Public Safety · Career brief

Animal Control Workers

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Animal Control Workers at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$45,660

Lower national median pay

2025 national median. Bottom quarter for pay among careers on ChooseField.

2Demand

Steady projected growth

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Above the middle of ChooseField careers for growth.

3Openings

1,500

Relatively fewer openings

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Below the middle of ChooseField careers for openings.

4Route in

High school

A four-year degree is not the typical entry route

High school diploma or equivalent. Prior related work is not typically required.

5The work

Hands-on

Practical work with tools, systems, or physical environments

Write reports of activities, and maintain files of impoundments and dispositions of animals.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

This is a small national occupation (13,800 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

ChooseField take

The national benchmarks are mixed, so the work itself and the route in matter more than any standout pay or demand signal. It makes the most sense if hands-on work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a high-school entry path. Main tradeoff: This is a small national occupation (13,800 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median…

Before choosing, compare:Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers Parking Enforcement Workers Security Guards

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Animal Control Workers with another field Explore rankings in Public Safety Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$45,660

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

4%employment growth1,500openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

13,800

A small national occupation; local availability may be uneven.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Animal control workers (33-9011).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

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.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

This is a small national occupation (13,800 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.
Operating or riding in vehicles is a recurring part of the work rather than an occasional trip.
The helping mission includes documentation, direct care, and safety-critical routines where a missed detail can affect a patient.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.7
Documenting/Recording Information4.6
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public4.6
Communicating with People Outside the Organization4.5
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.4

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Realistic5.9
Conventional3.9
Investigative3.6
Social2.6
Enterprising2.2
Artistic1.0

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Public Safety and Security Law and Government Biology Communications and Media

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Analyze a public case scenario, identify the governing rules and missing facts, and defend a decision whose consequences matter.
Ask an early-career worker which beginner task consumes the most time, what makes new hires quit, and what school or training failed to simulate.

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

Pay and demand: reading the benchmark

The pay and outlook figures describe Animal control workers nationally. They do not establish the salary or number of vacancies available in your area.

Median pay is the middle wage across workers, not a starting offer. Projected openings include replacements as well as growth; neither measure predicts an individual worker's job security.

Before choosing a program

O*NET lists Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking among this occupation's skills. Ask a program to show the assignments, supervised practice, and assessment that develop these skills. Compare those examples with local job descriptions.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Can I enter this occupation without related work experience?

BLS does not assign a related-experience requirement to the occupation. Employers may still ask for placements, supervised practice, a portfolio, or experience with particular tools. Check entry-level vacancies separately from experienced roles.

What should I check before paying for training?

Get the full prerequisite and completion timeline, total cost, placement arrangements, and any licensing eligibility in writing. Ask local employers whether they hire graduates from the route you are considering and whether paid training is available.

Adjacent options

Compare before committing

The useful question is not whether one field wins overall, but what changes when you choose a nearby path. Explore the full career guides for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers, Parking Enforcement Workers, Security Guards, Bailiffs.