Animal Control Worker Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of animal control workers to grow 4.0% from 2025 to 2035 (about 600 more jobs), with about 1,500 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $45,660 a year ranks 654th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +4.0%
- Openings a year
- 1,500
- Median pay
- $45,660
- Pay rank
- 654th of 825
Is employment of animal control workers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of animal control workers to rise 4.0% (about 600 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +1.1% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 24 protective service occupations with a projection. That change ranks 299th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 13,800 |
| Employment, 2035 | 14,300 |
| Projected change | +4.0% |
| Openings a year | 1,500 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 13,800 jobs here differ from the 12,070 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 1,500 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 594th most of 830 occupations. About 96% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 60 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for animal control workers rank?
The median of $45,660 a year ranks 654th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the lower half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fish and Game Wardens | -5.7% | 500 | $74,060 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | +3.5% | 51,500 | $76,210 |
| Security Guards | +0.9% | 156,000 | $38,020 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | +0.2% | 7,800 | $93,790 |
| Transit and Railroad Police | +3.2% | 300 | $90,230 |
| Private Detectives and Investigators | +5.5% | 3,200 | $51,220 |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | -7.4% | 28,400 | $58,940 |
| Animal Caretakers | +12.1% | 62,800 | $35,360 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.