Animal Welfare Specialist Salary in the United States
How much does an Animal Welfare Specialist make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for an Animal Welfare Specialist in the United States is $41,586 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $20.
However, an Animal Welfare Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $48,098
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $37,292 to $44,995
Key Factors That Influence Animal Welfare Specialist Salaries
An Animal Welfare 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 Welfare Specialist Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of an Animal Welfare 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:
How Do Animal Welfare Specialist 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 Welfare Specialists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
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: $52,452
San Francisco: $51,878
Oakland: $50,785
San Jose, CA$52,452
San Francisco, CA$51,878
Oakland, CA$50,785
New York, NY$47,881
Paramus, NJ$47,299
Queens Village, NY$47,297
Passaic, NJ$47,258
Bergenfield, NJ$47,254
Stamford, CT$47,162
Huntington, NY$47,145
Newark, NJ$46,838
Bridgeport, CT$46,750
Vallejo, CA$46,668
New Brunswick, NJ$46,651
Petaluma, CA$46,626
Middlesex, NJ$46,547
Somerset, NJ$46,518
Santa Cruz, CA$46,464
Boston, MA$46,210
Monterey, CA$46,064
Seattle, WA$45,969
Santa Rosa, CA$45,961
Los Angeles, CA$45,948
Juneau, AK$45,840
Washington, DC$45,794
Orange, CA$45,646
Santa Ana, CA$45,536
Long Beach, CA$45,495
Anaheim, CA$45,487
Anchorage, AK$45,466
Santa Maria, CA$45,341
Everett, WA$45,333
Danbury, CT$45,186
Bremerton, WA$45,129
Tacoma, WA$44,979
New Suffolk, NY$44,978
Sacramento, CA$44,967
Santa Barbara, CA$44,921
Trenton, NJ$44,875
San Diego, CA$44,875
Brockton, MA$44,829
Fairbanks, AK$44,728
Lompoc, CA$44,622
Lowell, MA$44,588
Ventura, CA$44,580
Nashua, NH$44,572
Stockton, CA$44,568
Modesto, CA$44,264
Poughkeepsie, NY$44,172
Olympia, WA$44,093
Kennewick, WA$44,093
New Haven, CT$44,077
Lawrence, MA$43,927
Hartford, CT$43,885
Riverside, CA$43,877
New Bedford, MA$43,836
Richland, WA$43,836
Bakersfield, CA$43,777
San Bernardino, CA$43,761
New Britain, CT$43,757
Atlantic City, NJ$43,757
New London, CT$43,740
Norwich, CT$43,727
Portsmouth, NH$43,719
Boulder, CO$43,631
Portland, OR$43,574
Worcester, MA$43,569
Minneapolis, MN$43,441
Philadelphia, PA$43,382
Honolulu, HI$43,245
Saint Paul, MN$43,225
Vineland, NJ$43,216
Providence, RI$43,095
Chicago, IL$42,975
Bellingham, WA$42,925
Springfield, MA$42,892
Baltimore, MD$42,879
Chico, CA$42,775
Pittsfield, MA$42,663
Manchester, NH$42,584
Spokane, WA$42,401
Denver, CO$42,397
Albany, NY$42,201
Troy, NY$42,185
Nassau, NY$42,140
Schenectady, NY$42,097
Wilmington, DE$42,064
Burlington, VT$42,006
Salem, OR$41,989
Portland, ME$41,860
Yakima, WA$41,819
Rochester, MN$41,690
Reno, NV$41,669
Fresno, CA$41,669
Milwaukee, WI$41,632
Detroit, MI$41,590
Ann Arbor, MI$41,583
Allentown, PA$41,577
Colorado Springs, CO$41,507
Syracuse, NY$41,486
Carson City, NV$41,486
Houston, TX$41,428
Eugene, OR$41,407
Gary, IN$41,357
Springfield, OR$41,324
Bismarck, ND$41,315
Galveston, TX$41,286
Medford, OR$41,224
Fort Collins, CO$41,207
Concord, NH$41,187
Austin, TX$41,174
Mesa, AZ$41,087
Reading, PA$41,083
Phoenix, AZ$41,078
Dallas, TX$41,066
Saint Cloud, MN$41,026
Madison, WI$40,970
Utica, NY$40,858
Rochester, NY$40,792
Des Moines, IA$40,787
Raleigh, NC$40,783
Atlanta, GA$40,721
Battle Creek, MI$40,708
Salt Lake City, UT$40,696
Lancaster, PA$40,633
Harrisburg, PA$40,575
Kansas City, MO$40,534
Champaign, IL$40,525
Kansas City, KS$40,525
Fort Worth, TX$40,521
