Animal Caretaking federal salary series 5048
Full-time federal employees in the Animal Caretaking series earned a median of $59,104 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 46% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $54,878 and $64,446.
What shapes animal caretaking pay
The most common grade with published pay is WG-6 (182 employees, median $59,104). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Agriculture (69 employees). Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.
OPM withheld pay for 50% of employees in this series. The figures here describe only employees with published pay; withholding is concentrated in certain agencies (see data coverage).
Animal Caretaking pay by grade
Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.
| Pay plan–grade | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| WG-5 | 43 | $56,401 |
| WG-6 | 182 | $59,104 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Animal Caretaking pay by agency
| Agency | Employees | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture | 69 | $59,104 |
middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)
Change since September 2025
The median moved +4.0% from $56,829 in September 2025 to $59,104 in September 2026. Headcount went from 322 to 314 (−2.5%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.