Animal Caretakers in the Santa Rosa-Petaluma Metro

BLS metro-level wage data places Animal Caretakers pay in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA at a median of $38,840 per year ($18.67/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 +10% above. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. Approximately 600 animal caretakers are employed across the Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA in SOC 39-2021.

The Santa Rosa-Petaluma pay distribution spans from $35,990 at the 10th percentile to $53,620 at the 90th, a 1.5× 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 $37,230 and the 75th at $45,220, so half of Santa Rosa-Petaluma-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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 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 CA estimate, and peer-metro rows provide distinct geographic comparisons. A published median is a benchmark, not a prediction or ceiling for one worker.