Animal Caretakers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for animal caretakerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$46,510
- Washington$46,160
- Massachusetts$45,080
- Arizona$44,630
- Hawaii$44,620
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$28,270
- Louisiana$29,840
- Oklahoma$31,020
- Alabama$31,300
- West Virginia$31,550
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $46,510 | $44,210 | $22 | +24.7% | 460 |
| 2 | Washington | $46,160 | $40,570 | $22 | +23.8% | 6,620 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $45,080 | $39,650 | $22 | +20.9% | 6,900 |
| 4 | Arizona | $44,630 | $38,180 | $21 | +19.7% | 6,330 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $44,620 | $40,130 | $21 | +19.6% | 570 |
| 6 | California | $42,730 | $38,700 | $21 | +14.6% | 25,710 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $42,710 | $37,310 | $21 | +14.5% | 3,000 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $42,010 | $37,120 | $20 | +12.6% | 1,020 |
| 9 | Maryland | $41,820 | $36,780 | $20 | +12.1% | 5,570 |
| 10 | Colorado | $41,010 | $37,430 | $20 | +9.9% | 6,290 |
| 11 | New York | $40,540 | $37,840 | $19 | +8.7% | 12,470 |
| 12 | Alaska | $40,460 | $36,640 | $19 | +8.5% | 550 |
| 13 | Oregon | $40,380 | $36,580 | $19 | +8.3% | 3,470 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $39,940 | $35,850 | $19 | +7.1% | 5,890 |
| 15 | Maine | $39,790 | $37,230 | $19 | +6.7% | 1,430 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $39,460 | $34,040 | $19 | +5.8% | 770 |
| 17 | Illinois | $38,670 | $35,570 | $19 | +3.7% | 11,070 |
| 18 | Vermont | $38,460 | $36,090 | $18 | +3.1% | 430 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $38,320 | $36,430 | $18 | +2.7% | 4,250 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $37,610 | $31,680 | $18 | +0.8% | 2,100 |
| 21 | Utah | $37,600 | $34,750 | $18 | +0.8% | 2,350 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $37,160 | $34,790 | $18 | -0.4% | 1,810 |
| 23 | Florida | $36,820 | $34,150 | $18 | -1.3% | 17,210 |
| 24 | Montana | $36,170 | $34,210 | $17 | -3% | 1,200 |
| 25 | Virginia | $36,070 | $34,380 | $17 | -3.3% | 10,070 |
| 26 | Texas | $35,970 | $32,730 | $17 | -3.6% | 20,450 |
| 27 | Delaware | $35,940 | $33,910 | $17 | -3.6% | 1,230 |
| 28 | New Mexico | $35,050 | $33,570 | $17 | -6% | 1,710 |
| 29 | Idaho | $34,970 | $32,170 | $17 | -6.2% | 1,760 |
| 30 | Ohio | $34,690 | $30,310 | $17 | -7% | 9,350 |
| 31 | Missouri | $34,500 | $31,230 | $17 | -7.5% | 5,820 |
| 32 | Nevada | $34,400 | $30,320 | $17 | -7.8% | 2,470 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $34,330 | $30,160 | $17 | -8% | 5,720 |
| 34 | Wyoming | $34,150 | $29,080 | $16 | -8.4% | 460 |
| 35 | Kansas | $34,130 | $29,830 | $16 | -8.5% | 3,000 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $34,110 | $30,230 | $16 | -8.6% | 2,040 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $34,110 | $31,360 | $16 | -8.6% | 9,910 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $34,110 | $30,550 | $16 | -8.6% | 6,110 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $34,070 | $30,720 | $16 | -8.7% | 6,140 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $33,870 | $30,870 | $16 | -9.2% | 9,730 |
| 41 | Michigan | $33,850 | $30,320 | $16 | -9.2% | 6,290 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $33,700 | $30,390 | $16 | -9.7% | 1,110 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $33,640 | $31,280 | $16 | -9.8% | 4,090 |
| 44 | Iowa | $32,900 | $30,080 | $16 | -11.8% | 3,480 |
| 45 | Georgia | $32,250 | $29,860 | $16 | -13.5% | 9,110 |
| 46 | Indiana | $31,900 | $29,990 | $15 | -14.5% | 6,420 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $31,550 | $28,550 | $15 | -15.4% | 1,160 |
| 48 | Alabama | $31,300 | $28,330 | $15 | -16.1% | 4,100 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $31,020 | $28,940 | $15 | -16.8% | 3,170 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $29,840 | $27,910 | $14 | -20% | 2,660 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $28,270 | $26,970 | $14 | -24.2% | 1,900 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 514 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | High Desert Utah nonmetropolitan area | $52,000 | $46,780 | 280 |
| 2 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $46,270 | $45,650 | 90 |
| 3 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $44,070 | $47,930 | 1,090 |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $44,060 | $47,810 | 3,950 |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $43,640 | $46,960 | 3,440 |
| 6 | Barnstable Town, MA | $43,540 | $45,910 | 250 |
| 7 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $42,110 | $44,590 | 110 |
| 8 | South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $42,070 | $39,670 | 90 |
| 9 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $41,330 | $42,390 | 170 |
| 10 | El Centro, CA | $40,880 | $41,690 | 40 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing animal caretakerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction of Buildings | $58,280 | $53,010 | — |
| 2 | Sector 23 - Construction | $58,280 | $53,010 | — |
| 3 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $53,140 | $54,550 | 430 |
| 4 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $53,140 | $54,550 | 430 |
| 5 | Residential Building Construction | $49,920 | $50,890 | — |
| 6 | Real Estate | $49,410 | $50,190 | — |
| 7 | Testing Laboratories and Services | $49,250 | $48,230 | — |
| 8 | Hospitals, Privately Owned | $48,050 | $49,060 | 160 |
| 9 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $48,050 | $49,350 | 150 |
| 10 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Privately Owned | $48,050 | $49,350 | 150 |
| 11 | Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities | $46,610 | $43,400 | 40 |
| 12 | Sectors 31, 32, and 33 - Manufacturing | $46,520 | $49,280 | 310 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do animal caretakers make in the U.S.?
The median animal caretakers salary in the United States is $35,360 per year (mean $37,300), and about 80% earn between $27,250 and $50,060.
How much do animal caretakers make per hour?
Roughly $18 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $37,300 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays animal caretakers the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for animal caretakers at $46,510 per year (median $44,210).
What is the job outlook for animal caretakers?
Employment is projected to change +12.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 74,600 openings per year.