The work of animal cops helps abandoned dogs find new homes.
Animal control officers, nicknamed animal cops, primarily work in law enforcement agencies and for animal welfare organizations. They investigate possible cases of mistreatment, pick up abandoned and runaway animals and take them to animal shelters, and control potentially dangerous animals. Depending on the type of employment, these workers may focus only on companion animals or may include certain types of wild animals in their work. About half of all animal cops earn more than $15 per hour as of 2010.
Salary Range
Animal cops had an average salary of $16.35 per hour as of May 2010, or $34,020 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The median salary was lower, at $15.41 per hour, or $32,050 per year. The middle 50 percent of animal cops were making $12.25 to $19.78 per hour, or $25,490 to $41,150 per year. The bottom 10 percent of the pay scale was at or below $9.48 per hour, and the top 10 percent at $24.93 per hour and higher, or $51,840 per year and more.
Types of Employment
About 89 percent of animal control officers work for local government, with about 13,400 of the estimated 15,040 nationwide in that employment setting in 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Their average salary in local government was $16.53 per hour, or $34,380 per year. Another 8 percent work for social advocacy organizations, earning $14.37 per hour on average. A small number work for state government agencies, with an average pay rate of $18.33 per hour.
High-Paying States
The highest-paying state for animal cops in 2010 was Nevada, with an average salary of $23.53 per hour, or $48,930 per year. Rounding out the five best-paying states for this career were California, at an average wage of $22.70; Oregon, at $19.29; Alaska, at $19.26; and Minnesota, at $18.95.
High-Paying Metro Areas
In four U.S. metropolitan areas, animal cops earned more than $22 per hour in 2010. The top-paying area was the Las Vegas and Paradise metro region of Nevada, where animal cops earned $25.61 per hour on average, or $53,270 per year. Animal cops in the greater San Jose, California, area had an average salary of $24.48 per hour; in the greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida, area, $24.05; in the Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, California, area $23.93; and in the Nassau-Suffolk metro area of New York, $22.84.
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