Animal Caretakers in the Amherst Town-Northampton Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Animal Caretakers pay in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA at a median of $39,870 per year ($19.17/hr), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared with the national median of $35,360, the metro estimate is +13% above. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 150 animal caretakers are employed across the Amherst Town-Northampton MSA in SOC 39-2021.

The Amherst Town-Northampton pay distribution spans from $34,840 at the 10th percentile to $58,310 at the 90th, a 1.7× observed spread. Differences in specialization, employer, sector, location, credentials, schedule, and experience may all contribute, but OEWS does not isolate their effects. The 25th percentile sits at $35,860 and the 75th at $50,160, so half of Amherst Town-Northampton-based animal caretakers earn within that middle band.

Metro figures use establishment work location, not worker residence. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Amherst Town-Northampton, MA covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. OEWS includes straight-time pay, tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer health and retirement benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, signing bonuses, and other nonproduction bonuses. The same occupation's national profile, statewide MA estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.