If you’re an animal lover, jobs that work with animals might be the most rewarding career path for you. Many jobs involve animals, from wildlife work to pet health care, grooming, sales, training and breeding. So, whatever your strengths, background and career aspirations, there’s a job working with animals that will suit you!

If you’re looking for jobs that work with animals, look at the following options for inspiration!

1. Animal Care Assistant

Animal care assistants care for animals by keeping them clean, groomed, comfortable, active and fed! They usually care for cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and birds and other domestic pets. However, animal care assistants can specialise in catteries, kennels or farm animals.

You will need basic customer service experience, basic animal care and handling knowledge and a genuine passion for animals and their welfare!

If you’d like to learn about animal care, consider our Certificate of Animal Health Care. Other courses that may be beneficial include animal anatomy, physiology, behaviour, nutrition, reproduction, genetics, animal husbandry,

Qualities

• Strong communication skills
• Empathy
• Teamwork
• Time management
• Physical strength and fitness
• Flexibility
• Patience
• Customer service
• Data entry

2. Breeder

Animal breeders work with animals for many purposes, including shows, food consumption and companion pets. Most breeders will strive to produce desirable traits in animals.

Animal breeders can work in specialised fields, including self-employment as independent animal breeders (cats, dogs, horses, reptiles, cows, and chickens), livestock breeders, laboratory breeder and in the agricultural industry.

If you’d like to learn about animal breeding, consider our Certificate of Animal Breeding.

Qualities

• Calm disposition
• Compassion
• Teamwork
• Physical strength and fitness
• Flexibility
• Patience
• Research orientated
• Writing ability
• Sales and marketing
• Integrity

3. Veterinary Assistant

 If you’re passionate about caring for animals and ensuring they receive the best possible health care, you might be perfect as a veterinary assistant (also known as a veterinary nurse). Veterinary assistants feed, bathe, weigh and take the temperature of animals. They also routinely administer medication and vaccinations, conduct laboratory tests, collect samples, clean cages, and provide nursing care after surgery and other medical procedures.

Veterinary assistants work predominantly in veterinary clinics and animal hospitals. But they can also find work opportunities in laboratories, colleges, universities and research facilities. Flexible hours are required, with evening, weekend and holiday shifts standard in this job.

If you’re interested in a career in veterinary assisting, consider our Certificate of Animal Health Care. You might also be interested in the Certificate of Animal Diseases,  Animal Feed and Nutrition and  Natural Animal Health Care and Animal Anatomy and Physiology.

Qualities

• Independent
• Persistent
• Genuine
• Practical
• Patient
• Physical strength and fitness
• Interpersonal skills
• Empathy

4. National Park Manager

If you’d like to be a caretaker for our beautiful nature parks, wilderness areas, reserves and camp and picnic grounds, consider a career as a National Park Manager. In jobs that work with animals, this one is one of the best for outdoor types who love to be surrounded by nature.

National Park Managers work in various settings, including national parks, snowfields, rainforests and coastal areas. Park rangers often work weekends and public holidays.

If you’re interested in a career in national park management, consider our  Advanced Certificate of Wildlife Conservation & Management.

5. Animal Behaviourist/Trainer

Animal behaviour is a fascinating field and is important for any job with animals, particularly for animal behaviouralists and trainers.

Animal behaviourists/trainers work with clients to help manage, modify and prevent problem behaviour in pets. They create a customised treatment and training plans and educate pet owners on how to implement them successfully.

If this is the type of job working with animals that interests you, consider our Certificate of Animal Behaviour.

Qualities

• Patience
• Sense of humour
• Creativity
• Flexibility
• Confidence
• Physical strength and fitness
• Diplomacy

6. Stable Hand/Horse Trainer

If you love horses, consider a career as a stablehand or horse trainer! Horse trainers exercise horses, get them ready for human contact, and perform certain behaviours when prompted. They also work with racehorses and show horses to prepare them for competition.

Stable hands care for horses in facilities like racing stables and breeding farms. They are responsible for feeding, grooming and exercising horses, as well as cleaning and maintaining stables and equipment. You’ll also have early starts and often have to work on weekends.

If a job with animals is your passion and you enjoy horses, consider our range of professional development courses, including Certificate of Horse Care Advanced, Intermediate and Introductory Program and Equine Behaviour.

Qualities

• Patience
• Physical strength and fitness
• Alert
• Horse-handling ability
• Confidence

7. Dog Groomer

Are you a dog lover? Why not work with them every day? Dog groomers provide several services, such as washing, cutting, grooming, clipping and styling their cute clients.

Dog groomers often start their own businesses or work in pet salons, mobile dog vans, veterinary clinics, pet shops, and kennels, providing a comprehensive grooming service. Dog grooming can be physically demanding and requires a quiet and calm disposition when handling pets.

If a job working with animals is what you’re looking for, grooming will have you surrounded by furry friends all day, every day! Take a look at our Certificate of Animal Grooming to get the skills and knowledge you need to set up your own business!

Qualities

• Self-starter
• Organised
• Passionate (about pets)
• pet-handling ability
• Confidence
• Interpersonal skills
• Social media skills

8. Animal Welfare/Management

If you’re an animal lover passionate about making a difference in animal welfare, why not turn it into a career?

Animal welfare activists work for animal protection agencies, animal shelters and on farms as animal welfare inspectors, animal shelter attendants, animal control officers, kennel technicians, farm managers and many other professionals where animal welfare is a priority.

Our Certificate of Animal Welfare is an excellent professional development course to get started in the animal welfare industry!

Qualities

• Empathetic
• Organised
• Passionate (about animals)
• Animal-handling ability
• Confidence
• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Integrity

9. Zookeeper

Take the leap and pursue a career in zoology! If you’re fascinated by the study of animals, this could be the job for you! Zookeepers are responsible for all aspects of animal care, from bathing to feeding to supervising breeding programs and the not-so-glamourous job of cleaning out animal habitats!

Zookeepers work predominantly in with animals in captivity, but they also work in research roles. The hours can be unsociable, with nights, weekends and holiday shifts common in this job.

If you’re interested in a career as a zoologist, consider gaining the foundation knowledge you need to pursue further study in this fascinating field with a Certificate of Carnivore Zoology or Certificate of Vertebrate Zoology.

Qualities

• Independent
• Communication skills
• Physical strength and fitness
• Interpersonal skills
• Empathy
• Management

Can I work with animals without a degree?

There are many amazing jobs that work with animals where a degree isn’t required So, if you have your heart set on a career working with animals, take a look at the professional development courses to find your new direction.