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
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
1K
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
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
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.
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.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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