Animal care services occupations n.e.c.: salary in the UK
About £22,915 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +7.2% on last year
£2,245 a month About £1,910 a month after tax 17 thousand full-time jobs
Gross pay before tax, including bonuses, commission and overtime. Not included: benefits in kind such as a company car. About the data
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Pay by year
The median went from £19,862 in 2021 to £26,939 in 2026 (+36%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +31% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | x | £16,946 | £19,862 | £22,582 | x |
| 2022 | x | £18,028 | £21,336 | x | x |
| 2023 | £13,930 | £18,457 | £21,537 | £26,940 | x |
| 2024 | x | x | £23,590 | x | x |
| 2025 | £17,042 | £22,392 | £25,124 | £27,868 | x |
| 2026 | £20,866 | £24,727 | £26,939 | £30,227 | x |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
Half of full-time employees in this occupation earn less than £26,939 a year and half earn more. That is 34% less than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £24,727 and £30,227; one in ten earns less than £20,866.
Ranked by median, it is number 338 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £1,910 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £1,913 in Scotland.
The median for men is £29,873 and for women £25,914, a gap of 13% in men's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £20,866 | £1,739 |
| 20th | £23,740 | £1,978 |
| 25th (P25) | £24,727 | £2,061 |
| 30th | £25,336 | £2,111 |
| 40th | £25,953 | £2,163 |
| Median (50th) | £26,939 | £2,245 |
| 60th | £28,226 | £2,352 |
| 70th | £29,831 | £2,486 |
| 75th (P75) | £30,227 | £2,519 |
| 80th | £32,224 | £2,685 |
| 90th (P90) | x | x |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £29,873 | £30,525 | 6 |
| Women | £25,914 | £26,204 | 11 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £22,915 | £1,910 |
| Scotland | £22,955 | £1,913 |
After Income Tax and National Insurance for 2026 to 2027, with the standard tax code and no pension or student loan. Work out your own take-home pay · Take-home pay on £27,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 100 job titles to SOC 6129 Animal care services occupations n.e.c.. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Animal attendant
- Animal care assistant
- Animal care laboratory technician
- Animal care worker
- Animal carer
- Animal careworker
- Animal clinic assistant
- Animal collection officer
- Animal handler
- Animal health attendant
- Animal keeper
- Animal minder
- Animal nursing auxiliary
- Animal technician
- Animal trainer
- Animal welfare assistant
- Animal welfare officer
- Aquarist
- Attendant
- Breeder
- Canine beautician
- Canine carer
- Cat breeder
- Cat carer
- Cattery assistant
- Daycare assistant
- Dog boarder
- Dog breeder
- Dog clipper
- Dog groomer
- Dog handler
- Dog minder
- Dog sitter
- Dog stripper
- Dog trainer
- Dog walker
- Dog warden
- Equine barefoot trimmer
- Equine groom
- Foreman
- Greyhound trainer
- Groom
- Groom-gardener
- Groomsman
- Head groom
- Head horse keeper
- Head keeper
- Head lad
- Headman
- Horse breaker
- Horse breeder
- Horse clipper
- Horse keeper
- Horse trainer
- Horseman
- Hostler
- Hunt servant
- Hunter
- Huntsman
- Keeper
Show all 100 titles
- Kennel assistant
- Kennel attendant
- Kennel hand
- Kennel keeper
- Kennel maid
- Kennel worker
- Livery stable keeper
- Livestock assistant
- Menagerie keeper
- Ostler
- Pet carer
- Pet sitter
- Pony trainer
- Stable boy
- Stable foreman
- Stable girl
- Stable hand
- Stable helper
- Stable keeper
- Stable lad
- Stable manager
- Stableman
- Stud hand
- Studhand
- Technical assistant
- Technician
- Trek assistant
- Trek leader
- Veterinarian's technical assistant
- Veterinary assistant
- Veterinary care assistant
- Veterinary nursing assistant
- Veterinary surgeon's assistant
- Whip
- Whipper-in
- Work rider
- Yard man
- Yardman
- Yardsman
- Zoo keeper
Similar occupations
All jobs in Caring, leisure and other service occupations
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.