Summary Report for:
19-1011.00 - Animal Scientists
Conduct research in the genetics, nutrition, reproduction, growth, and development of domestic farm animals.
Sample of reported job titles:
Animal Nutritionist, Beef Cattle Specialist, Research and Development Director, Animal Management Systems Specialist, Animal Science Section Leader, Beef Cattle Nutritionist, Extension Animal Scientist, Research Center Partner, Research Geneticist, Research Scientist
Tasks | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment
Tasks
- Conduct research concerning animal nutrition, breeding, or management to improve products or processes.
- Advise producers about improved products and techniques that could enhance their animal production efforts.
- Study nutritional requirements of animals and nutritive values of animal feed materials.
- Study effects of management practices, processing methods, feed, or environmental conditions on quality and quantity of animal products, such as eggs and milk.
- Develop improved practices in feeding, housing, sanitation, or parasite and disease control of animals.
- Research and control animal selection and breeding practices to increase production efficiency and improve animal quality.
- Determine genetic composition of animal populations and heritability of traits, utilizing principles of genetics.
- Crossbreed animals with existing strains or cross strains to obtain new combinations of desirable characteristics.
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Knowledge
| Biology — Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment. |
| Food Production — Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques. |
| Chemistry — Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods. |
| Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. |
| English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
| Education and Training — Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects. |
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Skills
| Science — Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems. |
| Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. |
| Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
| Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. |
| Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. |
| Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. |
| Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
| Instructing — Teaching others how to do something. |
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Abilities
| Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. |
| Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). |
| Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. |
| Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
| Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. |
| Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
| Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. |
| Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. |
| Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity). |
| Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways. |
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Work Activities
| Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. |
| Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used. |
| Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. |
| Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
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Work Context
| Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? |
| Duration of Typical Work Week — Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
| Electronic Mail — How often do you use electronic mail in this job? |
| Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? |
| Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? |
| Structured versus Unstructured Work — To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? |
| Letters and Memos — How often does the job require written letters and memos? |
| Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? |
| Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? |
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Job Zone
| Title |
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed |
| Overall Experience |
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job. |
| Job Training |
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training. |
| Job Zone Examples |
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include librarians, lawyers, aerospace engineers, physicists, school psychologists, and surgeons. |
| SVP Range |
(8.0 and above) |
| Education |
A bachelor's degree is the minimum formal education required for these occupations. However, many also require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). |
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Interests
Interest code: IR
| Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally. |
| Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others. |
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Work Styles
| Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical. |
| Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. |
| Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. |
| Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. |
| Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
| Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems. |
| Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. |
| Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. |
| Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. |
| Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. |
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Work Values
| Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy. |
| Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement. |
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Related Occupations
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Wages & Employment Trends
National
| Median wages (2006) |
$22.98 hourly, $47,800 annual |
| Employment (2006) |
5,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) |
Average (7% to 13%)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) |
2,000 additional employees |
State & National
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2006 wage data
and 2006-2016 employment projections
.
"Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2006-2016). "Projected need" represents job openings due to growth and net replacement.
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