Sort by any column. Employment is the number of animal caretakers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Animal Caretaker Salary by State (2026)
Animal Caretakers earn the most in District of Columbia at $44,210 a year and the least in Mississippi at $26,970 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $35,360. All 53 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $44,210
- National median
- $35,360
- Lowest median
- $26,970
- States reporting
- 53
District of Columbia
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mississippi
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Animal Caretakers
- 1. District of Columbia$44,210 median · $40,227 adjusted · 460 employed
- 2. Washington$40,570 median · $37,911 adjusted · 6,620 employed
- 3. Hawaii$40,130 median · $36,498 adjusted · 570 employed
- 4. Massachusetts$39,650 median · $37,492 adjusted · 6,900 employed
- 5. California$38,700 median · $34,953 adjusted · 25,710 employed
Lowest-paying states for Animal Caretakers
- 53. Mississippi$26,970 median · $31,017 adjusted · 1,900 employed
- 52. Puerto Rico$27,600 median · no price parity · 520 employed
- 51. Louisiana$27,910 median · $31,641 adjusted · 2,660 employed
- 50. Alabama$28,330 median · $31,895 adjusted · 4,100 employed
- 49. West Virginia$28,550 median · $31,901 adjusted · 1,160 employed
Animal Caretaker salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $44,210 | $38,290 | $47,730 | 460 | $40,227 |
| 2 | Washington | $40,570 | $37,140 | $48,030 | 6,620 | $37,911 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $40,130 | $32,910 | $51,810 | 570 | $36,498 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $39,650 | $36,820 | $47,750 | 6,900 | $37,492 |
| 5 | California | $38,700 | $36,810 | $45,160 | 25,710 | $34,953 |
| 6 | Arizona | $38,180 | $35,890 | $47,080 | 6,330 | $37,923 |
| 7 | New York | $37,840 | $35,640 | $43,780 | 12,470 | $35,063 |
| 8 | Colorado | $37,430 | $35,670 | $43,850 | 6,290 | $36,321 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $37,310 | $35,860 | $45,980 | 3,000 | $36,010 |
| 10 | Maine | $37,230 | $35,250 | $44,000 | 1,430 | $38,362 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $37,120 | $34,860 | $43,930 | 1,020 | $36,293 |
| 12 | Maryland | $36,780 | $34,450 | $46,790 | 5,570 | $35,042 |
| 13 | Alaska | $36,640 | $32,150 | $47,560 | 550 | $35,796 |
| 14 | Oregon | $36,580 | $35,150 | $43,780 | 3,470 | $35,391 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $36,430 | $31,710 | $41,600 | 4,250 | $36,939 |
| 16 | Vermont | $36,090 | $33,870 | $42,840 | 430 | $36,842 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $35,850 | $34,110 | $42,340 | 5,890 | $32,949 |
| 18 | Illinois | $35,570 | $32,080 | $37,840 | 11,070 | $35,585 |
| 19 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $35,570 | $35,560 | $43,400 | 50 | N/A |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $34,790 | $29,290 | $42,720 | 1,810 | $33,399 |
| 21 | Utah | $34,750 | $29,320 | $42,010 | 2,350 | $35,149 |
| 22 | Virginia | $34,380 | $29,490 | $38,120 | 10,070 | $34,005 |
| 23 | Montana | $34,210 | $29,600 | $39,130 | 1,200 | $36,146 |
| 24 | Florida | $34,150 | $29,760 | $37,460 | 17,210 | $33,023 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $34,040 | $31,050 | $38,640 | 770 | $38,265 |
| 26 | Delaware | $33,910 | $31,200 | $36,360 | 1,230 | $33,975 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $33,570 | $29,070 | $37,300 | 1,710 | $36,405 |
| 28 | Texas | $32,730 | $28,460 | $41,930 | 20,450 | $33,722 |
| 29 | Idaho | $32,170 | $28,990 | $35,850 | 1,760 | $33,688 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $31,680 | $29,160 | $39,490 | 2,100 | $35,160 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $31,360 | $28,400 | $36,450 | 9,910 | $32,140 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $31,280 | $28,100 | $36,570 | 4,090 | $33,366 |
| 33 | Missouri | $31,230 | $29,300 | $35,500 | 5,820 | $34,388 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $30,870 | $28,540 | $35,990 | 9,730 | $32,727 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $30,720 | $27,860 | $37,890 | 6,140 | $34,073 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $30,550 | $28,110 | $36,170 | 6,110 | $33,254 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $30,390 | $28,710 | $35,370 | 1,110 | $34,306 |
| 38 | Michigan | $30,320 | $28,960 | $36,390 | 6,290 | $31,512 |
| 39 | Nevada | $30,320 | $28,950 | $36,240 | 2,470 | $30,326 |
| 40 | Ohio | $30,310 | $28,490 | $36,310 | 9,350 | $32,671 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $30,230 | $28,580 | $35,210 | 2,040 | $34,772 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $30,160 | $28,170 | $36,850 | 5,720 | $32,053 |
| 43 | Iowa | $30,080 | $27,240 | $35,140 | 3,480 | $34,275 |
| 44 | Indiana | $29,990 | $26,540 | $35,420 | 6,420 | $32,134 |
| 45 | Georgia | $29,860 | $28,040 | $34,950 | 9,110 | $31,010 |
| 46 | Kansas | $29,830 | $24,440 | $38,280 | 3,000 | $33,119 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $29,080 | $25,480 | $36,570 | 460 | $31,373 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $28,940 | $23,920 | $35,350 | 3,170 | $32,945 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $28,550 | $25,220 | $34,400 | 1,160 | $31,901 |
| 50 | Alabama | $28,330 | $23,920 | $34,280 | 4,100 | $31,895 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $27,910 | $22,840 | $33,370 | 2,660 | $31,641 |
| 52 | Puerto Rico | $27,600 | $22,520 | $30,400 | 520 | N/A |
| 53 | Mississippi | $26,970 | $22,190 | $29,890 | 1,900 | $31,017 |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Animal Caretakers, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $44,210, while District of Columbia leads once prices are taken into account at $40,227.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Animal Caretaker pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Animal Caretakers the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for Animal Caretakers at $44,210 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Washington ($40,570) and Hawaii ($40,130).
Which state pays Animal Caretakers the least?
Mississippi reports the lowest median for Animal Caretakers at $26,970 a year, $17,240 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Animal Caretakers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts District of Columbia first at $40,227 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $44,210. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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