Median pay for animal caretakers in each state, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). Nationally the median is $35,360 a year across about 365,300 jobs. More about this career.
By state
Listed alphabetically to start; MajorPays does not rank states. Click a column heading to sort; shift-click more headings to sort by several columns as a group.
| State | Median pay | 10th to 90th percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $28,330 | $21,740–$45,860 | 4,100 |
| Arizona | $38,180 | $33,320–$68,090 | 6,330 |
| Arkansas | $30,230 | $27,290–$47,990 | 2,040 |
| California | $38,700 | $35,640–$56,270 | 25,710 |
| Colorado | $37,430 | $32,070–$55,300 | 6,290 |
| Connecticut | $37,310 | $35,150–$62,540 | 3,000 |
| Delaware | $33,910 | $31,200–$42,500 | 1,230 |
| Florida | $34,150 | $28,950–$50,140 | 17,210 |
| Georgia | $29,860 | $21,370–$47,260 | 9,110 |
| Idaho | $32,170 | $22,000–$46,990 | 1,760 |
| Illinois | $35,570 | $31,200–$50,160 | 11,070 |
| Indiana | $29,990 | $22,440–$43,270 | 6,420 |
| Iowa | $30,080 | $22,450–$45,610 | 3,480 |
| Kansas | $29,830 | $21,720–$49,450 | 3,000 |
| Kentucky | $30,720 | $22,600–$47,290 | 6,140 |
| Louisiana | $27,910 | $21,600–$40,000 | 2,660 |
| Maine | $37,230 | $31,360–$48,530 | 1,430 |
| Maryland | $36,780 | $31,500–$56,730 | 5,570 |
| Massachusetts | $39,650 | $32,910–$64,060 | 6,900 |
| Michigan | $30,320 | $27,770–$45,480 | 6,290 |
| Minnesota | $36,430 | $29,440–$48,050 | 4,250 |
| Mississippi | $26,970 | $21,160–$36,970 | 1,900 |
| Missouri | $31,230 | $28,600–$44,930 | 5,820 |
| Montana | $34,210 | $26,170–$49,080 | 1,200 |
| Nebraska | $31,680 | $28,080–$52,010 | 2,100 |
| Nevada | $30,320 | $27,280–$51,040 | 2,470 |
| New Hampshire | $34,790 | $27,830–$51,040 | 1,810 |
| New Jersey | $35,850 | $32,220–$49,620 | 5,890 |
| New Mexico | $33,570 | $27,980–$44,020 | 1,710 |
| New York | $37,840 | $33,800–$48,740 | 12,470 |
| North Carolina | $30,870 | $23,210–$46,120 | 9,730 |
| Ohio | $30,310 | $24,130–$49,450 | 9,350 |
| Oklahoma | $28,940 | $21,320–$43,880 | 3,170 |
| Oregon | $36,580 | $33,510–$54,510 | 3,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $31,360 | $23,430–$47,960 | 9,910 |
| Rhode Island | $37,120 | $31,510–$63,120 | 1,020 |
| South Carolina | $31,280 | $22,880–$46,160 | 4,090 |
| South Dakota | $30,390 | $27,260–$44,960 | 1,110 |
| Tennessee | $30,550 | $23,980–$47,020 | 6,110 |
| Texas | $32,730 | $23,260–$49,660 | 20,450 |
| Utah | $34,750 | $26,310–$56,730 | 2,350 |
| Virginia | $34,380 | $28,050–$46,180 | 10,070 |
| Washington | $40,570 | $36,100–$64,580 | 6,620 |
| West Virginia | $28,550 | $22,050–$44,810 | 1,160 |
| Wisconsin | $30,160 | $23,920–$47,700 | 5,720 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, state estimates (employees only; self-employed workers are not included); price-level adjustment uses the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (where 100 is the U.S. average; MajorPays' calculation). Wages are for an occupation in a state as a whole and vary widely by employer, experience, industry and place within the state. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; neither agency has approved or endorsed this presentation. See Data sources for each dataset's terms.