Do you want a high paying career that suits your love for animals? If YES, here are 50 best career ideas that involves helping people and pays well. As a pet lover, pet parent or someone who is just passionate about animals, have you ever considered the idea of working with pets or animals? There are a lot of interesting occupations that involve working with animals that also command a respectable income annually.
You can turn your love for animals into an interesting and profitable career for the benefit of the animals and humans alike. Here are 50 different ideas that you can explore.
50 Best High Paying Career ideas That Involve Animals
1. Veterinarian
Veterinarians are doctors whose jobs involve caring for a pet’s health. As a veterinarian, you can earn between $70,000 and $150,000 every year. You can also start your own private practice and work independently as a veterinarian. Some of your duties would include diagnosing and treating various animal ailments, animal surgery and animal reproduction.
2. Horse Jockey
Horse racing commands a lot of attention in the sporting industry. Many horse racing events all over the world attract a huge number of spectators and fans. You can become a horse jockey and compete in such events. A famous horse jockey Jerry Bailey once earned $23million a year, so there is no limit to your earning potential in this career. However, the average annual salary for a horse jockey is put at about $20,000 per arum.
3. Animal Research Scientist
Another career idea is to become a researcher or pathologist who researches various animal diseases and potential cure to these diseases.
4. Animal Rights Activist
This is one of the best careers for a genuine animal lover- you might not earn very much but you will be able to protect animals from abuse, illegal use, and suffering.
You can work with animal protection agencies like PETA or other non-profit agencies targeted at protecting animal rights.
5. Veterinary Technician
If you don’t want to go through the stress of going to a higher institution to get a degree that allows you practice as a veterinary doctor, there is still hope; you can still earn up to $15/hour working as a veterinary technician or veterinary assistant. Most Vet technicians learn on the job or attend short certification programs offered by trade schools and community colleges.
6. Pet Grooming
Pet grooming is another important and lucrative career. You can help pet owners such as cat, dog or horse owners to groom their pets. According to a recent report by Payscale, pet groomers earn between $21,000 and $32,000 annually.
7. Park Ranger
Another idea is to work as a park ranger. You can work in parks to protect and care for wildlife. If you love meeting new people and making new friends, you will find this job to be a very interesting one.
8. Circus Performer
You can train your cat, dog, horse, monkey or any other pet to perform with you in a circus. Circus performers get invited to a lot of shows and events and get paid for it.
9. Animal Shelter Worker
Stray or orphaned animals need some love too. This is exactly what animal shelter workers do- they help to care for animals who have no one looking out for them. Any genuine animal lover would love this career.
10. Wildlife Rehabilitator
Wildlife rehabilitators take care of sick, injured or orphaned wild animals in order to help them function normally in their natural habitats. If you are bold and love to work with animals in exchange for a respectable income, this is another perfect idea for you.
11. Pet Walker
Busy pet lovers hardly find the time to take their pets outdoors for the essential breath of fresh air and regular exercise that they need to stay healthy, so they hire pet walkers who do it for them in exchange for a small fee. Working with multiple clients can earn you a lot of income in this career.
12. Aquarium Specialist
You can create aquariums for sale, or work in public parks, zoos and other public places with giant aquariums. Your job would revolve around keeping the aquarium clean, and keeping the animals in the aquarium healthy and safe, amongst other duties.
13. Dairy Farmer
Milk is one of the most commonly sold food items worldwide. You can start a dairy farm to care for cows and milk them for sale.
14. Fishermen
If you love fishing, you can convert it into a lucrative career or business idea. You can make a lot of money from supplying fish in large quantities to food stores, farmers markets, grocery stores and supermarkets around you.
15. Aquaculturist
Aquaculturists specialize in farming and breeding fresh or sea water animals such as oysters, fish, shrimp, periemoen and several others. This is another career with a lot of earning potential.
16. Pet Supply Store Owner
Almost every home has a pet these days; you can earn a lot of daily income from setting up a pet supply store where people can buy pet food, pet grooming items and other supplies that they need to care for their pets and keep them entertained.
17. Hunter
You can obtain a license that allows you to hunt wild animals and handle hunting rifles, and start making money from hunting down wildlife for sale to people who love wild meat.
18. Rancher
You can set up a ranching business for other animal lovers to visit and spend time.
19. Pet Breeder
Pet breeding is another lucrative and interesting career. You can breed dogs, cows, cats, horses, and other pets for adoption by interested pet lovers.
20. Exotic Bird Breeder
Are you fascinated with exotic birds like parrots, peacocks, golden pheasants, and other exotic breeds; then you can turn this into a money-spinning career by breeding them for sale. A lot of high-net worth people love to keep these exotic birds as pets.
21. Animal Fur Harvester
Another business idea that can earn you a lot of money (and a lot of reprimands from PETA and other pet lovers), is to start skinning animals for the purpose of selling their fur and skin to fashion designers to make shoes, bags, coats and other fashion accessories made from fur.
22. Disaster Rescue and Recovery Animal Worker
During the unfortunate 9/11 incident, a lot of dogs which had been trained for the purpose were deployed to search for survivals or corpses of victims in places were human rescue workers couldn’t easily reach. These animals and their trainers are heroes and always receive a lot of accolades and income after a disaster.
