Protective Service Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 33-9011

Animal Control Workers

Median pay sits 40% below the mid peer in Protective Service Occupations (neighbors include First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives, First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers, First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other, Firefighters).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Animal Control Workers: First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives ($106K) , First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers ($56K) , First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other ($76K) , Firefighters ($59K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Animal Control Workers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 33-9011 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Write reports of activities, and maintain files of impoundments and dispositions of animals
  2. 2. Investigate reports of animal attacks or animal cruelty, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and writing reports
  3. 3. Examine animals for injuries or malnutrition, and arrange for any necessary medical treatment
  4. 4. Contact animal owners to inform them that their pets are at animal holding facilities
  5. 5. Educate the public about animal welfare, and animal control laws and regulations
  6. 6. Remove captured animals from animal-control service vehicles and place animals in shelter cages or other enclosures
  7. 7. Answer inquiries from the public concerning animal control operations
  8. 8. Capture and remove stray, uncontrolled, or abused animals from undesirable conditions, using nets, nooses, or tranquilizer darts as neces…
  9. 9. Prepare for prosecutions related to animal treatment, and give evidence in court
  10. 10. Supply animals with food, water, and personal care
  11. 11. Issue warnings or citations in connection with animal-related offenses, or contact police to report violations and request arrests
  12. 12. Euthanize rabid, unclaimed, or severely injured animals

Animal Control Workers: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 33-9011 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Public Safety and Security. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.8
  2. 2. Speaking 3.6
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.5
  4. 4. Reading Comprehension 3.0
  5. 5. Writing 3.0
  6. 6. Monitoring 3.0
  7. 7. Social Perceptiveness 3.0
  8. 8. Coordination 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Public Safety and Security 4.5
  2. 2. Law and Government 4.5
  3. 3. English Language 4.3
  4. 4. Customer and Personal Service 4.2
  5. 5. Administrative 3.6
  6. 6. Education and Training 3.3
Pay vs Protective Service Occupations peers
-40%
vs mid peer median $75,920
This role $45,660/yr
$46K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
1,300
Annual openings
12,070
Estimated US jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
Highest-pay peer · $106K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Animal Control Workers

1. Rhode Island $55,060
2. Massachusetts $60,930
3. Oregon $66,130
4. California $62,630
5. Nevada $58,810
6. Washington $66,440
7. Alaska $63,340
8. Colorado $58,470
9. Connecticut $57,130
10. Iowa $54,190

Other Protective Service Occupations titles

  1. 1. First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers $55,940
  2. 2. First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other $76,400
  3. 3. Firefighters $59,280
  4. 4. Transportation Security Screeners $66,770
  5. 5. First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $106,040
  6. 6. Transit and Railroad Police $90,230

Among Protective Service Occupations peers on this card, Animal Control Workers sits 40% below the mid peer median ($75,920). Its own median is $45,660.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,300 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Rhode Island at $55,060. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at $106,040. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Animal Control Workers pay-rank #18 in Protective Service Occupations

On the Protective Service Occupations median table (24 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Animal Control Workers lands at #18, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 33-9011 · national median $45,660 · lower third of Protective Service Occupations (#18/24). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Animal Control Workers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 33-9011

Rhode Island · top state for Animal Control Workers

$55K published median

Massachusetts · #2 state pay

$61K · behind Rhode Island

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

Highest-pay peer vs Animal Control Workers · $106K

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers

Lower-pay peer beside Animal Control Workers · $56K

Compare Animal Control Workers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Animal Control Workers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Animal Control Workers

Against another occupation

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Animal Control Workers land on the Protective Service Occupations median table? ▼
Animal Control Workers is pay-rank #18 of 24 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Parking Enforcement Workers ($47K), Gambling Surveillance Officers and Gambling Investigators ($43K), Protective Service Workers, All Other ($43K), Crossing Guards and Flaggers ($38K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do animal control workers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Animal Control Workers. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for animal control workers? ▼
For SOC 33-9011, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.8), Speaking (3.6), Critical Thinking (3.5), Reading Comprehension (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Public Safety and Security, Law and Government, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Animal Control Workers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $45,660 as the national median for Animal Control Workers. The published 10th-90th range is $33,090 to $68,070. Beside First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives ($106,040), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Animal Control Workers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Animal Control Workers is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 1,300. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Animal Control Workers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Animal Control Workers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Animal Control Workers? ▼
Rhode Island ($55,060), Massachusetts ($60,930), Oregon ($66,130) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Animal Control Workers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 33-9011. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Animal Control Workers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics