How much should I pay a animal control workers in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Animal Control Workers is $45,656 to $57,075 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows private industry wages growing about 3.1% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a animal control workers?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $37,752 is below market, $45,656 to $57,075 is competitive, and above $57,075 is above market for Animal Control Workers.

Animal Control Workers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 33-9011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$45,656

$21.95/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Animal Control Workers salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$33K

P25$38K

P50$46K

P75$57K

P90$68K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- the broader market openings are at 4.3% (JOLTS, August 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in private industry are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $45,656 to $57,075 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Animal Control Workers pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role fell 0.4% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.1% wage growth of the broader market (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

the broader market is running a 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 1.9% (BLS JOLTS).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.1 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently

Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.1M (4.3% rate); hires 5.2M, separations 5.1M, quits steady at 1.9%. July openings revised up 64K to 7.3M.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.3M (4.4% rate), but hires fell to 5.1M and separations to 5.1M. Quits slipped to 1.9%. June openings revised down to 7.2M.
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.4M (4.4% rate), hires flat at 5.3M, quits steady at 2.0%.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Animal Control Workers is $45,656 per year ($21.95/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $37,752 and $57,075 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $68,058 per year. There are approximately 12,070 animal control workers employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Handle animals for the purpose of investigations of mistreatment, or control of abandoned, dangerous, or unattended animals.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

+3.9%

About as fast as average

Annual openings

per year, on avg

Workforce today

12K

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Experience

None

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 4 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300	11K	$45,520
Social Advocacy Organizations NAICS 813300	350	$48,310
Other Personal Services NAICS 812900	310	$44,040
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200	90	$55,220

Wage range across top 5 industries: $44,040 to $55,220 (25% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$15.91	$33,093
P25	$18.15	$37,752
P50MEDIAN	$21.95	$45,656
P75	$27.44	$57,075
P90	$32.72	$68,058

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · other sector

Active

Openings Rate

4.3%

Quits Rate

1.9%

The labor market held steady in August: job openings were little changed at 7.1M (rate 4.3%), hires changed little at 5.2M, and total separations were unchanged at 5.1M. Quits were unchanged at 3.1M (rate 1.9%) and layoffs stayed low at 1.6M (1.0%). July was revised up: openings +64K to 7.3M, hires +92K to 5.1M.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average animal control workers salary?

The national median salary for Animal Control Workers is $45,656 per year ($21.95/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $37,752 and $57,075 annually.

How much do top-earning animal control workers make?

The 90th percentile salary for Animal Control Workers is $68,058 per year ($32.72/hr). The 75th percentile is $57,075 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for animal control workers?

Entry-level Animal Control Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $33,093 per year ($15.91/hr). The 25th percentile is $37,752 per year.

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Animal Control Workers Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

Texas1,300 workers California1,210 workers New York870 workers Florida640 workers North Carolina460 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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