What are the main factors that influence a Pet Counselor's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change a Pet Counselor's salary?

A Pet Counselor's salary grows with experience: starting around $23,249 for beginners, reaching about $24,095 at mid-level, and approach $24,285 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Pet Counselor?

Pet Counselor salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Pet Counselor roles are District of Columbia $25,652, California $25,555, Massachusetts $25,214. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Pet Counselor roles make?

Salaries for Pet Counselor level roles vary by specialization: Pet Consultant: $114,270; Pet Detective: $55,338; Pet Adoption Counselor: $54,397; Pet Technician: $46,983; Pet Nutritionist: $44,086.

How do different companies affect a Pet Counselor's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Pet Counselor roles. Large, established industry leaders like Kpmg Us LLP ($114,295) and Warner Bros Discovery ($114,096) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $88,138.

Pet Counselor Salary in the United States

How much does a Pet Counselor make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Pet Counselor in the United States is $23,169 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $11.

However, a Pet Counselor's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $26,161
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $21,227 to $24,735
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $19,459

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Pet Counselor Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$24,735	$2,061	$476	$12
Average	$23,169	$1,931	$446	$11
25th Percentile	$21,227	$1,769	$408	$10

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Key Factors That Influence Pet Counselor Salaries

A Pet Counselor's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Pet Counselor Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Pet Counselor's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $23,249
Early Career (1-2 years): $23,573
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $24,095
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $24,166
Expert (over 8 years): $24,285

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Pet Counselor	$23,249
Intermediate Level Pet Counselor	$23,573
Senior Level Pet Counselor	$24,095
Specialist Level Pet Counselor	$24,166
Expert Level Pet Counselor	$24,285

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How Do Pet Counselor Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Pet Counselors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $25,652.
California: $25,555.
Massachusetts: $25,214.

District of Columbia $25,652

California $25,555

Massachusetts $25,214

Washington $25,122

New Jersey $25,112

Alaska $25,080

Connecticut $24,760

New York $24,631

Hawaii $24,216

Rhode Island $24,021

Maryland $23,889

Minnesota $23,708

Colorado $23,639

Illinois $23,616

Oregon $23,528

Delaware $23,463

New Hampshire $23,422

Virginia $23,331

Pennsylvania $23,064

Nevada $22,930

North Dakota $22,886

Michigan $22,816

Wisconsin $22,791

Vermont $22,740

Texas $22,599

Maine $22,589

Arizona $22,575

Ohio $22,559

Georgia $22,346

Indiana $22,240

Wyoming $22,219

Utah $22,186

Iowa $22,172

Kansas $22,061

Louisiana $22,029

North Carolina $22,017

Missouri $22,012

Florida $21,922

Montana $21,873

Nebraska $21,827

Kentucky $21,802

South Carolina $21,709

Tennessee $21,651

Idaho $21,628

New Mexico $21,459

Oklahoma $21,422

Alabama $21,285

South Dakota $21,056

Arkansas $20,931

West Virginia $20,863

Mississippi $20,662

Top Paying Cities for Pet Counselors

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $29,223
San Francisco: $28,935
Oakland: $28,293

