The average wage for an animal caretaker in the United States is around $10.77 per hour.
Avg Wage
Animal caretakers earn an average hourly wage of $10.77.
Salaries typically start from $8.10 per hour and go up to $14.33 per hour.
65% below national average Updated in 2019
Animal caretaker earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level animal caretaker earnings begin at:
$14.33 per hour
$29,804 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level animal caretaker earnings begin at:
$12.52 per hour
$26,037 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level animal caretaker earnings begin at:
$10.77 per hour
$22,407 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level animal caretaker earnings begin at:
$9.27 per hour
$19,283 per year
10th percentile
Starting level animal caretaker earnings begin at:
$8.10 per hour
$16,846 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Animal caretaker salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $35,530 |
| Hawaii | $29,954 |
| Alaska | $28,680 |
| Massachusetts | $27,590 |
| Arizona | $27,241 |
| Washington | $27,130 |
| Connecticut | $26,834 |
| Minnesota | $26,470 |
| California | $26,320 |
| New York | $25,830 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $25,600 |
| Maryland | $25,260 |
| Oregon | $24,880 |
| Vermont | $24,780 |
| Rhode Island | $24,520 |
| Iowa | $24,507 |
| New Mexico | $24,380 |
| Pennsylvania | $24,221 |
| Colorado | $24,050 |
| New Jersey | $23,960 |
| Nebraska | $23,570 |
| Montana | $23,490 |
| Maine | $23,450 |
| Idaho | $23,360 |
| North Dakota | $23,230 |
| Utah | $23,140 |
| New Hampshire | $23,080 |
| Florida | $22,980 |
| Virginia | $22,730 |
| Indiana | $22,666 |
| Nevada | $22,580 |
| Illinois | $22,469 |
| Georgia | $22,440 |
| Michigan | $22,440 |
| Guam | $22,270 |
| North Carolina | $22,070 |
| Oklahoma | $22,050 |
| Texas | $22,030 |
| West Virginia | $21,860 |
| Kansas | $21,833 |
| Tennessee | $21,820 |
| Delaware | $21,800 |
| Louisiana | $21,570 |
| Wyoming | $21,480 |
| Missouri | $21,460 |
| South Dakota | $21,430 |
| Ohio | $21,200 |
| Arkansas | $21,190 |
| Wisconsin | $21,000 |
| South Carolina | $20,990 |
| Kentucky | $20,862 |
| Mississippi | $20,520 |
| Puerto Rico | $18,500 |
| Alabama | $17,235 |
How do animal caretaker salaries compare to similar careers?
Animal caretakers earn 29% less than similar careers in the United States. On average, they make less than animal control workers.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Animal control worker salary | $38K |
| Exterminator salary | $38K |
| Animal trainer salary | $30K |
| Veterinary technologist salary | $30K |
| Veterinary assistant salary | $23K |
| Animal caretaker salary | $22K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)