Animal Caretakers pay in Iowa
$32,900avg. a year
$15.82 an hour · 3,480 employed
Animal Caretakers in Iowa earn an average of $32,900 a year. That is $4,400 (12%) less than the U.S. average of $37,300. The best-paying metro area is Ames, IA at $39,820.
$30,080Median pay
$15.82Average hourly
+29%Avg. pay since 2020
#44Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Iowa metro areas
Average pay for animal caretakers by metro area. Swipe to see all 9.
1190 jobs
Ames, IA
$39,820
$19.14 an hour
21,280 jobs
Omaha, NE-IA
$39,380
$18.94 an hour
3300 jobs
Iowa City, IA
$36,350
$17.47 an hour
4290 jobs
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
$34,640
$16.66 an hour
5920 jobs
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
$34,550
$16.61 an hour
6130 jobs
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD
$31,560
$15.17 an hour
7340 jobs
Cedar Rapids, IA
$31,210
$15.00 an hour
8470 jobs
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA
$31,210
$15.01 an hour
980 jobs
Dubuque, IA
$30,660
$14.74 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Animal Caretakers pay in Iowa, charted
Pay over time
Iowa, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Iowa animal caretakers work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Related jobs in Iowa
- Childcare Workers$29,280
- Amusement and Recreation Attendants$27,330
- Recreation Workers$34,740
- Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors$38,290
- Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists$40,410
- Animal Trainers$50,450
Average pay, Iowa, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do animal caretakers make in Iowa?
The average is $32,900 a year, and the median is $30,080. That is $4,400 (12%) less than the U.S. average of $37,300.
What is the hourly wage in Iowa?
$15.82 an hour on average; the median is $14.46.
Where in Iowa do they earn the most?
Ames, IA ($39,820), followed by Omaha, NE-IA ($39,380). The lowest average among 9 metro areas with data is Dubuque, IA ($30,660).
How does Iowa rank?
Iowa ranks #44 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 39-2021. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national animal caretakers page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.