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How Much Does an Animal Caretaker Make?
An animal caretaker in the US earns a median salary of $35,360 a year, or $17.00 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $37,300, and the middle half earn between $29,820 and $40,050.
Animal caretaker pay range
What animal caretakers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $27,250 | $13.10 | |
| 25th | $29,820 | $14.34 | |
| Median (50th) | $35,360 | $17.00 | |
| 75th | $40,050 | $19.26 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $50,060 | $24.07 |
The median is 31% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 266,910 people work as animal caretakers in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $680
- Every two weeks
- $1,360
- Twice a month
- $1,473
- A month
- $2,947
At the median salary, before tax.
Animal caretaker salary by state
Sorted by average pay. District of Columbia pays animal caretakers the most, at $46,510 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $46,510 | $44,210 | 460 | After tax |
| Washington | $46,160 | $40,570 | 6,620 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $45,080 | $39,650 | 6,900 | After tax |
| Arizona | $44,630 | $38,180 | 6,330 | After tax |
| Hawaii | $44,620 | $40,130 | 570 | After tax |
| California | $42,730 | $38,700 | 25,710 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $42,710 | $37,310 | 3,000 | After tax |
| Rhode Island | $42,010 | $37,120 | 1,020 | After tax |
| Maryland | $41,820 | $36,780 | 5,570 | After tax |
| Colorado | $41,010 | $37,430 | 6,290 | After tax |
| New York | $40,540 | $37,840 | 12,470 | After tax |
| Alaska | $40,460 | $36,640 | 550 | After tax |
| Oregon | $40,380 | $36,580 | 3,470 | After tax |
| New Jersey | $39,940 | $35,850 | 5,890 | After tax |
| Maine | $39,790 | $37,230 | 1,430 | After tax |
| North Dakota | $39,460 | $34,040 | 770 | After tax |
| Illinois | $38,670 | $35,570 | 11,070 | After tax |
| Vermont | $38,460 | $36,090 | 430 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $38,320 | $36,430 | 4,250 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $37,610 | $31,680 | 2,100 | After tax |
| Utah | $37,600 | $34,750 | 2,350 | After tax |
| New Hampshire | $37,160 | $34,790 | 1,810 | After tax |
| Florida | $36,820 | $34,150 | 17,210 | After tax |
| Virgin Islands | $36,640 | $35,570 | 50 | |
| Montana | $36,170 | $34,210 | 1,200 | After tax |
| Virginia | $36,070 | $34,380 | 10,070 | After tax |
| Texas | $35,970 | $32,730 | 20,450 | After tax |
| Delaware | $35,940 | $33,910 | 1,230 | After tax |
| New Mexico | $35,050 | $33,570 | 1,710 | After tax |
| Idaho | $34,970 | $32,170 | 1,760 | After tax |
| Ohio | $34,690 | $30,310 | 9,350 | After tax |
| Missouri | $34,500 | $31,230 | 5,820 | After tax |
| Nevada | $34,400 | $30,320 | 2,470 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $34,330 | $30,160 | 5,720 | After tax |
| Wyoming | $34,150 | $29,080 | 460 | After tax |
| Kansas | $34,130 | $29,830 | 3,000 | After tax |
| Arkansas | $34,110 | $30,230 | 2,040 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $34,110 | $31,360 | 9,910 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $34,110 | $30,550 | 6,110 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $34,070 | $30,720 | 6,140 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $33,870 | $30,870 | 9,730 | After tax |
| Michigan | $33,850 | $30,320 | 6,290 | After tax |
| South Dakota | $33,700 | $30,390 | 1,110 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $33,640 | $31,280 | 4,090 | After tax |
| Iowa | $32,900 | $30,080 | 3,480 | After tax |
| Georgia | $32,250 | $29,860 | 9,110 | After tax |
| Indiana | $31,900 | $29,990 | 6,420 | After tax |
| West Virginia | $31,550 | $28,550 | 1,160 | After tax |
| Alabama | $31,300 | $28,330 | 4,100 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $31,020 | $28,940 | 3,170 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $29,840 | $27,910 | 2,660 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $28,270 | $26,970 | 1,900 | After tax |
| Puerto Rico | $26,930 | $27,600 | 520 |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other personal care and service jobs
- Childcare worker $34,980 median
- Amusement and recreation attendant $32,150 median
- Recreation worker $36,560 median
- Exercise trainer and group fitness instructor $47,160 median
- Hairstylist $35,790 median
- Manicurist and pedicurist $35,760 median
- Usher, lobby attendant, and ticket taker $32,910 median
- First-line supervisor of personal service workers $48,590 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Animal Caretakers” (SOC 39-2021). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an animal caretaker make an hour?
The median hourly wage for an animal caretaker is $17.00, and the average is $17.94. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $13.10 an hour and the top 10% over $24.07.
How much does an animal caretaker make a month?
At the median salary of $35,360, an animal caretaker earns about $2,947 a month before tax, or $1,360 every two weeks.
Which state pays animal caretakers the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for an animal caretaker, at $46,510 a year. Next are Washington and Massachusetts. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for an animal caretaker?
The lowest-paid 10% of animal caretakers earn less than $27,250 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $29,820. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid animal caretakers make?
The top 10% earn more than $50,060 a year, and the top 25% more than $40,050.
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