Also called: Animal Services Officer, Humane Officer
Rescues stray, injured, or dangerous animals and enforces animal laws.
Animal control officers catch loose dogs, rescue animals from hot cars, investigate bites and neglect cases, and sometimes deal with wildlife like snakes in a garage. They need patience, courage, and a love of animals.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school diploma; state certification in some areas.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Animal Science, Criminal Justice.
Growing about average. Approximate.
Low risk for 10 years. Apps track calls and microchips; catching scared animals and investigating neglect stay hands-on human work.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply on your city or county jobs site for animal control officer openings First: Government hiring with a background check; usually several weeks; state certification may follow
Classes: Biology, Animal science / FFA, Spanish, Health.
Official data: O*NET occupation 33-9011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.