Animal Caretakers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for animal caretakers in the U.S. is $35,360 ($17.00 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $35,360
- Mean annual wage
- $37,300
- Median hourly wage
- $17.00
- Employment
- 266,910
266,910 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $27,250 | $13.10 |
| 25th percentile | $29,820 | $14.34 |
| Median (50th) | $35,360 | $17.00 |
| 75th percentile | $40,050 | $19.26 |
| 90th percentile | $50,060 | $24.07 |
Highest-paying states for animal caretakers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $44,210 | 460 |
| Washington | $40,570 | 6,620 |
| Hawaii | $40,130 | 570 |
| Massachusetts | $39,650 | 6,900 |
| California | $38,700 | 25,710 |
| Arizona | $38,180 | 6,330 |
| New York | $37,840 | 12,470 |
| Colorado | $37,430 | 6,290 |
| Connecticut | $37,310 | 3,000 |
| Maine | $37,230 | 1,430 |
Lowest-paying states
- Mississippi: $26,970 median annual wage
- Louisiana: $27,910 median annual wage
- Alabama: $28,330 median annual wage
- West Virginia: $28,550 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $28,940 median annual wage
Related occupations
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.