Personal Care
Animal Caretakers
SOC 39-2021
Feed, groom, and care for animals in shelters, kennels, and zoos.
The job
Median pay
$35k
$30k to $40k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+12% projected
Openings a year
63k
BLS projection
Typical education
High school
Our model
AI displacement risk
Low
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
7/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
3rd pct
More exposed than 3% of occupations · modeled estimate · 80th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
61/100
Key skills
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 25,710 | 1.4 | 0.8× | $39k |
| Texas | 20,450 | 1.5 | 0.8× | $33k |
| Florida | 17,210 | 1.7 | 1.0× | $34k |
| New York | 12,470 | 1.3 | 0.8× | $38k |
| Illinois | 11,070 | 1.8 | 1.1× | $36k |
| Virginia | 10,070 | 2.5 | 1.4× | $34k |
| Pennsylvania | 9,910 | 1.6 | 0.9× | $31k |
| North Carolina | 9,730 | 2.0 | 1.1× | $31k |
| Ohio | 9,350 | 1.7 | 1.0× | $30k |
| Georgia | 9,110 | 1.9 | 1.1× | $30k |
All 51 states
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 6,900 | 1.9 | 1.1× | $40k |
| Washington | 6,620 | 1.9 | 1.1× | $41k |
| Indiana | 6,420 | 2.0 | 1.2× | $30k |
| Arizona | 6,330 | 2.0 | 1.1× | $38k |
| Colorado | 6,290 | 2.2 | 1.3× | $37k |
| Michigan | 6,290 | 1.4 | 0.8× | $30k |
| Kentucky | 6,140 | 3.1 | 1.8× | $31k |
| Tennessee | 6,110 | 1.9 | 1.1× | $31k |
| New Jersey | 5,890 | 1.4 | 0.8× | $36k |
| Missouri | 5,820 | 2.0 | 1.1× | $31k |
| Wisconsin | 5,720 | 1.9 | 1.1× | $30k |
| Maryland | 5,570 | 2.0 | 1.2× | $37k |
| Minnesota | 4,250 | 1.4 | 0.8× | $36k |
| Alabama | 4,100 | 1.9 | 1.1× | $28k |
| South Carolina | 4,090 | 1.8 | 1.0× | $31k |
| Iowa | 3,480 | 2.2 | 1.3× | $30k |
| Oregon | 3,470 | 1.8 | 1.0× | $37k |
| Oklahoma | 3,170 | 1.9 | 1.1× | $29k |
| Connecticut | 3,000 | 1.8 | 1.0× | $37k |
| Kansas | 3,000 | 2.1 | 1.2× | $30k |
| Louisiana | 2,660 | 1.4 | 0.8× | $28k |
| Nevada | 2,470 | 1.6 | 0.9× | $30k |
| Utah | 2,350 | 1.4 | 0.8× | $35k |
| Nebraska | 2,100 | 2.1 | 1.2× | $32k |
| Arkansas | 2,040 | 1.6 | 0.9× | $30k |
| Mississippi | 1,900 | 1.6 | 0.9× | $27k |
| New Hampshire | 1,810 | 2.6 | 1.5× | $35k |
| Idaho | 1,760 | 2.1 | 1.2× | $32k |
| New Mexico | 1,710 | 2.0 | 1.1× | $34k |
| Maine | 1,430 | 2.2 | 1.3× | $37k |
| Delaware | 1,230 | 2.5 | 1.5× | $34k |
| Montana | 1,200 | 2.3 | 1.4× | $34k |
| West Virginia | 1,160 | 1.7 | 1.0× | $29k |
| South Dakota | 1,110 | 2.4 | 1.4× | $30k |
| Rhode Island | 1,020 | 2.0 | 1.2× | $37k |
| North Dakota | 770 | 1.8 | 1.0× | $34k |
| Hawaii | 570 | 0.9 | 0.5× | $40k |
| Alaska | 550 | 1.7 | 1.0× | $37k |
| Washington DC | 460 | 0.7 | 0.4× | $44k |
| Wyoming | 460 | 1.6 | 0.9× | $29k |
| Vermont | 430 | 1.4 | 0.8× | $36k |
Top metro areas
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ11,430 jobs · $38k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA9,000 jobs · $39k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN8,510 jobs · $36k median
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV6,590 jobs · $38k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX6,110 jobs · $34k median
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA6,010 jobs · $30k median
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH5,590 jobs · $40k median
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD5,480 jobs · $35k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Animal Caretakers interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.