Job Title: USDA/APHIS Inspector
Description: APHIS, (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service), inspectors check farms for pests and animal/plant diseases to prevent their spread. They also inspect all wildlife facilities open to the public such as zoos, to ensure the animals are in good care, both humans and animals are kept safe, and the facility is meeting all requirements and regulations under the Animal Welfare Act and other federal standards. Ideally all wildlife facilities are inspected annually by a USDA inspector.
Degree Required: BS
- Bachelor of Science Degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years. Variations of a BS include a BT, referring to a Bachelor's of Technology, or a BA, a Bachelor of Arts degree. These different terms are often used for different areas of study or may be specific to colleges.
Skills Required: Bilingual, Farm animal care, Independent worker, Leadership abilities, Learns on the job, Managing people, Negotiator, Oral communication skills, Quick thinker, Record maintenance, Scientific thinker, Thinks outside the box, Time management skills, Teaching skills, Works under pressure, Written communication skills
Market Sector: Farm/Ranch, Government, Industry, Museum/Zoo/Aquarium
Relative Salary: $$
- We did not collect actual income range information in our survey. Instead we chose to express income range with a number of dollar signs, expressing relative salaries. A single $ is relatively low salary compared to the average, $$ - $$$ is average, and $$$$$ is much higher than average income.
Since each person surveyed may have a different viewpoint as to what constitutes an average salary, and since salary is often commensurate with years of experience, the number of dollar signs should not be regarded as an absolute, but only as an indicator.