Animal Caretakers Wages
SOC 39-2021 • Full occupation profile
The median annual wage for Animal Caretakers is $31,200 nationally (2023 BLS OEWS). The 10th percentile is $23,180 and the 90th percentile is $45,080, showing the wide spread of wages in this occupation.
National Wage Distribution (2023)
Employment
268,830
P10
$23,180
P25
$28,030
Median
$31,200
P75
$36,220
P90
$45,080
National Wage Trend
How national median and mean wages for Animal Caretakers have moved across BLS OEWS release years.
| Year | Median | Mean | P10 | P90 | Employment | YoY Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $31,200 | $33,530 | $23,180 | $45,080 | 268,830 | — |
| 2022 | $29,530 | $32,160 | $22,250 | $44,280 | 256,670 | -5.35% |
| 2021 | $28,600 | $29,520 | $21,380 | $38,750 | 225,680 | -3.15% |
| 2020 | $26,080 | $28,380 | $19,310 | $40,210 | 193,660 | -8.81% |
Wages by State (2023)
State-level OEWS wage estimates for Animal Caretakers. The highest median is in Hawaii at $41,270, 32% above the U.S. median.
| Area | Median Annual | vs National | Mean Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $41,270 | +32.3% | $42,860 | 630 |
| District of Columbia | $38,250 | +22.6% | $40,540 | 230 |
| Washington | $37,220 | +19.3% | $40,890 | 6,190 |
| California | $36,490 | +17% | $39,710 | 24,930 |
| Massachusetts | $35,890 | +15% | $37,600 | 7,600 |
| Oregon | $35,500 | +13.8% | $38,170 | 3,240 |
| New York | $35,340 | +13.3% | $38,190 | 12,240 |
| Rhode Island | $34,780 | +11.5% | $35,320 | 1,090 |
| Maryland | $34,540 | +10.7% | $35,850 | 5,240 |
| Connecticut | $34,520 | +10.6% | $36,140 | 2,870 |
| Maine | $34,410 | +10.3% | $36,110 | 1,160 |
| Vermont | $34,400 | +10.3% | $35,390 | 540 |
| Colorado | $34,320 | +10% | $36,400 | 6,410 |
| New Jersey | $34,050 | +9.1% | $36,180 | 6,640 |
| Alaska | $33,970 | +8.9% | $36,610 | 530 |
| Arizona | $33,690 | +8% | $34,730 | 5,180 |
| Minnesota | $33,630 | +7.8% | $34,410 | 4,200 |
| Illinois | $31,890 | +2.2% | $35,690 | 10,650 |
| New Hampshire | $31,600 | +1.3% | $33,570 | 1,520 |
| Montana | $31,060 | -0.4% | $32,780 | 980 |
| Utah | $30,330 | -2.8% | $34,300 | 2,450 |
| Delaware | $30,190 | -3.2% | $32,460 | 910 |
| Iowa | $30,010 | -3.8% | $32,260 | 3,630 |
| New Mexico | $29,890 | -4.2% | $32,340 | 1,740 |
| Virginia | $29,740 | -4.7% | $33,090 | 9,180 |
| South Dakota | $29,650 | -5% | $31,590 | 890 |
| Florida | $29,570 | -5.2% | $33,160 | 16,890 |
| Tennessee | $29,490 | -5.5% | $30,310 | 7,220 |
| Kentucky | $29,370 | -5.9% | $30,270 | 7,180 |
| Idaho | $29,320 | -6% | $31,450 | 2,020 |
| Pennsylvania | $29,080 | -6.8% | $30,450 | 10,460 |
| Nebraska | $29,050 | -6.9% | $30,870 | 2,040 |
| Wyoming | $28,980 | -7.1% | $31,080 | 410 |
| Texas | $28,970 | -7.1% | $31,710 | 22,220 |
| North Carolina | $28,900 | -7.4% | $30,480 | 9,380 |
| North Dakota | $28,900 | -7.4% | $31,000 | 670 |
| Michigan | $28,870 | -7.5% | $32,860 | 6,850 |
| South Carolina | $28,850 | -7.5% | $29,820 | 5,040 |
| Missouri | $28,840 | -7.6% | $30,920 | 6,960 |
| Ohio | $28,770 | -7.8% | $32,070 | 9,180 |
| Nevada | $28,760 | -7.8% | $31,240 | 2,580 |
| Arkansas | $28,590 | -8.4% | $30,580 | 2,080 |
| Wisconsin | $28,580 | -8.4% | $31,190 | 5,460 |
| Indiana | $28,280 | -9.4% | $30,010 | 5,490 |
| Oklahoma | $28,030 | -10.2% | $29,710 | 3,220 |
| Louisiana | $27,760 | -11% | $28,560 | 3,420 |
| Georgia | $27,700 | -11.2% | $29,470 | 9,100 |
| West Virginia | $27,400 | -12.2% | $28,130 | 1,210 |
| Alabama | $27,090 | -13.2% | $27,650 | 3,770 |
| Kansas | $26,970 | -13.6% | $28,050 | 3,170 |
| Mississippi | $23,270 | -25.4% | $25,170 | 1,920 |