Animal Control Workers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for animal control workerss 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
- Oregon$67,020
- Washington$65,980
- California$63,690
- Massachusetts$61,860
- Alaska$60,730
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$34,130
- West Virginia$35,070
- Kentucky$35,810
- Mississippi$36,450
- Oklahoma$38,470
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $67,020 | $66,130 | $32 | +38.4% | 40 |
| 2 | Washington | $65,980 | $66,440 | $32 | +36.2% | 180 |
| 3 | California | $63,690 | $62,630 | $31 | +31.5% | 1,210 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $61,860 | $60,930 | $30 | +27.7% | 280 |
| 5 | Alaska | $60,730 | $63,340 | $29 | +25.4% | 30 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $58,920 | $57,130 | $28 | +21.6% | 220 |
| 7 | Colorado | $58,520 | $58,470 | $28 | +20.8% | 170 |
| 8 | Nevada | $58,020 | $58,810 | $28 | +19.8% | 100 |
| 9 | Maryland | $56,250 | $53,330 | $27 | +16.1% | 140 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $55,340 | $52,050 | $27 | +14.2% | 260 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $54,120 | $52,000 | $26 | +11.7% | — |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $53,830 | $55,060 | $26 | +11.1% | 70 |
| 13 | New York | $53,720 | $48,420 | $26 | +10.9% | 870 |
| 14 | Iowa | $52,160 | $54,190 | $25 | +7.7% | 80 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $51,690 | $53,870 | $25 | +6.7% | 40 |
| 16 | New Hampshire | $50,250 | $48,840 | $24 | +3.7% | 60 |
| 17 | Montana | $49,840 | $50,530 | $24 | +2.9% | 50 |
| 18 | Virginia | $49,570 | $49,010 | $24 | +2.3% | 430 |
| 19 | Maine | $49,330 | $49,660 | $24 | +1.8% | 90 |
| 20 | Florida | $48,190 | $45,860 | $23 | -0.5% | 640 |
| 21 | Michigan | $48,080 | $48,340 | $23 | -0.7% | 260 |
| 22 | Utah | $47,580 | $47,210 | $23 | -1.8% | 200 |
| 23 | Illinois | $47,480 | $42,480 | $23 | -2% | 410 |
| 24 | Arizona | $46,970 | $47,650 | $23 | -3% | 210 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $45,650 | $37,380 | $22 | -5.8% | 120 |
| 26 | Ohio | $45,510 | $45,220 | $22 | -6% | 290 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $44,160 | $43,940 | $21 | -8.8% | 460 |
| 28 | Idaho | $43,780 | $43,930 | $21 | -9.6% | 50 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $43,630 | $45,530 | $21 | -9.9% | 50 |
| 30 | Indiana | $43,350 | $43,000 | $21 | -10.5% | 340 |
| 31 | Texas | $43,060 | $43,250 | $21 | -11.1% | 1,300 |
| 32 | Missouri | $42,320 | $41,760 | $20 | -12.6% | 440 |
| 33 | Kansas | $42,280 | $39,520 | $20 | -12.7% | 190 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $41,710 | $42,970 | $20 | -13.9% | 280 |
| 35 | Georgia | $41,390 | $39,500 | $20 | -14.6% | 430 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $40,120 | $38,020 | $19 | -17.2% | 120 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $39,680 | $38,790 | $19 | -18.1% | 180 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $39,330 | $37,800 | $19 | -18.8% | 260 |
| 39 | Alabama | $39,100 | $37,340 | $19 | -19.3% | 290 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $38,470 | $37,450 | $19 | -20.6% | 380 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $36,450 | $34,890 | $18 | -24.8% | 160 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $35,810 | $35,360 | $17 | -26.1% | 190 |
| 43 | West Virginia | $35,070 | $35,120 | $17 | -27.6% | 90 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $34,130 | $34,410 | $16 | -29.5% | 180 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 101 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $78,750 | $78,540 | 80 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $77,540 | $75,730 | 120 |
| 3 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $74,260 | $74,580 | 30 |
| 4 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $70,410 | $66,030 | 40 |
| 5 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $67,860 | $61,730 | 60 |
| 6 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $64,050 | $65,730 | 70 |
| 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $63,140 | $63,510 | 170 |
| 8 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $62,810 | $66,930 | 430 |
| 9 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $61,950 | $62,050 | 70 |
| 10 | New Haven, CT | $61,860 | $61,370 | 40 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing animal control workerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $55,220 | $58,060 | 90 |
| 2 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $55,220 | $58,060 | 90 |
| 3 | Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $48,310 | $49,030 | 350 |
| 4 | Social Advocacy Organizations | $48,310 | $49,150 | 350 |
| 5 | Sector 81 - Other Services (except Public Administration) | $47,010 | $46,870 | 660 |
| 6 | Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $46,770 | $46,690 | 910 |
| 7 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $45,660 | $48,440 | 12,070 |
| 8 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $45,620 | $48,580 | 11,170 |
| 9 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $45,620 | $48,580 | 11,170 |
| 10 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $45,620 | $48,580 | 11,170 |
| 11 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $45,520 | $48,500 | 11,080 |
| 12 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $45,520 | $48,500 | 11,080 |
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 control workers make in the U.S.?
The median animal control workers salary in the United States is $45,660 per year (mean $48,440), and about 80% earn between $33,090 and $68,070.
How much do animal control workers make per hour?
Roughly $23 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $48,440 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays animal control workers the most?
Oregon has the highest average pay for animal control workers at $67,020 per year (median $66,130).
What is the job outlook for animal control workers?
Employment is projected to change +3.9% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 1,300 openings per year.