San Jose, CA $29,223

San Francisco, CA $28,935

Oakland, CA $28,293

New York, NY $26,850

Queens Village, NY $26,676

Paramus, NJ $26,491

Passaic, NJ $26,468

Bergenfield, NJ $26,445

Stamford, CT $26,410

Huntington, NY $26,387

Newark, NJ $26,236

Bridgeport, CT $26,190

New Brunswick, NJ $26,113

Vallejo, CA $26,065

Middlesex, NJ $26,051

Somerset, NJ $26,030

Petaluma, CA $25,977

Santa Cruz, CA $25,886

Boston, MA $25,840

Monterey, CA $25,724

Fairbanks, AK $25,708

Los Angeles, CA $25,664

Washington, DC $25,652

Seattle, WA $25,611

Santa Rosa, CA $25,606

Juneau, AK $25,539

Orange, CA $25,462

Anchorage, AK $25,421

Anaheim, CA $25,404

Santa Ana, CA $25,370

Nassau, NY $25,356

Long Beach, CA $25,346

Danbury, CT $25,339

Santa Maria, CA $25,261

Everett, WA $25,256

Bremerton, WA $25,143

Trenton, NJ $25,099

Sacramento, CA $25,089

San Diego, CA $25,078

Brockton, MA $25,068

Tacoma, WA $25,059

Santa Barbara, CA $25,027

Lowell, MA $24,934

New Suffolk, NY $24,925

Nashua, NH $24,897

Lompoc, CA $24,860

Ventura, CA $24,837

Stockton, CA $24,830

New Haven, CT $24,783

Atlantic City, NJ $24,723

Hartford, CT $24,672

Modesto, CA $24,661

Poughkeepsie, NY $24,610

New Britain, CT $24,598

Olympia, WA $24,566

Kennewick, WA $24,566

New London, CT $24,561

Norwich, CT $24,554

Lawrence, MA $24,542

Bakersfield, CA $24,478

Riverside, CA $24,445

New Bedford, MA $24,445

Richland, WA $24,422

Portsmouth, NH $24,403

Vineland, NJ $24,399

San Bernardino, CA $24,380

Boulder, CO $24,315

Worcester, MA $24,297

Portland, OR $24,276

Saint Paul, MN $24,248

Minneapolis, MN $24,248

Philadelphia, PA $24,216

Honolulu, HI $24,093

Springfield, MA $24,012

Providence, RI $24,010

Chicago, IL $23,942

Bellingham, WA $23,915

Baltimore, MD $23,889

Chico, CA $23,831

Wilmington, DE $23,792

Pittsfield, MA $23,769

Manchester, NH $23,725

Spokane, WA $23,623

Denver, CO $23,620

Albany, NY $23,511

Troy, NY $23,502

Schenectady, NY $23,454

Burlington, VT $23,403

Portland, ME $23,322

Salem, OR $23,303

Yakima, WA $23,298

Ann Arbor, MI $23,291

Rochester, MN $23,227

Fresno, CA $23,215

Reno, NV $23,215

Milwaukee, WI $23,194

Detroit, MI $23,171

Allentown, PA $23,164

Carson City, NV $23,162

Houston, TX $23,127

Colorado Springs, CO $23,125

Syracuse, NY $23,113

Eugene, OR $23,069

Bismarck, ND $23,041

Gary, IN $23,041

Galveston, TX $23,041

Springfield, OR $23,023

Medford, OR $22,967

Fort Collins, CO $22,958

Austin, TX $22,939

Mesa, AZ $22,891

Phoenix, AZ $22,886

Dallas, TX $22,879

Reading, PA $22,865

Saint Cloud, MN $22,856

Concord, NH $22,835

Madison, WI $22,826

Utica, NY $22,763

Raleigh, NC $22,745

Las Vegas, NV $22,742

Rochester, NY $22,726

Des Moines, IA $22,724

Atlanta, GA $22,687

Battle Creek, MI $22,680

Salt Lake City, UT $22,673

Lancaster, PA $22,638

Champaign, IL $22,633

Harrisburg, PA $22,606

Durham, NC $22,585

Kansas City, MO $22,582

Kansas City, KS $22,578

Fort Worth, TX $22,575

Boca Raton, FL $22,566

Cleveland, OH $22,564

Columbus, OH $22,559

Pittsburgh, PA $22,557

Richmond, VA $22,548

Indianapolis, IN $22,543

Cincinnati, OH $22,513

Petersburg, VA $22,478

Billings, MT $22,427

Lansing, MI $22,427

Huntsville, AL $22,427

Lebanon, PA $22,425

Dayton, OH $22,423

Pueblo, CO $22,423

Appleton, WI $22,416

Buffalo, NY $22,406

Racine, WI $22,395

Charlotte, NC $22,392

Saint Louis, MO $22,386

Springfield, IL $22,376

Elkhart, IN $22,372

York, PA $22,372

Gastonia, NC $22,369

Benton Harbor, MI $22,369

Beaumont, TX $22,355

Lorain, OH $22,351

Toledo, OH $22,341

Binghamton, NY $22,330

Rock Hill, SC $22,328

Rockford, IL $22,316

Fargo, ND $22,304

Elyria, OH $22,304

Flagstaff, AZ $22,288

Fort Lauderdale, FL $22,274

Miami, FL $22,260

Duluth, MN $22,223

Bangor, ME $22,193

Cedar Rapids, IA $22,168

Louisville, KY $22,156

Grand Rapids, MI $22,151

Hialeah, FL $22,149

Casper, WY $22,117

Scranton, PA $22,089

New Orleans, LA $22,082

Virginia Beach, VA $22,080

Akron, OH $22,068

Peoria, IL $22,038

Sarasota, FL $22,033

Green Bay, WI $22,017

Baton Rouge, LA $22,006

Charleston, SC $22,001

Nashville, TN $21,994

Jamestown, NY $21,989

Davenport, IA $21,989

Tucson, AZ $21,978

Cheyenne, WY $21,971

Saint Petersburg, FL $21,964

Tampa, FL $21,959

Omaha, NE $21,955

Port Arthur, TX $21,945

Evansville, IN $21,945

Bradenton, FL $21,936

Santa Fe, NM $21,894

Orlando, FL $21,871

Clearwater, FL $21,846

Canton, OH $21,797

La Crosse, WI $21,797

Grand Forks, ND $21,790

Albuquerque, NM $21,783

Tulsa, OK $21,783

Newport News, VA $21,781

High Point, NC $21,774

Ogden, UT $21,765

Corpus Christi, TX $21,746

Laramie, WY $21,732

