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11 Jul, 2026
If you've been researching how to become an animal behaviorist, you've probably encountered a confusing landscape of certifications, degree options, and conflicting advice. Some sources make it sound like you just need to love animals. Others insist on a doctorate. The truth sits somewhere more nuanced — and considerably more clinical — than most career guides suggest.
I've spent years helping professionals navigate careers in healthcare and allied health fields, and animal behaviorism is one of the most misunderstood career paths I encounter. It sits at the intersection of behavioral science, veterinary medicine, and applied psychology, and it attracts a particular kind of person: someone who's drawn to clinical problem-solving but wants to work outside traditional human-centered healthcare settings. If that sounds like you, this guide will walk you through the real steps, the credentials that actually matter, and the clinical career track that most generic advice completely overlooks.
Before diving into the how, let's clarify the what — because the term "animal behaviorist" covers a surprisingly wide range of professional roles. At its core, an animal behaviorist studies animal behavior using scientific methods and applies that knowledge to solve behavioral problems, improve animal welfare, or advance research.
But within that umbrella, there are two very different career tracks:
These professionals work directly with animals and their owners, diagnosing and treating behavioral disorders. They may work in private practice, animal shelters, zoos, or research institutions. Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists (CAABs) hold a doctoral degree and are certified through the Animal Behavior Society.
This is the clinical path most people overlook. Veterinary behaviorists are licensed veterinarians who have completed a residency in behavioral medicine and are board-certified by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB). They can prescribe medication, diagnose medical conditions that influence behavior, and provide comprehensive treatment plans. There are fewer than 100 board-certified veterinary behaviorists in the United States — making this one of the rarest specializations in veterinary medicine.
Understanding the distinction between these two tracks is critical, because the education, credentials, and career trajectory look completely different for each.
Here's where I want to get specific, because this is where most career guides fall short. They list generic steps like "get a degree" and "gain experience." Let me break down what the clinical pathway actually looks like, year by year.
Start with a bachelor's degree in biology, psychology, zoology, or animal science. If you're eyeing the veterinary behaviorist route, you'll need to complete pre-veterinary coursework including organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics, and animal physiology. If you're targeting the applied behaviorist (CAAB) route, focus on psychology, ethology, or behavioral ecology.
During undergrad, seek out research opportunities in animal behavior labs. Universities with ethology or comparative psychology programs are ideal. Hands-on research experience — even as an undergraduate research assistant — is one of the strongest differentiators on graduate school applications.
This is the fork in the road:
I want to emphasize something important here: the master's-level ACAAB credential limits your scope of practice and earning potential significantly. If you're serious about this career, the doctoral route — whether DVM or PhD — is almost always worth the investment.
For aspiring veterinary behaviorists, the next step after earning your DVM is a residency in veterinary behavioral medicine. These residencies are competitive and typically last two to three years. You'll work under the supervision of a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, managing complex behavioral cases, prescribing psychopharmacological treatments, and conducting clinical research.
For the CAAB track, your doctoral research should focus specifically on animal behavior. You'll also need to accumulate a specified number of supervised professional experience hours working directly with behavioral cases. The Animal Behavior Society outlines these requirements in detail on their website.
After completing your training:
Both credentials require ongoing continuing education to maintain certification.
You might be wondering what an animal behavior career has to do with a healthcare job board. It's a fair question, and the answer relates directly to understanding the allied health profession meaning in its broadest sense.
Allied health professions encompass a wide range of clinical and support roles that contribute to health outcomes — and that definition doesn't stop at human medicine. Behavioral health, rehabilitation science, and applied clinical research all fall under the allied health umbrella. Animal behaviorists who work in clinical settings — diagnosing disorders, developing treatment protocols, managing psychopharmacological interventions — are practicing a form of behavioral healthcare that parallels what human behavioral health professionals do.
At healthcareers.app, we built our platform to serve professionals across the full spectrum of careers in healthcare, including those in emerging and non-traditional fields. Animal behaviorism represents a growing niche where clinical training, behavioral science, and healthcare principles converge.
