Employment in the equine industry in 2022: Insights into career types, salaries, and benefits.

Summary

• This research examined employment in the U.S. equine industry in 2022, focusing on types of careers, salary levels, and benefits received by professionals.
• Data were collected through an online survey to better understand compensation and to provide insights useful for both employees and educators in the industry.

Research Objectives

• To assess current salaries, benefits, and education levels of professionals working in various sectors of the equine industry.
• To identify relationships between career type, education level, salary, and benefits among equine industry employees.
• To establish baseline data for future studies and industry benchmarking.

Methodology

• An online survey with 38 questions was administered in 2022.
• The survey was distributed via social media platforms and e-newsletters targeted at equine professionals.
• Participants were categorized into six career types based on responses: farm management, government, industry, nonprofit, private practice, and university (academia).
• Statistical analysis, particularly Chi-squared tests, were used to examine associations between education, salary, benefits, and job type.

Key Findings

• Distribution of Career Types: The most represented career category was farm management (34%), followed by private practice (18%), academia/university (17%), industry (15%), nonprofit (12%), and government (4%).
• Education and Salary:
  • A significant association was found between education level and salary (P = 0.001), meaning that those with advanced degrees were more likely to earn salaries above $50,000.
• Job Type and Salary:
  • Academia and industry professionals more frequently earned over $50,000 compared to those in nonprofit and farm management sectors.
  • Farm management and nonprofit roles were associated with salaries $50,000 or below.
• Benefits:
  • Academia and government employees reported receiving more job benefits compared to farm management and private practice professionals.
  • The difference in benefits across job types was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Implications

• The equine industry in the U.S. is a major economic contributor with over a million jobs, yet detailed compensation data have been limited until this study.
• The survey results provide a foundational understanding of how education levels and career types influence salary and benefits.
• These insights can help employees assess career paths and inform their decisions about pursuing advanced education for better compensation.
• Employers and industry stakeholders can use these data to evaluate and improve salary structures and benefit offerings.
• Educators can emphasize the importance of advanced degrees, given their positive impact on salary and benefits in the equine industry workforce.

Limitations and Future Research

• The survey relied on voluntary responses, which may introduce response bias or limit representativeness.
• Some career sectors, such as government, had fewer respondents (4%), potentially affecting the robustness of conclusions in those categories.
• Future surveys might expand question scope to capture more nuanced data on job satisfaction, geographic differences, and career progression.
• Ongoing data collection can help track trends over time and the effects of broader economic changes on the equine workforce.