Animal Care Specialist Salary in the United States

How much does an Animal Care Specialist make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for an Animal Care Specialist in the United States is $49,277 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $24.

However, an Animal Care Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $56,943
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $45,024 to $53,290
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $41,151
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View as table View as graph 25% $45,024 10% $41,151 90% $56,943 75% $53,290 $49,277 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Animal Care Specialist Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $53,290 $4,441 $1,025 $26
Average $49,277 $4,106 $948 $24
25th Percentile $45,024 $3,752 $866 $22
Check out Animal Care Specialist Job Openings in the United States
Licensed Veterinary Technician

Animal Care of Gloucester & Mathews - GLOUCESTER, VA

Veterinarian

Animal Health Care Center of Chillicothe - CHILLICOTHE, OH

Veterinarian

Animal Urgent Care - CROWN POINT, IN

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Key Factors That Influence Animal Care Specialist Salaries

An Animal Care Specialist'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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Animal Care Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Animal Care Specialist'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): $47,035
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $47,360
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $49,277
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $50,929
  • Expert (over 8 years): $51,224
Levels Salary
Entry Level Animal Care Specialist$47,035
Intermediate Level Animal Care Specialist$47,360
Senior Level Animal Care Specialist$49,277
Specialist Level Animal Care Specialist$50,929
Expert Level Animal Care Specialist$51,224
$47,035 0 yr
$47,360 < 2 yrs
$49,277 2-4 yrs
$50,929 5-8 yrs
$51,224 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Animal Care Specialists

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: $62,153
  • San Francisco: $61,542
  • Oakland: $60,177

What Skills Can Increase an Animal Care Specialist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 10.47% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Water Safety (Mentioned in 2.01% Job Postings): Water safety refers to the procedures, precautions and policies associated with safety in, on, and around bodies of water, where there is a risk of injury or drowning
  • Fundraising (Mentioned in 1.09% Job Postings): Fundraising or fund-raising (also known as "development" or "advancement") is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gather money for non-profit organizations, it is sometimes used to refer to the identification and solicitation of investors or other sources of capital for for-profit enterprises. Traditionally, fundraising consisted mostly of asking for donations on the street or at people's doors, and this is experiencing very strong growth in the form of face-to-face fundraising, but new forms of fundraising, such as online fundraising, have emerged in recent years, though these are often based on older methods such as grassroots fundraising.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 10.47%
Water Safety 2.01%
Fundraising 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 an Animal Care Specialist's salary.
  • Casting: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
  • Staff Development: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
  • Chemistry: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Casting
$57,161
16%
Staff Development
$55,683
13%
Chemistry
$55,190
12%
Negotiating
$54,697
11%
Budgeting
$53,712
9%
Coaching
$53,219
8%
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How Education impacts an Animal Care Specialist's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Animal Care Specialists enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Animal Care Specialist with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $48,783 and $50,386).

Animal Care Specialist Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Animal Care Specialist
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 2.1%
High School 27.8%
Associates 40.2%
Bachelors 26.8%
Masters 2.1%
Doctorate 1.0%
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Animal Care Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Animal Care Specialist'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

Salary Trends for Animal Care Specialist

Salaries for an Animal Care Specialist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $48,259 in 2023 to around $47,926 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Animal Care Specialist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Animal Care Specialist Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$48,259
2024
$48,339
2025
$47,926
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $48,259
2024 $48,339
2025 $47,926
2026
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2027
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Most common benefits for Animal Care Specialist

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Animal Care Specialist

Here are companies hiring for Animal Care Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.

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Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Animal Care Specialist job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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