Animal Caretakers Salary
The median pay for a animal caretakers in Lawrence, KS is $28,660/year ($13.78/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.24), which stretches that salary to about $31,760 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,182/month, about 58.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $29K get you in Lawrence?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lawrence’s Regional Price Parity (90.24). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About animal caretakers
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What this looks like in Lawrence
Pay for animal caretakers in Lawrence runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $35K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,182/month, which is 58.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.24 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for animal caretakerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for animal caretakers in metros near Lawrence, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Wichita | $30K | $34K |
| Topeka | $26K | $29K |
| Manhattan | $30K | $33K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $38K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lawrence, KS
Entry-level animal caretakers (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $26K spread from bottom to top.
Animal Caretakers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Animal Caretakers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $44K | +25% | 460 |
| Washington | $41K | +15% | 6,620 |
| Hawaii | $40K | +13% | 570 |
| Massachusetts | $40K | +12% | 6,900 |
| California | $39K | +9% | 25,710 |
| Arizona | $38K | +8% | 6,330 |
| New York | $38K | +7% | 12,470 |
| Colorado | $37K | +6% | 6,290 |
| Connecticut | $37K | +6% | 3,000 |
| Maine | $37K | +5% | 1,430 |
| Rhode Island | $37K | +5% | 1,020 |
| Maryland | $37K | +4% | 5,570 |
| Alaska | $37K | +4% | 550 |
| Oregon | $37K | +3% | 3,470 |
| Minnesota | $36K | +3% | 4,250 |
| Vermont | $36K | +2% | 430 |
| New Jersey | $36K | +1% | 5,890 |
| Illinois | $36K | +1% | 11,070 |
| New Hampshire | $35K | -2% | 1,810 |
| Utah | $35K | -2% | 2,350 |
| Virginia | $34K | -3% | 10,070 |
| Montana | $34K | -3% | 1,200 |
| Florida | $34K | -3% | 17,210 |
| North Dakota | $34K | -4% | 770 |
| Delaware | $34K | -4% | 1,230 |
| New Mexico | $34K | -5% | 1,710 |
| Texas | $33K | -7% | 20,450 |
| Idaho | $32K | -9% | 1,760 |
| Nebraska | $32K | -10% | 2,100 |
| Pennsylvania | $31K | -11% | 9,910 |
| South Carolina | $31K | -12% | 4,090 |
| Missouri | $31K | -12% | 5,820 |
| North Carolina | $31K | -13% | 9,730 |
| Kentucky | $31K | -13% | 6,140 |
| Tennessee | $31K | -14% | 6,110 |
| South Dakota | $30K | -14% | 1,110 |
| Michigan | $30K | -14% | 6,290 |
| Nevada | $30K | -14% | 2,470 |
| Ohio | $30K | -14% | 9,350 |
| Arkansas | $30K | -15% | 2,040 |
| Wisconsin | $30K | -15% | 5,720 |
| Iowa | $30K | -15% | 3,480 |
| Indiana | $30K | -15% | 6,420 |
| Georgia | $30K | -16% | 9,110 |
| Kansas | $30K | -16% | 3,000 |
| Wyoming | $29K | -18% | 460 |
| Oklahoma | $29K | -18% | 3,170 |
| West Virginia | $29K | -19% | 1,160 |
| Alabama | $28K | -20% | 4,100 |
| Louisiana | $28K | -21% | 2,660 |
| Mississippi | $27K | -24% | 1,900 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track animal caretakers salary changes
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Related careers in Personal Care
Frequently asked questions
Can a animal caretaker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lawrence?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 58.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,182/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for animal caretakers in Lawrence?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new animal caretakers typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,343/month. At HUD’s $1,182/month FMR, rent would take 88% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is animal caretaker a high-paying job in Lawrence?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $29K here vs. $35K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lawrence compare to the national average for animal caretakers?
Lawrence pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $35K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.24), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do animal caretakers make in Lawrence, KS?
The median is $28,660 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,390, and experienced animal caretakers can clear $47,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Lawrence?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,006/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,182/month, which eats 58.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a animal caretakers salary go in Lawrence?
Lawrence has a Regional Price Parity of 90.24 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median animal caretakers salary is worth about $31,760 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do animal caretakers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.