BLS metro-level wage data places Animal Caretakers pay in Texarkana, TX-AR at a median of $28,220 per year ($13.57/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $35,360, Texarkana pays 20% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 40 animal caretakerss are employed across the Texarkana MSA in SOC 39-2021.

The Texarkana pay distribution spans from $21,150 at the 10th percentile to $42,490 at the 90th — a 2.0× 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 $22,800 and the 75th at $36,760, so half of Texarkana-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 Texarkana, TX-AR 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 TX data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.