List of Careers with animals

People skills are paramount for professionals who work with animals and their owners.

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If small animals bring out your inner nurturer, you can consider one of many career paths. From house pets that need vaccinations to endangered small mammals that need protection in the wild, the animal kingdom offers a number of professional opportunities. What's more, jobs centered on small animals requuire a variety of educational levels, from a high school diploma to an advanced medical degree. Pay varies as well, and rises as small animal-centered workers gain education, experience and responsibilities.

Veterinarian

Small-animal veterinarians diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries in cats, dogs, birds, ferrets and other house pets. The small-animal subfield employs a major share of U.S. veterinarians. Nearly 80 percent of vets in private practice as of 2010 specialized in treating house pets, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Routine procedures for veterinarians who work with small animals include vaccinations, spaying and neutering and setting broken bones. Small-animal vets earned $69, 789 in 2010, less than the industry median of $82, 040, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To become a small-animal vet, candidates need a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from one of the nation’s 28 accredited veterinary medical schools.