Animal Control Workers vs Crossing Guards and Flaggers: $46K vs $38K Median Pay

Animal Control Workers vs Crossing Guards and Flaggers: what changes?

Consider Animal Control Workers if you want to handle animals for the purpose of investigations of mistreatment, or control of abandoned, dangerous, or unattended animals. Consider Crossing Guards and Flaggers if you would rather guide or control vehicular or pedestrian traffic at such places as streets, schools, railroad crossings, or construction sites. Entry credentials differ: Animal Control Workers, high school diploma or equivalent; Crossing Guards and Flaggers, no formal educational credential.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Animal Control Workers and Crossing Guards and Flaggers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Animal Control Workers

National median pay (2025): $45,660
Route into the job: 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
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Write reports of activities, and maintain files of impoundments and dispositions of animals.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,500

Know before you choose

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

See the full Animal Control Workers brief

Crossing Guards and Flaggers

National median pay (2025): $38,100
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Direct or escort pedestrians across streets, stopping traffic, as necessary.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 17,300

Know before you choose

The work can involve real occupational hazards. Training, protective equipment, and routine safety discipline matter every day.

See the full Crossing Guards and Flaggers brief

How the national numbers differ

Crossing Guards and Flaggers has the edge on annual openings

Crossing Guards and Flaggers is at 17,300 annual openings, compared with 1,500 annual openings for Animal Control Workers.

Animal Control Workers has the edge on median pay

Animal Control Workers is at $45,660, compared with $38,100 for Crossing Guards and Flaggers.

Animal Control Workers has the edge on projected growth

Animal Control Workers is at 4% projected growth, compared with 3.5% projected growth for Crossing Guards and Flaggers.

41.5/ 100

Animal Control Workers

51.5/ 100

Crossing Guards and Flaggers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Animal Control Workers vs Crossing Guards and Flaggers

Dimension	Animal Control Workers	Crossing Guards and Flaggers
Median pay (2025)	$45,660	$38,100
Pay percentile	18.9 percentile	8.5 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	4%	3.5%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,500	17,300
2025 employment	13,800	94,800
How you qualify	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	No formal educational credential; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Animal Control Workers brief Read Crossing Guards and Flaggers brief

Animal Control Workers vs Crossing Guards and Flaggers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Animal Control Workers

Crossing Guards and Flaggers

How the national numbers differ

Crossing Guards and Flaggers has the edge on annual openings

Animal Control Workers has the edge on median pay

Animal Control Workers has the edge on projected growth

Animal Control Workers vs Crossing Guards and Flaggers

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