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What is an animal warden and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an animal warden. For example, did you know that they make an average of $16.51 an hour? That's $34,337 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 28% and produce 101,200 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreAnimal WardenUS Average
Salary
2.7

Avg. Salary $34,337

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.8

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.46%

Asian 0.82%

Black or African American 4.92%

Hispanic or Latino 5.74%

Unknown 4.92%

White 81.15%

Gender

female 30.56%

male 69.44%

Age - 37
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 37
Stress level
9.8

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
4.7

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.4

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an animal warden

  1. Explore animal warden education requirements

    Most common animal warden degrees

    High School Diploma

    37.5 %

    Bachelor's

    25.0 %

    Associate

    12.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific animal warden skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Animal Shelter100.00%
  3. Complete relevant animal warden training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New animal wardens learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an animal warden based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real animal warden resumes.
  4. Research animal warden duties and responsibilities

    • Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
    • Reserve police officer responsibilities motorize patrol, preliminary investigations, traffic control, general crowd control at events.
    • Experience in handling of snakes (both venomous and non-venomous).
  5. Prepare your animal warden resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your animal warden resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an animal warden resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable animal warden resume templates

    Build a professional animal warden resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your animal warden resume.
    Animal Warden Resume
    Animal Warden Resume
    Animal Warden Resume
    Animal Warden Resume
    Animal Warden Resume
    Animal Warden Resume
    Animal Warden Resume
    Animal Warden Resume
    Animal Warden Resume
  6. Apply for animal warden jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an animal warden job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first animal warden job

Zippi

Are you an animal warden?

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Average animal warden salary

The average animal warden salary in the United States is $34,337 per year or $17 per hour. Animal warden salaries range between $22,000 and $51,000 per year.

Average animal warden salary
$34,337 Yearly
$16.51 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do animal wardens rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Animal warden reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2023
Pros

Would like to be able to change the way we see dogs in society

Cons

Not being able to enforce mistreatment.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2023
Pros

Very rewarding and important work. Always something different. Exciting work!

Cons

The police and government rarely take you seriously. Should also be considered first responders (in most places).


Working as an animal warden? Share your experience anonymously.
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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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