Pay distribution $39,670 10th $42,020 25th $47,670 75th $61,740 90th
Half of Animal Caretakers in the San Jose metro area earn more than $44,070 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $42,020 and $47,670.
Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS) Wage 10th 25th Median 75th 90th Annual $39,670 $42,020 $44,070 $47,670 $61,740 Hourly $19.07 $20.20 $21.19 $22.92 $29.68
A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.
How this area compares San Jose metro areathis metro area
$44,070 median for San Jose metro area; middle half earns $42,020 to $47,670
$38,700 median for California; middle half earns $36,810 to $45,160
$35,360 median for United States; middle half earns $29,820 to $40,050
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
The median here is +14% vs California overall and +25% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.
Where this metro sits nationally $22,160 $30,197 $38,233 $46,270 Ponce, PR — $22,160 Valdosta, GA — $23,000 Gadsden, AL — $23,590 Anniston-Oxford, AL — $23,700 Hammond, LA — $23,820 Albany, GA — $23,860 Topeka, KS — $25,630 Lake Charles, LA — $26,160 Dalton, GA — $26,330 Lafayette, LA — $26,330 Rome, GA — $26,520 Monroe, LA — $26,530 Mayaguez, PR — $26,720 Dothan, AL — $26,730 Hattiesburg, MS — $26,790 Enid, OK — $26,810 Lawton, OK — $26,890 Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL — $26,910 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA — $26,960 Alexandria, LA — $27,060 Jackson, MS — $27,110 Sumter, SC — $27,180 Terre Haute, IN — $27,280 Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $27,300 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $27,350 Columbus, GA-AL — $27,390 Montgomery, AL — $27,410 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $27,600 Baton Rouge, LA — $27,640 Tuscaloosa, AL — $27,650 Auburn-Opelika, AL — $27,690 Beckley, WV — $27,760 Muncie, IN — $27,770 Morristown, TN — $27,850 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV — $27,850 Chambersburg, PA — $27,930 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA — $27,930 Johnstown, PA — $27,930 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $28,060 Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH — $28,110 Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA — $28,160 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC — $28,200 Texarkana, TX-AR — $28,220 Cheyenne, WY — $28,230 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX — $28,290 Charleston, WV — $28,360 Johnson City, TN — $28,430 Hot Springs, AR — $28,450 Longview, TX — $28,450 Rocky Mount, NC — $28,520 Mobile, AL — $28,560 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI — $28,560 Canton-Massillon, OH — $28,580 Joplin, MO-KS — $28,610 Lima, OH — $28,630 Decatur, AL — $28,650 Sebring, FL — $28,650 Lawrence, KS — $28,660 Altoona, PA — $28,670 Savannah, GA — $28,700 Birmingham, AL — $28,710 Warner Robins, GA — $28,740 Kokomo, IN — $28,750 Cleveland, TN — $28,770 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $28,780 Oklahoma City, OK — $28,790 Lynchburg, VA — $28,800 Fond du Lac, WI — $28,810 Victoria, TX — $28,850 Wichita Falls, TX — $28,850 Wheeling, WV-OH — $28,910 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA — $28,940 Columbus, IN — $28,960 Corpus Christi, TX — $28,970 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX — $28,970 Sandusky, OH — $28,970 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA — $28,980 Grand Island, NE — $28,990 Lubbock, TX — $29,030 Fayetteville, NC — $29,070 Owensboro, KY — $29,070 New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $29,090 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $29,100 Huntsville, AL — $29,110 Amarillo, TX — $29,180 Cedar Rapids, IA — $29,190 Florence, SC — $29,210 Tyler, TX — $29,210 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $29,270 Jefferson City, MO — $29,280 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $29,290 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $29,310 Macon-Bibb County, GA — $29,310 Bay City, MI — $29,340 College Station-Bryan, TX — $29,380 Evansville, IN — $29,390 Homosassa Springs, FL — $29,390 Springfield, MO — $29,390 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $29,400 York-Hanover, PA — $29,400 Dubuque, IA — $29,420 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN — $29,430 Eau Claire, WI — $29,440 Mansfield, OH — $29,450 Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL — $29,480 State College, PA — $29,480 Youngstown-Warren, OH — $29,490 Bowling Green, KY — $29,510 Fort Wayne, IN — $29,510 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI — $29,520 Wilmington, NC — $29,520 Elkhart-Goshen, IN — $29,540 Sherman-Denison, TX — $29,590 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $29,630 Gainesville, GA — $29,680 Michigan City-La Porte, IN — $29,680 Tallahassee, FL — $29,690 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL — $29,700 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI — $29,710 Bloomington, IN — $29,720 Elizabethtown, KY — $29,730 Kenosha, WI — $29,740 Erie, PA — $29,780 Casper, WY — $29,790 Jackson, MI — $29,810 Monroe, MI — $29,820 St. Joseph, MO-KS — $29,830 Tulsa, OK — $29,850 Niles, MI — $29,870 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA — $29,870 Manhattan, KS — $29,880 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD — $29,880 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL — $29,890 Morgantown, WV — $29,890 Springfield, OH — $29,890 Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $29,910 Janesville-Beloit, WI — $29,940 Columbia, MO — $29,950 Wildwood-The Villages, FL — $29,960 Wichita, KS — $30,000 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $30,020 Roanoke, VA — $30,060 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $30,090 Appleton, WI — $30,110 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL — $30,130 Carson City, NV — $30,160 Las Cruces, NM — $30,160 Green Bay, WI — $30,190 Cleveland, OH — $30,220 Midland, MI — $30,220 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $30,270 Twin Falls, ID — $30,290 Chattanooga, TN-GA — $30,320 Winston-Salem, NC — $30,340 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $30,390 Jonesboro, AR — $30,410 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI — $30,410 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $30,420 Logan, UT-ID — $30,430 Wausau, WI — $30,430 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $30,440 Jacksonville, NC — $30,460 Winchester, VA-WV — $30,470 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $30,540 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC — $30,630 Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $30,670 Greensboro-High Point, NC — $30,700 Port St. Lucie, FL — $30,700 Columbia, SC — $30,720 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $30,730 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $30,770 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL — $30,810 Idaho Falls, ID — $30,830 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $30,830 Pittsburgh, PA — $30,860 Toledo, OH — $30,870 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC — $30,870 Jackson, TN — $30,890 Columbus, OH — $30,920 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $30,930 Lincoln, NE — $30,940 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $30,950 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $31,010 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $31,040 Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $31,070 Flint, MI — $31,110 Jacksonville, FL — $31,120 Sheboygan, WI — $31,120 Goldsboro, NC — $31,130 Clarksville, TN-KY — $31,170 Akron, OH — $31,190 El Paso, TX — $31,190 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA — $31,190 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $31,200 Dover, DE — $31,200 Kankakee, IL — $31,200 Paducah, KY-IL — $31,200 Punta Gorda, FL — $31,200 Saginaw, MI — $31,200 Pocatello, ID — $31,270 Bloomington, IL — $31,280 Reading, PA — $31,320 St. Louis, MO-IL — $31,530 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $31,540 Waco, TX — $31,540 Greenville, NC — $31,550 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $31,560 Decatur, IL — $31,670 Great Falls, MT — $31,910 Battle Creek, MI — $31,940 Traverse City, MI — $31,970 Harrisonburg, VA — $31,980 Peoria, IL — $32,010 Rapid City, SD — $32,090 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $32,130 Kansas City, MO-KS — $32,150 Lebanon, PA — $32,150 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $32,220 San Angelo, TX — $32,220 Knoxville, TN — $32,390 Lancaster, PA — $32,400 Raleigh-Cary, NC — $32,400 Fort Smith, AR-OK — $32,720 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV — $32,720 Rockford, IL — $32,720 Williamsport, PA — $32,720 Gettysburg, PA — $32,750 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $32,810 Laredo, TX — $32,890 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL — $32,910 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL — $32,910 Champaign-Urbana, IL — $32,950 Omaha, NE-IA — $32,980 Killeen-Temple, TX — $33,000 Burlington, NC — $33,010 Manchester-Nashua, NH — $33,040 Albuquerque, NM — $33,080 Ogden, UT — $33,140 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL — $33,220 Salisbury, MD — $33,380 Grand Forks, ND-MN — $33,410 Boise City, ID — $33,510 Iowa City, IA — $33,510 Ann Arbor, MI — $33,520 Asheville, NC — $33,530 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $33,530 Athens-Clarke County, GA — $33,610 Midland, TX — $33,670 Richmond, VA — $33,710 Missoula, MT — $33,760 Vineland, NJ — $33,760 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY — $33,810 Binghamton, NY — $33,880 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $33,900 Reno, NV — $33,950 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC — $33,960 Fargo, ND-MN — $34,040 Madison, WI — $34,160 Springfield, IL — $34,160 Bismarck, ND — $34,230 Grand Junction, CO — $34,270 Elmira, NY — $34,280 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ — $34,290 Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $34,300 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $34,310 Mankato, MN — $34,320 Lewiston, ID-WA — $34,330 Lexington Park, MD — $34,400 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $34,490 Spartanburg, SC — $34,530 Pueblo, CO — $34,570 Lexington-Fayette, KY — $34,590 Gainesville, FL — $34,680 Eugene-Springfield, OR — $34,750 Coeur d'Alene, ID — $34,780 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $34,800 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $34,830 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $34,840 Albany, OR — $34,880 Billings, MT — $34,890 