Animal Caretakers
Animal Caretakers is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 5.1% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Animal Caretakers workforce.
Employment Over Time
26,200 Workforce in 2023
The Animal Caretakers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Animal Caretakers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$41,456 Average Wage
In 2023, Animal Caretakers earned an average of $41,456.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Animal Caretakers.
Salary distribution for Animal Caretakers.
Employment Growth Projections
4.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
127,812 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 22.5%
156,625 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 50.2%
This occupation is projected to grow at 4.1% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Animal Caretakers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Animal Caretakers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Animal Caretakers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Animal Caretakers.
Wage Trends by Industry
3.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Animal Caretakers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Animal Caretakers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 24,550 employees, $41,520 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Animal Caretakers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 6,140 employees, $39,762 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 3,060 employees, $41,549 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 2,750 employees, $40,715 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 2,220 employees, $39,821 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,760 employees, $45,570 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 1,540 employees, $40,376 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 1,440 employees, $45,946 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 1,180 employees, $47,750 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 650 employees, $39,646 avg wage
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA: 630 employees, $41,816 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Animal Caretakers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Animal Caretakers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Animal Caretakers in 2023 was 26,200 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Animal Caretakers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Animal Caretakers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Animal Caretakers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Animal Caretakers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Animal Caretakers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Animal Caretakers workers.
Education level distribution for Animal Caretakers.
Skills
Animal Caretakers need many skills, but most especially Monitoring, Coordination, Service Orientation, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Animal Caretakers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Animal Caretakers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Animal Caretakers include Customer and Personal Service, Administrative, English Language, Education and Training, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Animal Caretakers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Animal Caretakers include Oral Comprehension, Information Ordering, Static Strength, Oral Expression, Near Vision.
Required abilities for Animal Caretakers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Animal Caretakers.
Daily Activities
Animal Caretakers spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Performing General Physical Activities, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Handling and Moving Objects.
Most important work activities for Animal Caretakers.
About
Animal Caretakers
The average yearly wage for Animal Caretakers was $41,456 in 2023.
SOC Code
39-2021 - Animal Caretakers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Animal Caretakers reports an average salary of $41,456.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 26,200 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 4.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.