One of the things that makes this career path unique is the diversity of work environments. Here's where animal behaviorists typically practice:
I want to highlight something I see candidates overlook: the clinical veterinary behavior setting offers the most career stability and the highest earning potential. If you have the aptitude for veterinary medicine and an interest in behavioral science, the veterinary behaviorist track is, in my professional opinion, the single strongest career investment in this field.
Beyond credentials, the professionals who thrive in this field share specific qualities:
I want to be straightforward about compensation because I see a lot of inflated numbers floating around online. Animal behaviorism is not a high-volume field, and salaries vary dramatically based on your credentials, setting, and geographic location.
Veterinary behaviorists in clinical practice or academic settings tend to earn salaries comparable to other veterinary specialists — which, according to sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and veterinary salary surveys, generally places them well above the median for general practice veterinarians. Applied animal behaviorists with doctoral credentials working in academic or institutional roles can earn competitive salaries, though private consulting income is highly variable.
The demand outlook is cautiously optimistic. As pet ownership continues to grow in the United States and awareness of animal behavioral health increases, the need for qualified behaviorists is expanding. However, the extremely small number of training positions — particularly veterinary behavior residencies — means supply will remain constrained for the foreseeable future. This scarcity is actually advantageous for those who complete the training: board-certified veterinary behaviorists are in high demand precisely because there are so few of them.
Having advised many candidates exploring careers in healthcare and behavioral science, I see several recurring mistakes in this field:
The unregulated nature of animal behavior consulting means that anyone can call themselves a "behaviorist" or "behavior consultant." Legitimate professional credentials — CAAB, ACAAB, or DACVB (Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists) — carry significantly more weight than commercial certification programs that require minimal education.
From undergraduate through board certification, the veterinary behaviorist path can take 12 or more years. The CAAB path through a PhD program typically takes 10 or more. These are not short-term career pivots — they're long-term professional commitments.
Whether you pursue the DVM or PhD route, a track record of behavioral research is essential. Graduate programs and residencies look for candidates who have demonstrated scientific curiosity and methodological competence through published or presented research.
For full professional certification, yes. The Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) credential requires a doctoral degree, and board-certified veterinary behaviorists must hold a DVM plus complete a behavioral medicine residency. An associate-level credential (ACAAB) is available with a master's degree, but it limits your scope of practice and professional opportunities.
The difference is substantial. Dog trainers teach obedience skills and may address mild behavioral issues. Animal behaviorists are scientists and clinicians who diagnose and treat behavioral disorders using evidence-based methods, and veterinary behaviorists can prescribe psychotropic medications. The educational requirements, clinical scope, and professional accountability are vastly different.
Absolutely. While your formal education will cover behavior across species, many behaviorists specialize in companion animals (dogs and cats), equine behavior, zoo animal welfare, or wildlife. Your specialization often develops naturally through your graduate research focus and the clinical cases you encounter during training.
The allied health profession meaning encompasses a broad range of clinical and support roles that contribute to health outcomes. While animal behaviorism isn't listed among traditional human allied health professions, the clinical track — particularly veterinary behavioral medicine — involves diagnostic assessment, treatment planning, and pharmacological intervention in ways that closely parallel human behavioral healthcare. It occupies a unique space at the intersection of veterinary medicine and behavioral science.
Extremely competitive. There are very few ACVB-approved residency positions available in any given year, and applicants typically need strong clinical performance in veterinary school, demonstrated research experience, and compelling letters of recommendation from behavioral medicine faculty. Starting to build relationships with veterinary behaviorists early in your DVM program is essential.
Learning how to become an animal behaviorist is the easy part — actually walking the path requires years of rigorous education, clinical training, and professional development. But for those who are genuinely passionate about understanding animal behavior through a scientific and clinical lens, it's one of the most intellectually rewarding careers healthcare and veterinary science have to offer.
If you're drawn to behavioral science but want to explore other careers in healthcare, I encourage you to browse the clinical and allied health roles we feature on healthcareers.app. Whether you ultimately pursue animal behaviorism or discover a related path in behavioral health, rehabilitation science, or clinical research, the foundation you build in behavioral science will serve you well. The healthcare field is vast, and there's room for professionals who think differently about what health — in all its forms — really means.
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