Careers / Animal Control Workers
Animal Control Workers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$45,660
United States, 2025
Employment
12,070
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Handle animals for the purpose of investigations of mistreatment, or control of abandoned, dangerous, or unattended animals.
- O*NET code
- 33-9011.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Write reports of activities, and maintain files of impoundments and dispositions of animals.
- Investigate reports of animal attacks or animal cruelty, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and writing reports.
- Examine animals for injuries or malnutrition, and arrange for any necessary medical treatment.
- Contact animal owners to inform them that their pets are at animal holding facilities.
- Educate the public about animal welfare, and animal control laws and regulations.
- Remove captured animals from animal-control service vehicles and place animals in shelter cages or other enclosures.
- Answer inquiries from the public concerning animal control operations.
- Capture and remove stray, uncontrolled, or abused animals from undesirable conditions, using nets, nooses, or tranquilizer darts as necessary.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$33,090
25th percentile
$37,750
75th percentile
$57,060
90th percentile
$68,070
Most important skills
- Active Listening3.8
- Speaking3.6
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Writing3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
- Complex Problem Solving2.9
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 11 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
11
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.5 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Speaking | 3.6 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Writing | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Animal Control WorkersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $78,750 | 80 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $77,540 | 120 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $74,260 | 30 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $70,410 | 40 | 2025 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $67,860 | 60 | 2025 |
| WA | $66,440 | 180 | 2025 |
| OR | $66,130 | 40 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $64,050 | 70 | 2025 |
| AK | $63,340 | 30 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $63,140 | 170 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $62,810 | 430 | 2025 |
| CA | $62,630 | 1,210 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $61,950 | 70 | 2025 |
| New Haven, CT | $61,860 | 40 | 2025 |
| MA | $60,930 | 280 | 2025 |
| Hartford, CT | $60,560 | 70 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $59,870 | 160 | 2025 |
| NV | $58,810 | 100 | 2025 |
| CO | $58,470 | 170 | 2025 |
| Miami, FL | $58,430 | 90 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Animal Control Workers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.