Animal Science

What the Numbers Say About Animal Science

Federal agencies employ 73 people in the Animal Science occupation (OPM code 487), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 for the March 2025 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved down by -2.7% versus the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.

Animal Science pays $131,720 per year on average, 19.9% above the $109,869 federal civilian average, after moving up 1.5% from the prior period (a modest shift, consistent with routine locality pay and grade-level movement). Employees in this role stay an average of 13.4 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

Code 4, the Biological Sciences Group family, is where the federal government classifies Animal Science alongside 30 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Animal Science postings should also review these sibling occupations, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Inside the Biological Sciences Group family (31 occupations, 69,668 employees combined), Animal Science holds the #29 spot by headcount, a 0.1% share of the family total.