What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Animal Handler?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Animal Handler jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Town of Nantucket, MA (23.0% above average), followed by Berkeley, CA and Rock River, WY. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Town of Nantucket, MA $45,988 $3,832 $884 $22.11 Berkeley, CA $45,762 $3,813 $880 $22.00 Rock River, WY $45,349 $3,779 $872 $21.80 Wyoming, WY $44,573 $3,714 $857 $21.43 Fremont, CA $44,289 $3,690 $851 $21.29 Santa Clara, CA $43,893 $3,657 $844 $21.10 Livermore, CA $43,839 $3,653 $843 $21.08 Mapleville, RI $43,706 $3,642 $840 $21.01 Los Alamos, NM $43,357 $3,613 $833 $20.84 Santa Cruz, CA $43,154 $3,596 $829 $20.75

Animal Handler

Animal Handler Salary

Q: How much does an Animal Handler make?

The average annual pay for an animal handler in the United States is $37,374 a year — that works out to approximately $17.97 an hour. The middle 80% of Animal Handlers earn between $31,000 (10th percentile) and $48,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Animal Handler Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Animal Handler in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Professional Sleeper On The Job at $41,802 (111.8%) above Animal Handler. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Professional Sleeper On The Job $79,176 $6,598 $1,522 $38.07 Doggy Daycare $52,322 $4,360 $1,006 $25.15 Assistant Computer Teacher $48,298 $4,024 $928 $23.22 Daycare Manager $42,249 $3,520 $812 $20.31 Dog Handler $29,819 $2,484 $573 $14.34

$20.5K

$36K

$51K

$37,374

/year

$17.97

/hour

Animal Handler Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$37,374

Columbus

Ohio

$36,099

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How much does an Animal Handler make?

As of Aug 27, 2026, the average annual pay for an Animal Handler in the United States is $37,374 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $17.97 an hour. This is the equivalent of $718/week or $3,114/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $51,000 and as low as $20,500, the majority of Animal Handler salaries currently range between $33,000 (25th percentile) to $39,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $48,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Animal Handler varies little (about 6000), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

An Animal Handler in your area makes on average $36,099 per year, or $1,275 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $37,374. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Animal Handler salaries.

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

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

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Animal Handler Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Animal Handler job is above the national average. Topping the list is Town of Nantucket, MA, , with Berkeley, CA, and Rock River, WY, close behind in the second and third positions. Rock River, WY, beats the national average by $7,975 (21.3%), and Town of Nantucket, MA, furthers that trend with another $8,614 (23.0%) above the $37,374 average.

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

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Town of Nantucket, MA, and Santa Cruz, 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 Handler role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Town of Nantucket, MA	$45,988	$3,832	$884	$22.11
Berkeley, CA	$45,762	$3,813	$880	$22.00
Rock River, WY	$45,349	$3,779	$872	$21.80
Wyoming, WY	$44,573	$3,714	$857	$21.43
Fremont, CA	$44,289	$3,690	$851	$21.29
Santa Clara, CA	$43,893	$3,657	$844	$21.10
Livermore, CA	$43,839	$3,653	$843	$21.08
Mapleville, RI	$43,706	$3,642	$840	$21.01
Los Alamos, NM	$43,357	$3,613	$833	$20.84
Santa Cruz, CA	$43,154	$3,596	$829	$20.75

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

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

For example Professional Sleeper On The Job jobs pay as much as $41,802 (111.8%) more than the average Animal Handler salary of $37,374. If you're qualified, finding work as an Professional Sleeper On The Job may help you make more money than that of the average Animal Handler position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Professional Sleeper On The Job	$79,176	$6,598	$1,522	$38.07
Doggy Daycare	$52,322	$4,360	$1,006	$25.15
Assistant Computer Teacher	$48,298	$4,024	$928	$23.22
Daycare Manager	$42,249	$3,520	$812	$20.31
Dog Handler	$29,819	$2,484	$573	$14.34

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 Handler salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $37,374 per year or $17.97 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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