1

Animal Rescue Jobs in Laurel, MD (NOW HIRING)

next page

Showing results 1-20

Animal Rescue information

See Laurel, MD salary details

$9

$20

$27

How much do animal rescue jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 16, 2026, the average hourly pay for animal rescue in Laurel, MD is $20.87, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $17.16 and $24.81 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How do you become an animal rescue worker?

To become an animal rescue worker, individuals typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, relevant experience with animals, and strong compassion. Volunteering at shelters or rescue organizations can provide valuable skills, and some roles may require certifications in animal care or first aid.

What degree do I need for animal rescue?

Animal rescue jobs typically do not require a specific degree, but a background in animal science, biology, or related fields can be beneficial. Relevant skills include animal handling, first aid, and knowledge of animal behavior, and certifications such as pet first aid or CPR can enhance employability.

What is animal rescue?

Animal rescue refers to the process of saving animals from dangerous, abusive, or neglectful situations and providing them with shelter, medical care, and rehabilitation. Animal rescue organizations work to protect stray, abandoned, or mistreated animals, often finding them foster or permanent homes. The main goal is to ensure the well-being and safety of animals, promoting responsible pet ownership and preventing cruelty. Rescued animals may include pets like dogs and cats, as well as wildlife in distress. Volunteers and professionals collaborate to give these animals a second chance at life.

Do animal rescues pay employees?

Animal rescue organizations may pay employees, especially those in full-time or specialized roles, but many positions are volunteer-based. Salaries can vary depending on the organization, location, and job responsibilities, with some rescues offering stipends or part-time wages. Certification in animal care or related skills can improve employment prospects and pay rates.

What are some common challenges faced by animal rescue professionals, and how can they effectively address them?

Animal rescue professionals often encounter emotionally challenging situations, such as witnessing animal neglect or working with traumatized animals. They may also face physical demands, unpredictable schedules, and the need to make quick decisions in high-stress environments. Building emotional resilience, practicing self-care, and collaborating closely with veterinary staff, volunteers, and local authorities can help manage these challenges. Additionally, ongoing training and open communication within the team are essential for maintaining a supportive work environment and ensuring the best outcomes for rescued animals.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Animal Rescue Worker, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Animal Rescue Worker, you need knowledge of animal handling, first aid, and welfare, often supported by relevant certifications or experience with animals. Familiarity with animal control software, rescue equipment, and sometimes animal transport vehicles is typically required. Compassion, resilience, and strong communication skills are vital for building trust with animals and collaborating with the public and rescue organizations. These skills ensure the safety, effective care, and successful rehoming of animals in challenging and often urgent situations.

What is the difference between Animal Rescue vs Animal Shelter Worker?

AspectAnimal RescueAnimal Shelter Worker
Required CredentialsHigh school diploma; certifications in animal handling or rescue techniquesHigh school diploma; training in animal care and shelter operations
Work EnvironmentFieldwork, outdoor rescues, emergency situationsIndoor shelter facilities, animal care areas
Employer & Industry UsageRescue organizations, non-profits, government agenciesShelters, humane societies, animal control agencies
Common Search & ComparisonYesYes

Animal Rescue involves actively seeking out and rescuing animals in distress, often in outdoor or emergency settings. Animal Shelter Workers primarily care for animals within shelter facilities, focusing on daily care and adoption processes. Both roles require animal handling skills and work within animal welfare organizations, but their work environments and specific duties differ significantly.

What is the highest paid job working with animals?

The highest paid jobs working with animals typically include veterinary surgeons and specialized animal researchers, with veterinarians earning a median annual salary of around $100,000 or more. Advanced roles such as zoo directors or animal pharmacologists may also command higher salaries, especially with extensive experience and advanced certifications.
What job categories do people searching Animal Rescue jobs in Laurel, MD look for? The top searched job categories for Animal Rescue jobs in Laurel, MD are:
What cities near Laurel, MD are hiring for Animal Rescue jobs? Cities near Laurel, MD with the most Animal Rescue job openings:
Infographic showing various Animal Rescue job openings in Laurel, MD as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 74% Full Time, 21% Part Time, 1% Temporary, 3% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 97% Physical, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $43,409 per year, or $20.9 per hour.
Animal Care Technician II

$21.06/hr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Posted 12 days ago


Charles River Laboratories rating

8.2

Company rating: 8.2 out of 10

Based on 91 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

25th of 71 rated pharmaceutical


Job description

For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.

Job Summary

We are looking for an Animal Care Technician II for our Insourcing Solutions Team in Baltimore, MD.

The Animal Care Technician II will provide husbandry and veterinary assistance for laboratory animals including rodents as well as monitor animal health and report findings.

Other responsibilities include:

  • Perform animal husbandry duties including but not limited to preparation and actual changing of animal cages and related cage accessories of small, feeding and manual watering
  • Prepare caging for cagewash, including scraping floor grids, breaking down caging and dumping pans or scraping cages
  • Perform daily animal health observations and report any abnormal conditions or behavior of animals to the Immediate Supervisor, Facility Manager, Veterinary Technician, and/or Clinical Veterinarian
  • Clean assigned animal rooms, facility and animal care equipment and associated animal facility areas
  • Monitor and report any irregularities in the room temperature, light cycles, air changes, and other environmental conditions that may affect animals
  • Ensure all logbooks, checklists and other records are completed accurately in a timely fashion
  • Provide environmental enrichment feed and other enrichment stimuli and/ or provide behavioral assessments
  • Provide lead role on assigned weekends/holidays
  • Perform euthanasia using correct procedures
Job Qualifications
  • High school diploma or GED
  • 2 -3 years related experience in animal care with at least one year of that time working with laboratory animal species, most applicable rodents and non-human primates preferred
  • ALAT certification at hire preferred or ALAT within one year of hire required

The hourly rate for this position is $21.06/hour. The schedule is Monday through Friday 7AM-3:30PM, must be available some weekends and holidays when needed.

About Insourcing Solutions
Charles River Insourcing Solutions℠ can streamline research by delivering operational and cost efficiencies through the strategic insourcing of GMP, GLP and non-GLP research services from discovery through safety assessment. Insourcing Solutions℠ provides you with the ability to maintain control of your facility and expertise while leveraging available space.


About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.

With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.

At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.

We’re committed to providing benefits that elevate your quality of life.  Based on your position these may include:  bonus/incentives based on performance, 401K, paid time off, stock purchase program, Health and wellness coverage, employee and family wellbeing support programs, and work life balance flexibility.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Charles River is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, family status, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

It is unlawful in some states (including Massachusetts) to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

If you are interested in applying to Charles River Laboratories and need special assistance or an accommodation due to a disability to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the resume submission process, please contact a member of our Human Resources team by sending an e-mail message to crrecruitment_US@crl.com. This contact is for accommodation requests for individuals with disabilities only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

For more information, please visit www.criver.com.


What Charles River Laboratories employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


Charles River logo

About Charles River

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients' clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market. With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client's unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world. At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people's lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly supported the development of 86% of the drugs approved by the FDA in 2021.

Industry

Scientific research and development services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Wilmington, MA, US

Year founded

1947