Animal Caretaker Salary

Animal Caretakers earn a median $35,360 a year nationally. Personal Care and Service Occupations

U.S. median

$35,360

$17.00 per hour

Range

$27,250 – $50,060

10th to 90th percentile

Employed

266,910

across the U.S.

Animal Caretaker take-home pay calculator

Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.

Your take-home pay

$30,592

per year · effective tax rate 13.5%

$2,549Monthly

$1,275Twice a month

$1,177Every 2 weeks

$14.71Hourly

Federal income tax$2,063
Social Security (6.2%)$2,192
Medicare (1.45%)$513
Texas income tax$0
Take-home pay$30,592

Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state

Pay by experience

Percentile	Salary	Hourly	Take-home (no state tax)
10th percentile (entry level)	$27,250	$13.10	$24,050
25th percentile	$29,820	$14.34	$26,140
Median (50th)	$35,360	$17.00	$30,592
75th percentile	$40,050	$19.25	$34,360
90th percentile (top earners)	$50,060	$24.07	$42,403

Best cities for animal caretakers (after tax & cost of living)

#	Metro area	Median	Take-home	Real value*	Jobs
1	Seattle, WA	$44,060	$37,582	$33,817	3,950
2	San Jose, CA	$44,070	$36,265	$32,842	1,090
3	Tucson, AZ	$36,870	$31,092	$32,088	950
4	Ocala, FL	$34,930	$30,246	$31,760	600
5	Phoenix, AZ	$39,030	$32,774	$31,722	4,480
6	Portland, ME	$38,580	$31,733	$31,154	850
7	Lexington, KY	$34,590	$28,880	$31,091	2,400
8	San Francisco, CA	$43,640	$35,942	$31,089	3,440
9	Fayetteville, AR	$33,900	$28,309	$30,989	660
10	Austin, TX	$35,040	$30,335	$30,933	2,510
11	Syracuse, NY	$35,500	$29,384	$30,691	470
12	Omaha, NE	$32,980	$28,052	$30,521	1,280
13	Knoxville, TN	$32,390	$28,205	$30,470	840
14	El Paso, TX	$31,190	$27,241	$30,298	520
15	Providence, RI	$36,500	$30,756	$30,220	1,450
16	Buffalo, NY	$34,840	$28,890	$30,142	800
17	Athens, GA	$33,610	$28,064	$30,066	520
18	Bridgeport, CT	$38,180	$32,065	$30,005	920
19	Santa Rosa, CA	$38,840	$32,340	$30,005	600
20	Boulder, CO	$37,720	$31,537	$29,977	490
21	Worcester, MA	$37,590	$30,724	$29,968	660
22	Boston, MA	$39,850	$32,427	$29,951	5,590
23	Hartford, CT	$36,470	$30,767	$29,945	1,040
24	Fresno, CA	$36,430	$30,531	$29,886	540
25	Rochester, NY	$34,950	$28,972	$29,857	730

*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).

Highest-paying cities

San Jose, CA — $44,070
Seattle, WA — $44,060
San Francisco, CA — $43,640
Boston, MA — $39,850
Phoenix, AZ — $39,030
Santa Rosa, CA — $38,840
Portland, ME — $38,580
Los Angeles, CA — $38,520
Bridgeport, CT — $38,180
New York, NY — $37,900
San Diego, CA — $37,870
Sacramento, CA — $37,780
Boulder, CO — $37,720
Washington, DC — $37,710
Denver, CO — $37,640