Columbus, OH$40,514
Boca Raton, FL$40,505
Pittsburgh, PA$40,488
Richmond, VA$40,471
Indianapolis, IN$40,463
Cleveland, OH$40,459
Las Vegas, NV$40,409
Cincinnati, OH$40,409
Petersburg, VA$40,347
Huntsville, AL$40,284
Lansing, MI$40,256
Lebanon, PA$40,251
Pueblo, CO$40,247
Appleton, WI$40,234
Buffalo, NY$40,218
Dayton, OH$40,205
Racine, WI$40,197
Charlotte, NC$40,193
Saint Louis, MO$40,180
York, PA$40,155
Elkhart, IN$40,155
Gastonia, NC$40,147
Billings, MT$40,137
Beaumont, TX$40,126
Lorain, OH$40,118
Benton Harbor, MI$40,110
Toledo, OH$40,101
Binghamton, NY$40,080
Rock Hill, SC$40,076
Rockford, IL$40,055
Springfield, IL$40,039
Elyria, OH$40,035
Fargo, ND$40,035
Flagstaff, AZ$40,006
Fort Lauderdale, FL$39,981
Duluth, MN$39,956
Miami, FL$39,956
Cheyenne, WY$39,927
Grand Forks, ND$39,927
Bangor, ME$39,835
Cedar Rapids, IA$39,789
Durham, NC$39,772
Louisville, KY$39,769
Grand Rapids, MI$39,760
Hialeah, FL$39,756
Casper, WY$39,698
Scranton, PA$39,648
New Orleans, LA$39,635
Virginia Beach, VA$39,631
Akron, OH$39,610
Peoria, IL$39,556
Sarasota, FL$39,548
Nashville, TN$39,519
Omaha, NE$39,519
Green Bay, WI$39,519
Baton Rouge, LA$39,498
Charleston, SC$39,490
Jamestown, NY$39,469
Davenport, IA$39,469
Tucson, AZ$39,448
Saint Petersburg, FL$39,423
Tampa, FL$39,415
Evansville, IN$39,390
Port Arthur, TX$39,390
Bradenton, FL$39,373
Santa Fe, NM$39,299
Orlando, FL$39,224
Clearwater, FL$39,211
Canton, OH$39,124
La Crosse, WI$39,124
Albuquerque, NM$39,099
Newport News, VA$39,095
High Point, NC$39,082
Ogden, UT$39,066
Corpus Christi, TX$39,032
Norfolk, VA$39,007
Laramie, WY$39,007
Rock Island, IL$38,983
Saginaw, MI$38,974
Jacksonville, FL$38,970
Salisbury, NC$38,962
Boise, ID$38,953
Moline, IL$38,933
Fort Myers, FL$38,920
Memphis, TN$38,912
Tulsa, OK$38,891
Waterloo, IA$38,866
Spartanburg, SC$38,825
Lincoln, NE$38,804
Fort Wayne, IN$38,795
Provo, UT$38,791
Cedar Falls, IA$38,741
San Antonio, TX$38,725
Greensboro, NC$38,708
South Bend, IN$38,704
Savannah, GA$38,658
Muskegon, MI$38,642
Birmingham, AL$38,637
Winston Salem, NC$38,617
Lake Charles, LA$38,517
Anderson, IN$38,508
Lexington, KY$38,496
Augusta, GA$38,483
Greenville, SC$38,483
Lima, OH$38,450
Wichita, KS$38,446
Tuscaloosa, AL$38,446
Columbia, SC$38,409
Springfield, OH$38,400
Asheville, NC$38,334
Bloomington, IN$38,305
Knoxville, TN$38,155
Shreveport, LA$38,151
Wilmington, NC$38,097
Roanoke, VA$38,097
Topeka, KS$38,022
Frankfort, KY$38,017
Oklahoma City, OK$37,989
Chillicothe, OH$37,972
Longview, TX$37,968
Melbourne, FL$37,964
Sioux Falls, SD$37,897
Mobile, AL$37,893
Terre Haute, IN$37,876
Altoona, PA$37,851
Amarillo, TX$37,822
Killeen, TX$37,810
Fayetteville, AR$37,777
Chattanooga, TN$37,764
Sioux City, IA$37,727
Idaho Falls, ID$37,718
Lynchburg, VA$37,685
Gainesville, FL$37,631
Portsmouth, OH$37,610
Little Rock, AR$37,602
Lafayette, LA$37,585
Youngstown, OH$37,585
Daytona Beach, FL$37,560
Clarksville, TN$37,556
Pensacola, FL$37,552
Temple, TX$37,549
Hopkinsville, KY$37,427
Erie, PA$37,419
Florence, SC$37,402
Charleston, WV$37,336
Great Falls, MT$37,315
Macon, GA$37,257
Tallahassee, FL$37,253
Fayetteville, NC$37,244
Waco, TX$37,236
Helena, MT$37,207
Pine Bluff, AR$37,191
Vincennes, IN$37,140
Lubbock, TX$37,124
Alamogordo, NM$37,099
Twin Falls, ID$37,061
Rapid City, SD$37,049
Jackson, MS$36,974
Huntington, WV$36,971
Greenville, MS$36,970
Parkersburg, WV$36,927
Montgomery, AL$36,920
Wichita Falls, TX$36,878
Springfield, MO$36,878
Biloxi, MS$36,857
Monroe, LA$36,816
Johnstown, PA$36,787
Sumter, SC$36,770
Columbus, GA$36,766
Pascagoula, MS$36,687
Abilene, TX$36,687
Kingsport, TN$36,579
Albany, GA$36,579
Gulfport, MS$36,566
Alexandria, LA$36,429
Fort Smith, AR$36,325