Norfolk, VA $21,732

Rock Island, IL $21,718

Saginaw, MI $21,714

Jacksonville, FL $21,711

Salisbury, NC $21,707

Memphis, TN $21,702

Moline, IL $21,690

Fort Myers, FL $21,683

Waterloo, IA $21,653

Spartanburg, SC $21,630

Lincoln, NE $21,619

Fort Wayne, IN $21,614

Birmingham, AL $21,589

Cedar Falls, IA $21,584

Provo, UT $21,582

Springfield, OH $21,579

San Antonio, TX $21,575

Greensboro, NC $21,565

South Bend, IN $21,563

Winston Salem, NC $21,561

Boise, ID $21,554

Savannah, GA $21,538

Muskegon, MI $21,496

Lima, OH $21,468

Lake Charles, LA $21,459

Anderson, IN $21,454

Lexington, KY $21,447

Augusta, GA $21,440

Greenville, SC $21,440

Wichita, KS $21,419

Tuscaloosa, AL $21,419

Columbia, SC $21,399

Bloomington, IN $21,341

Roanoke, VA $21,327

Asheville, NC $21,297

Knoxville, TN $21,257

Shreveport, LA $21,255

Wilmington, NC $21,225

Frankfort, KY $21,181

Oklahoma City, OK $21,165

Chillicothe, OH $21,155

Longview, TX $21,153

Topeka, KS $21,146

Mobile, AL $21,111

Terre Haute, IN $21,102

Erie, PA $21,100

Altoona, PA $21,088

Melbourne, FL $21,081

Amarillo, TX $21,072

Killeen, TX $21,065

Fayetteville, AR $21,046

Sioux Falls, SD $21,030

Chattanooga, TN $21,016

Idaho Falls, ID $21,014

Gainesville, FL $20,965

Portsmouth, OH $20,954

Little Rock, AR $20,949

Lynchburg, VA $20,949

Lafayette, LA $20,940

Youngstown, OH $20,940

Temple, TX $20,931

Daytona Beach, FL $20,926

Clarksville, TN $20,924

Pensacola, FL $20,921

Hopkinsville, KY $20,852

Charleston, WV $20,849

Florence, SC $20,838

Sioux City, IA $20,824

Macon, GA $20,757

Tallahassee, FL $20,754

Fayetteville, NC $20,750

Waco, TX $20,745

Wichita Falls, TX $20,745

Pine Bluff, AR $20,736

Vincennes, IN $20,692

Lubbock, TX $20,683

Great Falls, MT $20,669

Alamogordo, NM $20,666

Abilene, TX $20,648

Rapid City, SD $20,618

Monroe, LA $20,618

Albany, GA $20,604

Huntington, WV $20,602

Jackson, MS $20,599

Greenville, MS $20,597

Parkersburg, WV $20,574

Montgomery, AL $20,569

Johnstown, PA $20,564

Springfield, MO $20,546

Biloxi, MS $20,534

Sumter, SC $20,486

Columbus, GA $20,483

Twin Falls, ID $20,469

Pascagoula, MS $20,439

Kingsport, TN $20,379

Gulfport, MS $20,372

Alexandria, LA $20,296

Fort Smith, AR $20,238

El Paso, TX $20,175

Helena, MT $20,145

Las Cruces, NM $20,071

Harlingen, TX $20,006

Pocatello, ID $19,985

Florence, AL $19,978

Brownsville, TX $19,974

Dothan, AL $19,937

Mcallen, TX $19,925

Columbus, MS $19,754

Altus, OK $19,647

Lawton, OK $19,603

Pierre, SD $19,520

What Skills Can Increase a Pet Counselor's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Planning (Mentioned in 7.76% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
Event Planning (Mentioned in 2.13% Job Postings): Event planning is the process of managing a project such as a meeting, convention, tradeshow, ceremony, team building activity, party, or convention.
Accounting (Mentioned in 1.09% Job Postings): Creating financial statements and reports based on the summary of financial and business transactions.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Planning	7.76%
Event Planning	2.13%
Accounting	1.09%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Pet Counselor's salary.

Catering: Can increase your salary by up to 127%.
Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 73%.
Microsoft Office: Can increase your salary by up to 58%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Catering	$52,593	127%
Presentation	$40,082	73%
Microsoft Office	$36,606	58%
Event Management	$28,497	23%
Analysis	$28,034	21%
Collaboration	$27,107	17%

Get Latest Data

Pet Counselor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Pet Counselor's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$21,227

Average $23,169/year

$24,735

$1,769

Average $1,931/month

$2,061

$408

Average $446/week

$476

$10

Average $11/hour

$12

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$24,735	$2,061	$476	$12
Average	$23,169	$1,931	$446	$11
25th Percentile	$21,227	$1,769	$408	$10

Salaries of jobs related to Pet Counselor

Salary Trends for Pet Counselor

Salaries for a Pet Counselor can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $34,139 in 2023 to around $33,349 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Pet Counselor salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Pet Counselor Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$34,139

2024

$33,576

2025

$33,349

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$34,139
2024	$33,576
2025	$33,349
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Pet Counselor

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