Animal Caretakers pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater

In Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater (FL), the median pay for animal caretakers is $16.58 an hour ($34,490 a year). About 2,400 people work in this job there.

$16.58Median hourly pay
$30,090–$37,080Middle half of workers, yearly
2,400People in this job in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater (FL)

That is 2% lower than the U.S. median ($35,360). It is about the same as the Florida median ($34,150).

Pay range for animal caretakers in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater (FL)

Earns more thanHourlyYearly
10% of workers$14.10$29,320
25% of workers$14.47$30,090
Half of workers (median)$16.58$34,490
75% of workers$17.83$37,080
90% of workers$23.98$49,870

Animal Caretakers pay in Florida metro areas

Metro areaMedian yearly payPeople in this job
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$35,1603,820
Naples-Marco Island$34,970310
Ocala$34,930600
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$34,8303,020
Gainesville$34,680250
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater (this page)$34,4902,400
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$33,220520
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$32,910450
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent$32,910240
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$32,130900
Cape Coral-Fort Myers$31,560530
Punta Gorda$31,200160
Jacksonville$31,1201,520
Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor$30,810200
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin$30,730240
Port St. Lucie$30,700330
Panama City-Panama City Beach$30,130120
Wildwood-The Villages$29,96080
Lakeland-Winter Haven$29,700380
Tallahassee$29,690270
Homosassa Springs$29,39090
Sebring$28,65080

Florida unemployment rate: 4.5% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for animal caretakers

  • Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
  • Related work experience most have: 1 to 3 months (O*NET)
  • Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
  • Job outlook: +12.1% over ten years, much faster than average · about 62,800 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater (FL)

JobMedian yearly pay
Nursing Assistants$37,470
Childcare Workers$33,530
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$47,100
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers$38,000

Other job titles for this job

AquaristAnimal Care TechnicianAnimal Health TechnicianAnimal Care Service WorkerAnimal Care SpecialistAnimal CaretakerWildlife RehabilitatorAnimal HandlerCat GroomerDog GroomerPet GroomerAnimal Care Attendant

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.