Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Animal Control Worker is a professional role in the Protective Service job family, focused on Animal Control Worker work. Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
What Animal Control Workers do
Typical education: High School Diploma
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.
Top skills:Active ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingWritingTime ManagementSocial Perceptiveness
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Animal Control Worker salary by industry
Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS
11,170 workers
$50,500
Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
11,080 workers
$50,000
Other Services (except Public Administration)
660 workers
$48,500
State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
90 workers
$60,000
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services$46,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Animal Control Worker pays 26% below the average across 24 roles in the Protective Service job family (family average $68,000).