Duluth, MN-WI — $34,900 Ocala, FL — $34,930 Rochester, NY — $34,950 Naples-Marco Island, FL — $34,970 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $34,970 Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $35,000 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $35,040 St. George, UT — $35,040 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC — $35,080 Kingston, NY — $35,090 Lewiston-Auburn, ME — $35,110 Yuma, AZ — $35,110 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $35,160 Trenton-Princeton, NJ — $35,170 Charlottesville, VA — $35,190 Colorado Springs, CO — $35,220 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ — $35,260 Santa Fe, NM — $35,360 St. Cloud, MN — $35,390 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $35,420 Utica-Rome, NY — $35,460 Abilene, TX — $35,480 Odessa, TX — $35,500 Syracuse, NY — $35,500 Bangor, ME — $35,610 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $35,640 Yakima, WA — $35,650 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT — $35,660 Grants Pass, OR — $35,670 Medford, OR — $35,710 Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $35,740 Greeley, CO — $35,760 Minot, ND — $35,780 Bend, OR — $35,800 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $35,860 Glens Falls, NY — $35,890 Chico, CA — $35,990 Corvallis, OR — $36,010 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $36,110 Visalia, CA — $36,150 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ — $36,270 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $36,360 Fresno, CA — $36,430 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $36,470 Merced, CA — $36,480 Anchorage, AK — $36,490 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $36,500 Springfield, MA — $36,570 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $36,620 Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $36,660 Longview-Kelso, WA — $36,690 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $36,780 New Haven, CT — $36,790 Pittsfield, MA — $36,830 Tucson, AZ — $36,870 Redding, CA — $36,900 Salem, OR — $36,920 Ithaca, NY — $36,930 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $37,050 Stockton-Lodi, CA — $37,120 Urban Honolulu, HI — $37,290 Yuba City, CA — $37,300 Hanford-Corcoran, CA — $37,340 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $37,370 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $37,490 Bozeman, MT — $37,580 Worcester, MA — $37,590 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $37,640 Bellingham, WA — $37,650 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $37,650 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $37,710 Boulder, CO — $37,720 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $37,780 Fairbanks-College, AK — $37,800 Rochester, MN — $37,850 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $37,870 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $37,900 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $37,900 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $37,910 Salinas, CA — $37,960 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $37,970 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $38,180 Flagstaff, AZ — $38,180 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA — $38,280 Modesto, CA — $38,320 Kennewick-Richland, WA — $38,340 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA — $38,410 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $38,520 Portland-South Portland, ME — $38,580 Ames, IA — $38,700 Napa, CA — $38,750 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $38,840 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $39,030 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $39,100 Vallejo, CA — $39,520 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $39,850 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA — $39,870 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA — $39,870 El Centro, CA — $40,880 Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $41,330 Barnstable Town, MA — $43,540 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $43,640 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $44,060 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $44,070 Kahului-Wailuku, HI — $46,270 San Jose metro area Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.
The San Jose metro area has the 2nd-highest published median for this occupation among the 385 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.
Other metro areas in California Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for animal caretakers, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.
San Jose metro areathis page
$44,070 median for San Jose metro area; middle half earns $42,020 to $47,670
$43,640 median for San Francisco metro area; middle half earns $40,780 to $47,630
$40,880 median for El Centro metro area; middle half earns $34,900 to $43,620
$39,870 median for Santa Cruz metro area; middle half earns $37,160 to $46,680
$39,520 median for Vallejo metro area; middle half earns $37,900 to $46,600
$38,840 median for Santa Rosa metro area; middle half earns $37,230 to $45,220
$38,750 median for Napa metro area; middle half earns $37,870 to $47,140
Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.
About this estimate These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.
Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology .