What are the main factors that influence an Animal Care Lead's salary?

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

How does experience change An Animal Care Lead's salary?

An Animal Care Lead's salary grows with experience: a Child Care Center Teacher (0-0 years)earns $42,749, a Animal Care Lead (0-1 years)earns $32,671, a Child Caregiver II (1-3 years)earns $36,866,

What are the highest paying states for an Animal Care Lead?

Animal Care Lead salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Animal Care Lead roles are District of Columbia $36,869, California $36,729, Massachusetts $36,239. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Animal Care Lead roles make?

Salaries for Animal Care Lead level roles vary by specialization: Animal Care Staff: $59,612; Animal Care Manager: $50,581; Animal Care Provider: $50,257; Animal Care Specialist: $49,300; Animal Care Counselor: $49,091.

How do different companies affect an Animal Care Lead's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Animal Care Lead 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.

Animal Care Lead Salary in the United States

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

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for an Animal Care Lead in the United States is $33,299 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $16.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $39,057
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $30,908 to $36,313
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $28,732

Compensation Planning

Develop a Job Description

Pay Equity

2025 Compensation Trend

Smart Recruiting

AI-Powered HR

Salary Salary + Bonus Benefits

View as table

Animal Care Lead Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$36,313	$3,026	$698	$17
Average	$33,299	$2,775	$640	$16
25th Percentile	$30,908	$2,576	$594	$15

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

Change Search Criteria

Check out Animal Care Lead Job Openings in the United States

Cleveland Clinic - Cleveland, OH

Care Manager

HomeWell Care Services - Mount Air, OH

RN Care Manager

BoldAge PACE - Minerva Park, OH

Primary Care Provider

RCM Healthcare Services - Miamisburg, OH

Search More Animal Care Lead Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Animal Care Lead Salaries

An Animal Care Lead'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 Do Animal Care Lead 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 Animal Care Leads. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $36,869.
California: $36,729.
Massachusetts: $36,239.

District of Columbia $36,869

California $36,729

Massachusetts $36,239

Washington $36,106

New Jersey $36,093

Alaska $36,046

Connecticut $35,587

New York $35,400

Hawaii $34,804

Rhode Island $34,524

Maryland $34,334

Minnesota $34,075

Colorado $33,975

Illinois $33,942

Oregon $33,815

Delaware $33,722

New Hampshire $33,663

Virginia $33,532

Pennsylvania $33,149

Nevada $32,956

North Dakota $32,893

Michigan $32,793

Wisconsin $32,756

Vermont $32,683

Texas $32,480

Maine $32,466

Arizona $32,446

Ohio $32,423

Georgia $32,117

Indiana $31,964

Wyoming $31,934

Utah $31,887

Iowa $31,867

Kansas $31,707

Louisiana $31,661

North Carolina $31,644

Missouri $31,637

Florida $31,507

Montana $31,437

Nebraska $31,371

Kentucky $31,334

South Carolina $31,201

Tennessee $31,118

Idaho $31,085

New Mexico $30,841

Oklahoma $30,788

Alabama $30,592

South Dakota $30,262

Arkansas $30,082

West Virginia $29,986

Mississippi $29,696

Top Paying Cities for Animal Care Leads

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: $42,000
San Francisco: $41,540
Oakland: $40,665

San Jose, CA $42,000

San Francisco, CA $41,540

Oakland, CA $40,665

New York, NY $38,340

Paramus, NJ $37,874

Queens Village, NY $37,872

Passaic, NJ $37,841

Bergenfield, NJ $37,838

Stamford, CT $37,764

Huntington, NY $37,751

Newark, NJ $37,505

Bridgeport, CT $37,434

Vallejo, CA $37,368

New Brunswick, NJ $37,355

Petaluma, CA $37,335

Middlesex, NJ $37,271

Somerset, NJ $37,248

Santa Cruz, CA $37,205

Boston, MA $37,002

Monterey, CA $36,885

Seattle, WA $36,809

Santa Rosa, CA $36,802

Los Angeles, CA $36,792

Juneau, AK $36,705

Washington, DC $36,669

Orange, CA $36,550

Santa Ana, CA $36,462

Long Beach, CA $36,429

Anaheim, CA $36,422

Anchorage, AK $36,406

Santa Maria, CA $36,306

Everett, WA $36,299

Danbury, CT $36,182

Bremerton, WA $36,136

Tacoma, WA $36,016

New Suffolk, NY $36,015

Sacramento, CA $36,006

Santa Barbara, CA $35,969

Trenton, NJ $35,933

San Diego, CA $35,933

Brockton, MA $35,896

Fairbanks, AK $35,815

Lompoc, CA $35,730

Lowell, MA $35,703

Ventura, CA $35,696

Nashua, NH $35,690

Stockton, CA $35,686

Modesto, CA $35,443

Poughkeepsie, NY $35,370

Olympia, WA $35,307

Kennewick, WA $35,307

New Haven, CT $35,294

Lawrence, MA $35,174

Hartford, CT $35,140

Riverside, CA $35,134

New Bedford, MA $35,100

Richland, WA $35,100

Bakersfield, CA $35,054

San Bernardino, CA $35,040

New Britain, CT $35,037

Atlantic City, NJ $35,037

New London, CT $35,024

Norwich, CT $35,014

Portsmouth, NH $35,007

Boulder, CO $34,937

Portland, OR $34,891

Worcester, MA $34,887

Minneapolis, MN $34,784

Philadelphia, PA $34,737

Honolulu, HI $34,628

Saint Paul, MN $34,612

Vineland, NJ $34,604

Providence, RI $34,508

Chicago, IL $34,411

Bellingham, WA $34,371

Springfield, MA $34,344

Baltimore, MD $34,334

Chico, CA $34,251

Pittsfield, MA $34,161

Manchester, NH $34,098

Spokane, WA $33,952

Denver, CO $33,948

Albany, NY $33,792

Troy, NY $33,778

Nassau, NY $33,743

Schenectady, NY $33,708

Wilmington, DE $33,682

Burlington, VT $33,635

Salem, OR $33,622

Portland, ME $33,519

Yakima, WA $33,485

Rochester, MN $33,382

Reno, NV $33,365

Fresno, CA $33,365

Milwaukee, WI $33,336

Detroit, MI $33,302

Ann Arbor, MI $33,297

Allentown, PA $33,292

Colorado Springs, CO $33,236

Syracuse, NY $33,219

Carson City, NV $33,219

Houston, TX $33,172

Eugene, OR $33,156

Gary, IN $33,116

Springfield, OR $33,089

Bismarck, ND $33,082

Galveston, TX $33,059

Medford, OR $33,009

Fort Collins, CO $32,996

Concord, NH $32,979

Austin, TX $32,969

Mesa, AZ $32,899

Reading, PA $32,896

Phoenix, AZ $32,893

Dallas, TX $32,883

Saint Cloud, MN $32,851

Madison, WI $32,806

Utica, NY $32,716

Rochester, NY $32,663

Des Moines, IA $32,660

Raleigh, NC $32,656

Atlanta, GA $32,606

Battle Creek, MI $32,596

Salt Lake City, UT $32,586

Lancaster, PA $32,536

Harrisburg, PA $32,490

Kansas City, MO $32,456

Champaign, IL $32,450

Kansas City, KS $32,450

Fort Worth, TX $32,446

Columbus, OH $32,441

Boca Raton, FL $32,433

Pittsburgh, PA $32,420

Richmond, VA $32,406

Indianapolis, IN $32,400

Cleveland, OH $32,396

Las Vegas, NV $32,357

Cincinnati, OH $32,357

Petersburg, VA $32,307

Huntsville, AL $32,257

Lansing, MI $32,234

Lebanon, PA $32,230

Pueblo, CO $32,227

Appleton, WI $32,217

Buffalo, NY $32,203

Dayton, OH $32,193

Racine, WI $32,187

Charlotte, NC $32,183

Saint Louis, MO $32,173

York, PA $32,153

Elkhart, IN $32,153

Gastonia, NC $32,147

Billings, MT $32,139

Beaumont, TX $32,130

Lorain, OH $32,123

Benton Harbor, MI $32,117

Toledo, OH $32,110

Binghamton, NY $32,093

Rock Hill, SC $32,090

Rockford, IL $32,074

Springfield, IL $32,060

Elyria, OH $32,057

Fargo, ND $32,057

Flagstaff, AZ $32,034

Fort Lauderdale, FL $32,014

Duluth, MN $31,994

Miami, FL $31,994

Cheyenne, WY $31,970

Grand Forks, ND $31,970

Bangor, ME $31,897

Cedar Rapids, IA $31,860

Durham, NC $31,846

Louisville, KY $31,844

Grand Rapids, MI $31,837

Hialeah, FL $31,834

Casper, WY $31,787

Scranton, PA $31,747

New Orleans, LA $31,737

Virginia Beach, VA $31,734

Akron, OH $31,717

Peoria, IL $31,674

Sarasota, FL $31,667

Nashville, TN $31,644

Omaha, NE $31,644

Green Bay, WI $31,644

Baton Rouge, LA $31,627

Charleston, SC $31,621

Jamestown, NY $31,604

Davenport, IA $31,604

Tucson, AZ $31,587

Saint Petersburg, FL $31,567

Tampa, FL $31,561

Evansville, IN $31,541

Port Arthur, TX $31,541

Bradenton, FL $31,527

Santa Fe, NM $31,467

Orlando, FL $31,408

Clearwater, FL $31,398

Canton, OH $31,328

La Crosse, WI $31,328

Albuquerque, NM $31,308

Newport News, VA $31,304

High Point, NC $31,294

Ogden, UT $31,281

Corpus Christi, TX $31,254

Norfolk, VA $31,234

Laramie, WY $31,234

Rock Island, IL $31,214

Saginaw, MI $31,208

Jacksonville, FL $31,204

Salisbury, NC $31,198

Boise, ID $31,191

Moline, IL $31,174

Fort Myers, FL $31,164

Memphis, TN $31,158

Tulsa, OK $31,141

Waterloo, IA $31,121

Spartanburg, SC $31,088

Lincoln, NE $31,071

Fort Wayne, IN $31,065

Provo, UT $31,061

Cedar Falls, IA $31,021

San Antonio, TX $31,008

Greensboro, NC $30,995

South Bend, IN $30,991

Savannah, GA $30,955

Muskegon, MI $30,941

Birmingham, AL $30,938

Winston Salem, NC $30,922

Lake Charles, LA $30,841

Anderson, IN $30,835

Lexington, KY $30,825

Augusta, GA $30,815

Greenville, SC $30,815

Lima, OH $30,788

Wichita, KS $30,785

Tuscaloosa, AL $30,785

Columbia, SC $30,755

Springfield, OH $30,748

Asheville, NC $30,695

Bloomington, IN $30,672

Knoxville, TN $30,552

Shreveport, LA $30,548

Wilmington, NC $30,505

Roanoke, VA $30,505

Topeka, KS $30,445

Frankfort, KY $30,442

Oklahoma City, OK $30,419

Chillicothe, OH $30,405

Longview, TX $30,402

Melbourne, FL $30,399

Sioux Falls, SD $30,345

Mobile, AL $30,342

Terre Haute, IN $30,329

Altoona, PA $30,309

Amarillo, TX $30,285

Killeen, TX $30,275

Fayetteville, AR $30,249

Chattanooga, TN $30,239

Sioux City, IA $30,209

Idaho Falls, ID $30,202

Lynchburg, VA $30,175

Gainesville, FL $30,132

Portsmouth, OH $30,116

Little Rock, AR $30,109

Lafayette, LA $30,096

Youngstown, OH $30,096

Daytona Beach, FL $30,076

Clarksville, TN $30,072

Pensacola, FL $30,069

Temple, TX $30,067

Hopkinsville, KY $29,969

Erie, PA $29,962

Florence, SC $29,949

Charleston, WV $29,896

Great Falls, MT $29,879

Macon, GA $29,832

Tallahassee, FL $29,829

Fayetteville, NC $29,822

Waco, TX $29,816

Helena, MT $29,793

Pine Bluff, AR $29,780

Vincennes, IN $29,739

Lubbock, TX $29,726

Alamogordo, NM $29,706

Twin Falls, ID $29,676

Rapid City, SD $29,666

Jackson, MS $29,606

Huntington, WV $29,604

Greenville, MS $29,603

Parkersburg, WV $29,569

Montgomery, AL $29,563

Wichita Falls, TX $29,529

Springfield, MO $29,529

Biloxi, MS $29,513

Monroe, LA $29,480

Johnstown, PA $29,456

Sumter, SC $29,443

Columbus, GA $29,440

Pascagoula, MS $29,376

Abilene, TX $29,376

Kingsport, TN $29,290

Albany, GA $29,290

Gulfport, MS $29,280

Alexandria, LA $29,170

Fort Smith, AR $29,087

El Paso, TX $28,997

Las Cruces, NM $28,847

Harlingen, TX $28,762

Pocatello, ID $28,757

Florence, AL $28,714

Brownsville, TX $28,707

Mcallen, TX $28,637

Dothan, AL $28,590

Columbus, MS $28,393

Altus, OK $28,237

Lawton, OK $28,174

Pierre, SD $28,054

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

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 3.73% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Child Development (Mentioned in 9.81% Job Postings): Child development refers to the sequence of physical, language, thought and emotional changes that occur in a child from birth to the beginning of adulthood.
Early Childhood Education (Mentioned in 4.68% Job Postings): Early childhood education, also known as nursery education, is a branch of education theory that relates to the teaching of children from birth up to the age of eight.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	3.73%
Child Development	9.81%
Early Childhood Education	4.68%

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 Lead's salary.

Motivating: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
Coordination: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Problem Solving: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Motivating	$38,294	15%
Coordination	$36,296	9%
Problem Solving	$35,963	8%
Accountability	$35,963	8%
Customer Service	$35,630	7%
Leadership	$35,297	6%

Get Latest Data

Animal Care Lead Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Animal Care Lead'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 May 01, 2026

$30,908

Average $33,299/year

$36,313

$2,576

Average $2,775/month

$3,026

$594

Average $640/week

$698

$15

Average $16/hour

$17

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$36,313	$3,026	$698	$17
Average	$33,299	$2,775	$640	$16
25th Percentile	$30,908	$2,576	$594	$15

Salaries of jobs related to Animal Care Lead

Salary Trends for Animal Care Lead

Salaries for an Animal Care Lead can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $36,476 in 2023 to around $35,489 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Animal Care Lead salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Animal Care Lead Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$36,476

2024

$35,874

2025

$35,489

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$36,476
2024	$35,874
2025	$35,489
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Animal Care Lead

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Business Services

the United States

Find Your Next Animal Care Lead Job

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

For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

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.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
Job and employee pricing reports
Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.

Learn about