Career
Animal control workers
Handle and rescue animals, and protect the public from them.
$45,660
Median pay
+4.0%
Job growth, 2025–35
1,500
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Write reports of activities, and maintain files of impoundments and dispositions of animals.
- Investigate reports of animal attacks or animal cruelty, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and writing reports.
- Examine animals for injuries or malnutrition, and arrange for any necessary medical treatment.
- Contact animal owners to inform them that their pets are at animal holding facilities.
- Educate the public about animal welfare, and animal control laws and regulations.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Write reports of activities, and maintain files of impoundments and dispositions of animals.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Writing.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $45,660 a year and 1,500 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- NO MATCHCIP 99.9999
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Animal Caretakers$35,360 · +12.1%
- Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers$38,150 · +9.1%
- Fish and Game Wardens$74,060 · -5.7%
- Animal Trainers$39,990 · +4.2%
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers$76,210 · +3.5%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.