Also called: Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab Director
Leads a state or university lab that diagnoses diseases in animals and spots outbreaks.
Coordinates testing during a bird flu outbreak, reviews results with pathologists, reports to state and federal officials, and manages a staff of scientists.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 12 years after high school. DVM plus PhD or board certification in pathology or microbiology.
Ways in: Professional school, Graduate school. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Animal Science, Microbiology.
Growing about average. Steady.
Low risk for 10 years. Lab automation and AI readers raise output; leading the lab, outbreak calls and final diagnoses stay human.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Microbiology elective, AP Statistics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-9121.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.