El Paso, TX$36,213
Las Cruces, NM$36,026
Harlingen, TX$35,920
Pocatello, ID$35,913
Florence, AL$35,859
Brownsville, TX$35,851
Mcallen, TX$35,764
Dothan, AL$35,706
Columbus, MS$35,459
Altus, OK$35,265
Lawton, OK$35,186
Pierre, SD$35,036
What Skills Can Increase an Animal Welfare Specialist's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 10.29% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Housekeeping (Mentioned in 2.21% Job Postings): Housekeeping department is keeping the venue clean and sanitary as part of customer service. Cleaners vacuum rugs and furniture in hallways, rooms and public areas. They collect trash and empty wastebaskets, change the sheets and make the beds.
Reserve Management (Mentioned in 1.44% Job Postings): Reserve management is a process that ensures that adequate official public sector foreign assets are readily available to and controlled by the authorities for meeting a defined range of objectives for a country or union.
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 Welfare Specialist's salary.
Reserve Management: Can increase your salary by up to 42%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 25%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 13%.
Animal Welfare Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Animal Welfare Specialist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 50% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Healthcare and Chemicals
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average.
In contrast, Animal Welfare Specialist positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Pharmaceuticals typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Animal Welfare Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for an Animal Welfare Specialist
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare
$54,062
$26.0
30%
Chemicals
$45,744
$22.0
10%
How Education impacts an Animal Welfare Specialist's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Animal Welfare 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 Welfare Specialist with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$40,851
and $41,957).
Animal Welfare Specialist Salaries by Degree Level
Understanding how an Animal Welfare 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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$37,292
Average$41,586/year
$44,995
$3,108
Average$3,465/month
$3,750
$717
Average$800/week
$865
$18
Average$20/hour
$22
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$44,995
$3,750
$865
$22
Average
$41,586
$3,465
$800
$20
25th Percentile
$37,292
$3,108
$717
$18
Salaries of Jobs related to Animal Welfare Specialist
Salaries for an Animal Welfare Specialist can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $45,323 in 2023
to around $44,844 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Animal Welfare Specialist salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Animal Welfare Specialist Over Time
$???
$45,323
$45,322
$44,844
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$45,323
2024
$45,322
2025
$44,844
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Animal Welfare Specialist
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Animal Welfare Specialist
Here are companies hiring for Animal Welfare Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Animal Welfare Specialist
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Animal Welfare Specialist?
The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Animal Welfare Specialist roles,
with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.
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.