Animal Caretaker salary by state

State	Median	Take-home	Range	Jobs
District of Columbia	$44,210	$36,216	$37,840 – $64,300	460
Washington	$40,570	$34,778	$36,100 – $64,580	6,620
Hawaii	$40,130	$32,845	$31,100 – $66,200	570
Massachusetts	$39,650	$32,276	$32,910 – $64,060	6,900
California	$38,700	$32,235	$35,640 – $56,270	25,710
Arizona	$38,180	$32,112	$33,320 – $68,090	6,330
New York	$37,840	$31,138	$33,800 – $48,740	12,470
Colorado	$37,430	$31,316	$32,070 – $55,300	6,290
Connecticut	$37,310	$31,405	$35,150 – $62,540	3,000
Maine	$37,230	$30,727	$31,360 – $48,530	1,430
Rhode Island	$37,120	$31,231	$31,510 – $63,120	1,020
Maryland	$36,780	$30,349	$31,500 – $56,730	5,570
Alaska	$36,640	$31,620	$27,030 – $58,400	550
Oregon	$36,580	$29,201	$33,510 – $54,510	3,470
Minnesota	$36,430	$30,321	$29,440 – $48,050	4,250
Vermont	$36,090	$30,403	$31,990 – $47,360	430
New Jersey	$35,850	$30,446	$32,220 – $49,620	5,890
Illinois	$35,570	$29,145	$31,200 – $50,160	11,070
New Hampshire	$34,790	$30,134	$27,830 – $51,040	1,810
Utah	$34,750	$29,504	$26,310 – $56,730	2,350
Virginia	$34,380	$28,642	$28,050 – $46,180	10,070
Montana	$34,210	$28,817	$26,170 – $49,080	1,200
Florida	$34,150	$29,620	$28,950 – $50,140	17,210
North Dakota	$34,040	$29,531	$29,960 – $62,170	770
Delaware	$33,910	$28,222	$31,200 – $42,500	1,230
New Mexico	$33,570	$28,677	$27,980 – $44,020	1,710
Texas	$32,730	$28,479	$23,260 – $49,660	20,450
Idaho	$32,170	$27,432	$22,000 – $46,990	1,760
Nebraska	$31,680	$27,053	$28,080 – $52,010	2,100
Pennsylvania	$31,360	$26,415	$23,430 – $47,960	9,910
South Carolina	$31,280	$26,594	$22,880 – $46,160	4,090
Missouri	$31,230	$26,743	$28,600 – $44,930	5,820
North Carolina	$30,870	$26,261	$23,210 – $46,120	9,730
Kentucky	$30,720	$25,906	$22,600 – $47,290	6,140
Tennessee	$30,550	$26,727	$23,980 – $47,020	6,110
South Dakota	$30,390	$26,598	$27,260 – $44,960	1,110
Michigan	$30,320	$25,504	$27,770 – $45,480	6,290
Nevada	$30,320	$26,542	$27,280 – $51,040	2,470
Ohio	$30,310	$26,483	$24,130 – $49,450	9,350
Arkansas	$30,230	$25,504	$27,290 – $47,990	2,040
Wisconsin	$30,160	$25,868	$23,920 – $47,700	5,720
Iowa	$30,080	$25,858	$22,450 – $45,610	3,480
Indiana	$29,990	$25,422	$22,440 – $43,270	6,420
Georgia	$29,860	$25,246	$21,370 – $47,260	9,110
Kansas	$29,830	$25,261	$21,720 – $49,450	3,000
Wyoming	$29,080	$25,546	$21,330 – $50,290	460
Oklahoma	$28,940	$24,676	$21,320 – $43,880	3,170
West Virginia	$28,550	$24,402	$22,050 – $44,810	1,160
Alabama	$28,330	$23,788	$21,740 – $45,860	4,100
Louisiana	$27,910	$24,143	$21,600 – $40,000	2,660
Mississippi	$26,970	$23,473	$21,160 – $36,970	1,900

Frequently asked questions

How much does a animal caretaker make?

The national median salary for animal caretakers is $35,360 a year ($17.00 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $27,250 and the top 10% earn over $50,060. Source: BLS, May 2025.

Which state pays animal caretakers the most?

District of Columbia has the highest median pay at $44,210. After taxes and local prices, Seattle, WA offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.

How many animal caretakers are there in the U.S.?

About 266,910 people work as animal caretakers nationwide.

All 102 cities