BLS metro-level wage data places Animal Caretakers pay in Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT at a median of $35,660 per year ($17.14/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $35,360, Norwich-New London-Willimantic pays +1% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 290 animal caretakerss are employed across the Norwich-New London-Willimantic MSA in SOC 39-2021.

The Norwich-New London-Willimantic pay distribution spans from $34,340 at the 10th percentile to $62,800 at the 90th — a 1.8× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $35,130 and the 75th at $45,830, so half of Norwich-New London-Willimantic-based animal caretakerss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide CT data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.