Animal Behavior

Animal Behavior Salary

$18.5K

$43.5K

$73.5K

$46,738

/year

$22.47

/hour

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How much does an Animal Behavior make?

As of Aug 26, 2026, the average annual pay for an Animal Behavior in the United States is $46,738 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $22.47 an hour. This is the equivalent of $898/week or $3,894/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $73,500 and as low as $18,500, the majority of Animal Behavior salaries currently range between $31,500 (25th percentile) to $58,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $63,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Animal Behavior varies greatly (by as much as 26500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

An Animal Behavior in your area makes on average $0 per year, or $46,738 (100.000%) less than the national average annual salary of $46,738. Ohio ranks number 35 out of 50 states nationwide for Animal Behavior salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Animal Behavior jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as an Animal Behavior on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Animal Behavior Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Animal Behavior job is above the national average. Topping the list is Green River, WY, , with San Mateo, CA, and San Francisco, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. San Francisco, CA, beats the national average by $7,038 (15.1%), and Green River, WY, furthers that trend with another $9,280 (19.9%) above the $46,738 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Animal Behavior appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 7% between Green River, WY, and Oakland, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for an Animal Behavior role.

City

Annual Salary

Hourly Wage

Green River, WY

$56,018

$26.93

San Mateo, CA

$53,870

$25.90

San Francisco, CA

$53,776

$25.85

Fremont, CA

$52,911

$25.44

Daly City, CA

$52,464

$25.22

Berkeley, CA

$52,207

$25.10

San Jose, CA

$52,165

$25.08

Santa Rosa, CA

$52,034

$25.02

Livermore, CA

$51,936

$24.97

Oakland, CA

$51,852

$24.93

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Animal Behavior Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Animal Behavior category.

For example Animal Shelter Cleaner jobs pay as much as $9,235 (19.8%) more than the average Animal Behavior salary of $46,738. If you're qualified, finding work as an Animal Shelter Cleaner may help you make more money than that of the average Animal Behavior position.

Job Title

Annual Salary

Hourly Wage

Animal Shelter Cleaner

$55,973

$26.91

Dog Behaviorist

$52,499

$25.24

Animal Welfare Specialist

$51,897

$24.95

Animal Assisted Social Work

$49,138

$23.62

Animal Care Specialist Army

$37,274

$17.92

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Animal Behavior salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $46,738 per year or $22.47 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.