Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

39-2021 Nonfarm Animal Caretakers

Feed, water, groom, bathe, exercise, or otherwise care for pets and other nonfarm animals, such as dogs, cats, ornamental fish or birds, zoo animals, and mice. Work in settings such as kennels, animal shelters, zoos, circuses, and aquariums. May keep records of feedings, treatments, and animals received or discharged. May clean, disinfect, and repair cages, pens, or fish tanks. Excludes "Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers" (31-9096).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
144,240 1.5 % $10.58 $22,000 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $7.84 $8.48 $9.38 $11.59 $15.01
Annual Wage (2) $16,310 $17,640 $19,510 $24,100 $31,210


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Personal Services 52,330 21.52 $10.61 $22,080
Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers 27,670 10.05 $9.53 $19,820
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 27,650 4.66 $10.09 $20,980
Social Advocacy Organizations 9,600 4.93 $10.37 $21,570
Spectator Sports 8,920 7.00 $10.74 $22,340

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Personal Services 52,330 21.52 $10.61 $22,080
Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers 27,670 10.05 $9.53 $19,820
Support Activities for Animal Production 2,550 9.51 $12.00 $24,970
Spectator Sports 8,920 7.00 $10.74 $22,340
Social Advocacy Organizations 9,600 4.93 $10.37 $21,570

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 550 0.03 $18.45 $38,380
State Government (OES Designation) 170 0.01 $16.66 $34,650
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 80 (7) $14.68 $30,530
Traveler Accommodation 390 0.02 $14.47 $30,090
Local Government (OES Designation) 3,620 0.07 $14.15 $29,430


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 14,810 1.05 0.94 $11.16 $23,220
Texas 12,690 1.23 1.10 $10.14 $21,100
New York 8,460 1.00 0.89 $11.71 $24,350
Florida 8,430 1.18 1.05 $10.39 $21,600
Illinois 6,840 1.23 1.09 $10.53 $21,900




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Delaware 710 1.75 1.56 $11.19 $23,280
Nevada 1,710 1.54 1.37 $10.50 $21,830
Maryland 3,790 1.53 1.36 $11.66 $24,240
Colorado 3,280 1.51 1.34 $10.60 $22,050
Oregon 2,380 1.50 1.33 $11.05 $22,980




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 160 0.24 0.21 $15.02 $31,240
Hawaii 500 0.86 0.77 $13.89 $28,890
Alaska 300 0.97 0.86 $12.92 $26,870
Connecticut 2,270 1.41 1.25 $12.61 $26,230
Vermont 310 1.06 0.94 $12.01 $24,980





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 5,090 1.42 1.26 $10.48 $21,790
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 3,770 0.74 0.66 $12.92 $26,870
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 3,700 0.97 0.86 $10.86 $22,590
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 3,350 1.64 1.46 $10.42 $21,680
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 3,140 1.36 1.21 $11.31 $23,520
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 3,020 1.18 1.05 $10.35 $21,530
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 2,660 1.57 1.39 $10.77 $22,410
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 2,610 1.17 1.04 $9.92 $20,630
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 1,920 1.55 1.38 $10.97 $22,820
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division 1,800 1.48 1.32 $12.07 $25,100




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Ocala, FL 420 4.70 4.18 $9.62 $20,020
Prescott, AZ 210 4.04 3.59 $10.05 $20,900
Lexington-Fayette, KY 820 3.43 3.05 $10.25 $21,320
Hot Springs, AR 110 3.05 2.72 $9.51 $19,770
Barnstable Town, MA 280 2.98 2.65 $11.51 $23,940
Wheeling, WV-OH 180 2.79 2.48 $10.20 $21,210
Boulder, CO 420 2.71 2.41 $10.29 $21,400
Pascagoula, MS 150 2.70 2.40 $8.44 $17,550
Naples-Marco Island, FL 280 2.56 2.28 $10.91 $22,700
Manhattan, KS 140 2.56 2.28 $9.27 $19,280




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Ocean City, NJ 30 0.87 0.77 $14.63 $30,420
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA 30 0.79 0.70 $14.46 $30,070
Ames, IA 90 2.37 2.11 $14.27 $29,680
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 1,160 1.21 1.08 $14.08 $29,290
Waterbury, CT 30 0.48 0.42 $14.05 $29,220
Honolulu, HI 360 0.85 0.75 $14.02 $29,170
Champaign-Urbana, IL 110 1.19 1.06 $14.01 $29,130
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC 350 1.72 1.53 $13.83 $28,770
New Bedford, MA 30 0.49 0.44 $13.64 $28,370
Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, MA-NH NECTA Division 70 1.18 1.05 $13.63 $28,350

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
East Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 340 1.43 1.27 $9.86 $20,510
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 320 1.71 1.52 $9.39 $19,530
Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 310 1.69 1.51 $9.61 $20,000
Low Country South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 280 2.55 2.27 $11.18 $23,240
Other Ohio nonmetropolitan area 270 1.00 0.89 $8.77 $18,240

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
South Western Utah nonmetropolitan area 170 7.97 7.09 $12.76 $26,540
North Central Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 90 4.20 3.73 $11.74 $24,410
Northwestern Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 110 3.09 2.75 $11.94 $24,840
Northwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area 140 3.00 2.67 $12.67 $26,360
East Central New York nonmetropolitan area 90 2.65 2.36 $12.16 $25,280

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Natchitoches nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $14.17 $29,460
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 140 0.92 0.81 $13.56 $28,200
South Western Utah nonmetropolitan area 170 7.97 7.09 $12.76 $26,540
Northwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area 140 3.00 2.67 $12.67 $26,360
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 70 0.95 0.85 $12.50 $25,990


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012