formal education.

Animal control officer jobs

Animal control officers are sort of like the police of the animal world.  They are usually employed by the city, county or state government.  Animal control officers investigate the mistreatment of animals in their municipality district, rescue animals from abusive or dangerous situations, pick up strays and bring them to shelters, keep the public safe by controlling wild animals with diseases harmful to humans, and inform the public about proper animal care.  Animal control jobs may also involve caring for the animals and finding an owners for adoption.  Animal control officer jobs are great jobs with animals that involve protecting animals through enforcement of the law.  People with these animal jobs must be able to handle domestic and wild animals who may be unwilling to cooperate, communicate effectively with the public, and be compassionate individuals with a desire to help animals.

Kennel jobs

Working at a kennel is a great animal job that gives one-on-one interaction with pets.  Feeding the animals, cleaning their cages and monitoring their behavior are the primary tasks of kennel attendants.  Depending on where you work and your level of expertise, you may also be involved in grooming, selling pet food and supplies, obedience training or even providing some basic healthcare for the animals.  Pet jobs in a kennel are a great way to start off your animal career.  Owning or managing a kennel are two other options for jobs with animals in a kennel.

Animal shelter jobs

Jobs with animals in shelters may be very similar to kennel jobs.  Caring for the animals and cleaning their cages are primary responsibilities at animal shelters.  Veterinarians are also needed at shelters, especially because many of the animals who are brought in may be sick or need vaccinations.  Shelter jobs also involve interacting with customers and finding new homes for the animals.  Animal caretakers in shelters are not required to have any formal training, although there are training programs and workshops available through organizations like the Humane Society.  Some of the many different shelter jobs with animals include animal behaviorists, animal care attendants, animal shelter veterinarians, veterinary technicians, adoption counselors, cruelty investigators, fundraising specialists, and directors and managers.

Zoo jobs

When we think of jobs with animals at the zoo, most of us tend to think of zoo keepers.  Zoo keepers are great animal jobs that involve feeding the animals, building and cleaning animal enclosures, and observing animal behavior.  Most zoo keepers have a college education, in addition to prior experience working as an animal caretaker.  There are also many other jobs with animals at the zoo, including research specialist, animal trainer and zoo veterinarian.  It is also worthwhile to investigate the “behind the scenes” jobs at zoos, such as zoo director, marketing manager, human resources, membership coordinator and maintenance.  A more detailed list of zoo careers can be found here at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Web site.

Animal behaviorist

Jobs with animals in the field of animal behavior typically involve teaching and research at a university.  Most animal behaviorists earn their Ph.D. and go on to teach in fields such as biology, ethology, psychology or zoology in a university setting while conducting their own independent research alongside this teaching career.  Animal behaviorists at universities tend to be very specialized in their research endeavors, focusing on certain aspects of behavior in a particular species of animal.  Other animal behavior jobs may be in a government setting, such as in health-related research.  There are also opportunities to get involved in wildlife conservation and field research.  Finally, some zoos and aquariums hire animal behaviorists to work as curators, researchers or educators at their facilities.  For more information on animal behavior jobs and jobs with animals, visit the Career Guide from the Animal Behavior Society.

Here are some more jobs with animals:

• Animal Conservationist
• Animal Educator - work at an animal wildlife park, sanctuary, zoo or aquarium to educate the public about animals
• Animal Rights Activist - get involved with the Humane Society, ASPCA or PETA
• Army Animal Care Specialist - even the military has jobs with animals - visit the Army job description here
• Breeder - for more information about breeding jobs with animals, visit this Web site
• Doggie Day Care - work at an existing facility or open your own pet day care business
• Police K-9 Unit or Detection Dogs - training and handling service dogs as employees of the police force in the K-9 unit or as government officials in illicit substance detection
• Wildlife Photographer or Filmmaker
• Wildlife Rehabilitator - caring for injured or orphaned wildlife and releasing the animals back into the wild at an animal rescue center

Resources to help you in finding jobs with animals:

• American Association of Zoos and Aquariums
• Animal Behavior Society
• ArkAnimals.com Unusual Animal Careers
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Animal Care and Service Workers
• International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association