occupation · 39-2021 · detailed
Animal Caretakers — wages and employment
Animal Caretakers earned a median annual wage of $33,470 in the United States in May 2024, with 277,300 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Animal Caretakers earned a median annual wage of $33,470 in the United States in May 2024, with 277,300 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $24,500 or less, the best-paid tenth $46,480 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $31,200 to $33,470, +7.3 %. The best-paying state is Washington at $38,400; the lowest Mississippi at $23,740. Among metropolitan areas, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA pays the highest median, $43,670. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 277,300 | $33,470 | $34,750 | $24,500 | $28,870 | $37,160 | $46,480 | $16.09 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 268,830 | $31,200 | $33,530 | $23,180 | $28,030 | $36,220 | $45,080 | $15.00 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $38,400 | 6,320 |
| District of Columbia | $37,980 | 430 |
| California | $37,200 | 26,200 |
| Massachusetts | $36,910 | 7,470 |
| New York | $36,500 | 11,970 |
| Connecticut | $36,330 | 3,250 |
| Maine | $36,310 | 1,390 |
| Maryland | $35,990 | 6,380 |
| Vermont | $35,600 | 570 |
| Alaska | $35,570 | 560 |
| Oregon | $35,310 | 3,750 |
| Colorado | $35,300 | 6,530 |
| Arizona | $35,170 | 5,450 |
| Rhode Island | $34,930 | 1,030 |
| New Jersey | $34,530 | 6,010 |
| Illinois | $34,440 | 10,660 |
| Hawaii | $34,410 | 690 |
| Minnesota | $33,790 | 4,610 |
| Montana | $32,290 | 1,150 |
| New Hampshire | $32,030 | 1,790 |
| Utah | $31,550 | 2,370 |
| Virginia | $30,830 | 9,610 |
| New Mexico | $30,720 | 1,650 |
| Delaware | $30,460 | 1,140 |
| North Dakota | $30,400 | 730 |
| Florida | $30,380 | 17,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,260 | 10,330 |
| Nebraska | $29,970 | 2,170 |
| Idaho | $29,910 | 1,890 |
| South Carolina | $29,900 | 5,280 |
| Texas | $29,810 | 22,690 |
| Tennessee | $29,800 | 7,000 |
| Michigan | $29,730 | 6,480 |
| Ohio | $29,700 | 9,750 |
| Iowa | $29,560 | 3,460 |
| Nevada | $29,530 | 2,500 |
| Wisconsin | $29,490 | 5,600 |
| South Dakota | $29,460 | 1,030 |
| Missouri | $29,390 | 6,570 |
| Kentucky | $29,370 | 6,980 |
| Arkansas | $29,370 | 2,270 |
| North Carolina | $28,900 | 10,810 |
| Georgia | $28,880 | 9,620 |
| Indiana | $28,800 | 6,200 |
| Wyoming | $28,780 | 430 |
| Oklahoma | $28,370 | 3,780 |
| West Virginia | $28,330 | 1,220 |
| Kansas | $27,970 | 3,010 |
| Alabama | $27,940 | 4,170 |
| Louisiana | $27,630 | 3,060 |
| Virgin Islands | $27,410 | 50 |
| Puerto Rico | $26,890 | 440 |
| Mississippi | $23,740 | 1,750 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $43,670 | 1,180 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $42,590 | 3,520 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $39,460 | 3,780 |
| Napa, CA | $38,770 | 110 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $38,420 | 70 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $38,210 | 630 |
| Salinas, CA | $37,920 | 280 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $37,650 | 210 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $37,600 | 140 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $37,500 | 150 |
| Vallejo, CA | $37,430 | 250 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $37,420 | 1,030 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $37,280 | 270 |
| Yuba City, CA | $37,250 | 70 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $37,180 | 6,020 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $37,150 | 290 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $37,110 | 240 |
| Ames, IA | $37,050 | 220 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $36,930 | 360 |
| Bellingham, WA | $36,890 | 210 |
Machine access — free, no API key
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