23. Law Enforcement K-9 Enforcement Officer
If you love the idea of working with a dog that is trained to sniff out drug couriers, runaway felons, and other criminals, then this is the career you want to embrace.
24. Animal Dentist
Gum diseases can be fatal for animals especially dogs and cats. You can opt for a career that involves helping animals solve their dental problems.
25. Pet Documentary Producer
This is the ultimate career for an animal lover. You can get to observe animals in their natural habitat and understand how they live, their temperaments, likes and dislikes, and why they do the things that they do.
26. Pet Trainer
New pet parents are often confused about the best ways to train their pets because animals are generally unruly until they are trained or domesticated. You can command a goods income from training and domesticating pets on behalf of their parents.
27. Pet Sitter
Another career idea is to help busy or travelling pet parents to care for their pets while they are away.
28. Pet clothes Designer
Nowadays, pet lovers clothe their pets in beautiful dresses. You can start a business of designing clothes for pets.
29. Natural Pet Food Maker
Many pet parents are doing away with synthetic pet foods for wholesome brands that offer better nutritional value for their pets. You can start making and selling one of such products.
30. Pet Spa Owner
pet spas are becoming increasingly popular. You can set up your own pet spa and make money from grooming, massaging and helping pets relax.
31. Animal Pharmaceutical Scientist
You can work on developing drugs and treatments for various animal ailments. You can also set up a pharmacy that sells medications for pets.
32. Animal Nutritionist
You can also consider becoming an animal nutritionist. Animal nutritionists develop healthy diets and make recommendations to ensure that animals get all the essential vitamins and minerals that they need to grow and stay healthy.
33. Farrier
Another career idea is to become a farrier who works with horses and donkeys to trim, balance, and place shoes on their hooves.
34. Salesmen
If your selling and marketing skills are top notch and you are an animal lover, then you can consider becoming a salesman for companies that sell animal food, animal drugs, treats, toys and animal grooming supplies.
35. Zoo Keeper
Another career that allows you work closely with animals is working as a zoo keeper. You can help to take care of a huge variety of animals that live in zoos.
36. Pet Toothpaste Maker
Pet parents are discouraged from using animal toothpaste to wash their pet’s teeth because animal toothpaste contains fluoride and other ingredients that may be harmful for pets. Pet toothpastes have become very popular because of this and you can earn a lot of money from producing and distributing your own pet toothpaste brand.
37. Animal Photography
Animal photographers earn a decent income too. You can sell your works to stock photography dealers, auction them to animal lovers, or help pet lovers coordinate pet photo sessions.
38. Pet Finding Business
Sometimes pets can stray and get lost, leaving their owners in a lot of distress- you can sell pet tracking devices, or start a business that helps to find and rescue lost pets.
39. Pooper Scooper
Scooping pet feces is a messy job that many pet parents would rather pay someone to do than do it themselves. Pooper scoopers earn a living from scooping and disposing feces on behalf of people who cannot do it themselves.
40. Pet Business Marketing
Marketing is an important key to success in any business. The same rules apply to pet-related businesses- they need to promote and create awareness for their businesses- you can set up a marketing business that targets pet-related businesses.
41. Pet Blogger
Blogging, when done in the right way, can command a decent monthly income. You can help keep pet lovers informed and entertained on the best ways to care for their pets. You can earn affiliate commission from Google AdSense or other advertisement services when you recommend products.
42. Pet Treat Maker
Pet treats are very important because they help to keep pets obedient and busy. You can develop your own pet treat brand and supply them to pet stores around you.
43. Animal Toy Maker
Another lucrative business idea that involves animals is making animal toys especially for domesticated animals. You can sell these online, or supply them to pet stores around you.
44. Animal Tank Maker
People with unusual pets like lizards, snakes lizards and fishes need tanks for them. You can set up a business that involves designing tanks for this category of pet lovers.
45. Pet Travel Service Provider
Travelling with a pet is not always very simple- you might need a pet passport, vaccination, special cages, an airline that allows you travel with pets and other specific travel requirements. All these can pose challenges for uninformed pet lovers but with a pet travel service provider to give them the necessary guidance, they can always avoid a lot of potential problems.
46. Pet Collar Maker
You can start a business of designing beautiful pet collars for sales to other pet lovers.
47. Animal Whisperer
When an animal becomes abnormally difficult, animal whisperers are usually brought in to help them calm down. You can become an animal whisperer if you are very great with understanding animal behavior.
48. YouTube Channel Owner
You can earn AdSense income and affiliate commission from making relevant pet training, grooming and pet health maintenance training videos on YouTube.
49. Breath Mint Maker
Another great idea for pet lovers is to make and sell breath mints for dogs to improve dog breath and so they can be fun to be around with.
50. Pet Sports Competition and Events
You can also make money from organizing shows and events that involve pets. You can earn money from selling tickets, or selling products at these events.
In conclusion, other animal-related business that you can do as a true animal lover include pet adoption services, setting up a pet forum, pet massage therapist, mobile pet grooming, and developing pet herbal products for sale.