Animal Caretakers in the Colorado Springs Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Animal Caretakers pay in Colorado Springs, CO at a median of $35,220 per year ($16.94/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 same as. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 770 animal caretakers are employed across the Colorado Springs MSA in SOC 39-2021.

The Colorado Springs pay distribution spans from $31,700 at the 10th percentile to $68,150 at the 90th, a 2.1× 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 $32,520 and the 75th at $39,910, so half of Colorado Springs-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 Colorado Springs, CO 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 CO estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.