SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Feed, water, groom, bathe, exercise, or otherwise provide care to promote and maintain the well-being of pets and other animals that are not raised for consumption, such as dogs, cats, race horses, ornamental fish or birds, zoo animals, and mice. Work in settings such as kennels, animal shelters, zoos, circuses, and aquariums. May keep records of feedings, treatments, and animals received or discharged. May clean, disinfect, and repair cages, pens, or fish tanks. Excludes “Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers” (31-9096) and “Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals” (45-2093).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 39-2021.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $27,250 | $2,271 | $524 | $13.10 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $29,820 | $2,485 | $573 | $14.34 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $35,360 | $2,947 | $680 | $17.00 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $40,050 | $3,338 | $770 | $19.26 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $50,060 | $4,172 | $963 | $24.07 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Animal Caretakers is $35,360, which is 31% lower. Among the 32 occupations of the field Personal Care and Service, it ranks number 25 by median pay. With 266,910 jobs, it makes up about 17 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Animal Caretakers pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($44,210), Washington ($40,570) and Hawaii ($40,130). The lowest was in Mississippi ($26,970), Puerto Rico ($27,600) and Louisiana ($27,910). The most jobs were in California (25,710), Texas (20,450) and Florida (17,210). The occupation is most concentrated in Kentucky, where its share of all jobs is 1.8 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 460 | $44,210 | $46,510 | $21.25 |
| Washington | 6,620 | $40,570 | $46,160 | $19.51 |
| Hawaii | 570 | $40,130 | $44,620 | $19.29 |
| Massachusetts | 6,900 | $39,650 | $45,080 | $19.06 |
| California | 25,710 | $38,700 | $42,730 | $18.60 |
| Arizona | 6,330 | $38,180 | $44,630 | $18.35 |
| New York | 12,470 | $37,840 | $40,540 | $18.19 |
| Colorado | 6,290 | $37,430 | $41,010 | $18.00 |
| Connecticut | 3,000 | $37,310 | $42,710 | $17.94 |
| Maine | 1,430 | $37,230 | $39,790 | $17.90 |
| Rhode Island | 1,020 | $37,120 | $42,010 | $17.85 |
| Maryland | 5,570 | $36,780 | $41,820 | $17.68 |
| Alaska | 550 | $36,640 | $40,460 | $17.61 |
| Oregon | 3,470 | $36,580 | $40,380 | $17.59 |
| Minnesota | 4,250 | $36,430 | $38,320 | $17.51 |
| Vermont | 430 | $36,090 | $38,460 | $17.35 |
| New Jersey | 5,890 | $35,850 | $39,940 | $17.24 |
| Illinois | 11,070 | $35,570 | $38,670 | $17.10 |
| Virgin Islands | 50 | $35,570 | $36,640 | $17.10 |
| New Hampshire | 1,810 | $34,790 | $37,160 | $16.73 |
| Utah | 2,350 | $34,750 | $37,600 | $16.71 |
| Virginia | 10,070 | $34,380 | $36,070 | $16.53 |
| Montana | 1,200 | $34,210 | $36,170 | $16.45 |
| Florida | 17,210 | $34,150 | $36,820 | $16.42 |
| North Dakota | 770 | $34,040 | $39,460 | $16.37 |
| Delaware | 1,230 | $33,910 | $35,940 | $16.30 |
| New Mexico | 1,710 | $33,570 | $35,050 | $16.14 |
| Texas | 20,450 | $32,730 | $35,970 | $15.74 |
| Idaho | 1,760 | $32,170 | $34,970 | $15.47 |
| Nebraska | 2,100 | $31,680 | $37,610 | $15.23 |
| Pennsylvania | 9,910 | $31,360 | $34,110 | $15.08 |
| South Carolina | 4,090 | $31,280 | $33,640 | $15.04 |
| Missouri | 5,820 | $31,230 | $34,500 | $15.02 |
| North Carolina | 9,730 | $30,870 | $33,870 | $14.84 |
| Kentucky | 6,140 | $30,720 | $34,070 | $14.77 |
| Tennessee | 6,110 | $30,550 | $34,110 | $14.69 |
| South Dakota | 1,110 | $30,390 | $33,700 | $14.61 |
| Michigan | 6,290 | $30,320 | $33,850 | $14.58 |
| Nevada | 2,470 | $30,320 | $34,400 | $14.58 |
| Ohio | 9,350 | $30,310 | $34,690 | $14.57 |
| Arkansas | 2,040 | $30,230 | $34,110 | $14.54 |
| Wisconsin | 5,720 | $30,160 | $34,330 | $14.50 |
| Iowa | 3,480 | $30,080 | $32,900 | $14.46 |
| Indiana | 6,420 | $29,990 | $31,900 | $14.42 |
| Georgia | 9,110 | $29,860 | $32,250 | $14.36 |
| Kansas | 3,000 | $29,830 | $34,130 | $14.34 |
| Wyoming | 460 | $29,080 | $34,150 | $13.98 |
| Oklahoma | 3,170 | $28,940 | $31,020 | $13.92 |
| West Virginia | 1,160 | $28,550 | $31,550 | $13.73 |
| Alabama | 4,100 | $28,330 | $31,300 | $13.62 |
| Louisiana | 2,660 | $27,910 | $29,840 | $13.42 |
| Puerto Rico | 520 | $27,600 | $26,930 | $13.27 |
| Mississippi | 1,900 | $26,970 | $28,270 | $12.97 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
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Common questions
How much do Animal Caretakers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $35,360 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $27,250 and the highest-paid 10% more than $50,060.
How many people work as Animal Caretakers?
About 266,910 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.