Animal Caretakers Salary — El Centro, California

The average Animal Caretakers in El Centro, California earns $41,690 a year.

$41,690 / year, mean
↑ 10.5% above national average 44th percentile in California

El Centro sits roughly in the middle of the pack for this role within California — neither a standout nor a laggard. That's a solid premium over the national average for animal caretakers. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within California

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
40
Estimate confidence
RSE 2.1%
Cost of living 95 #101 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 2124 #140 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $379,330 #63 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $56,393 #178 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: El Centro ranks #101 for cost of living and #63 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

San Jose $47,930 Seattle $47,810 San Francisco $46,960 Bremerton $45,760 Yuba City $45,330 Kennewick $45,270 Vallejo $45,130 Napa $44,720 Olympia $44,370 Mount Vernon $43,660 Spokane $43,540 Salinas $43,490 Bellingham $43,390 Santa Cruz $43,360 Longview $43,150 San Diego $42,970 Medford $42,410 Portland $42,370 Santa Rosa $42,370 San Luis Obispo $42,350 Santa Maria $42,300 Modesto $42,120 Sacramento $41,830 Los Angeles $41,710 El Centro $41,690 Wenatchee $41,660 New York $41,480 Oxnard $41,020 Yakima $41,000 Baltimore $40,830 Fresno $40,710 Atlantic City $40,670 Stockton $40,510 Riverside $40,430 Redding $40,390 Salem $40,350 Hanford $40,200 Merced $40,190 Chico $40,130 Bend $40,100 Kiryas Joel $39,870 Chicago $39,720 Lexington Park $39,430 Visalia $39,310 Miami $39,070 Trenton $39,060 Bakersfield $38,950 Albany $38,500 Kingston $38,270 Ithaca $38,220 Albany $38,080 Corvallis $38,060 Syracuse $38,050 Dallas $37,840 Grants Pass $37,830 Odessa $37,830 Glens Falls $37,710 Vineland $37,690 Austin $37,660 Salisbury $37,580 Buffalo $37,430 Hagerstown $37,350 Utica $37,350 Philadelphia $37,340 Rochester $37,160 Eugene $37,080 Naples $37,070 Pensacola $36,810 Orlando $36,740 Tampa $36,740 McAllen $36,340 Midland $36,330 Fort Myers $36,280 Palm Bay $36,230 Abilene $36,180 Charlottesville $36,170 Ocala $36,150 Killeen $36,120 Sarasota $36,120 Elmira $36,060 Springfield $35,980 Gainesville $35,960 San Angelo $35,930 Bloomington $35,840 Lexington $35,770 Battle Creek $35,740 San Antonio $35,710 Binghamton $35,700 Champaign $35,590 Crestview $35,590 Jacksonville $35,570 Sebastian $35,500 Wildwood $35,420 Allentown $35,350 Rockford $35,280 Waco $35,260 Richmond $35,130 Watertown $35,070 Deltona $35,040 Lubbock $35,020 Detroit $34,770 Peoria $34,680 Houston $34,630 Traverse City $34,610 Paducah $34,560 Louisville $34,480 Panama City $34,460 Pittsburgh $34,370 Lakeland $34,350 Port St. Lucie $34,160 Ann Arbor $34,130 Lansing $34,120 Sherman $34,120 Harrisonburg $34,010 Lancaster $33,980 Homosassa Springs $33,950 Reading $33,950 Punta Gorda $33,910 Gettysburg $33,900 Virginia Beach $33,900 Elizabethtown $33,810 Decatur $33,800 Grand Rapids $33,750 Tallahassee $33,660 Roanoke $33,630 Beaumont $33,590 Dover $33,550 Lebanon $33,480 Bloomington $33,330 Staunton $33,320 Flint $33,120 Brownsville $33,050 Kalamazoo $33,040 Winchester $33,000 Kankakee $32,950 South Bend $32,920 Laredo $32,860 Lynchburg $32,860 York $32,800 Saginaw $32,740 Longview $32,660 Amarillo $32,600 Harrisburg $32,560 Blacksburg $32,520 Jackson $32,510 Scranton $32,500 El Paso $32,470 Indianapolis $32,430 Johnstown $32,400 Columbus $32,320 Owensboro $32,320 Fort Wayne $32,280 Corpus Christi $32,220 Evansville $32,160 College Station $32,130 Sebring $32,100 Monroe $32,030 Michigan City $31,980 Wichita Falls $31,940 Erie $31,930 Elkhart $31,910 Tyler $31,880 Altoona $31,870 Morgantown $31,700 Niles $31,700 State College $31,640 Midland $31,560 Texarkana $31,560 Bay City $31,400 Kokomo $31,370 Wheeling $31,260 Bowling Green $31,100 Lafayette $31,010 Parkersburg $30,990 Williamsport $30,910 Muskegon $30,740 Charleston $30,590 Chambersburg $30,420 Weirton $30,350 Huntington $30,330 Beckley $29,970 Victoria $29,220 Muncie $27,870 Terre Haute $27,170
CityMean salaryvs. El Centro
Abilene, Texas$36,180-13.2%
Albany, Oregon$38,500-7.7%
Albany, New York$38,080-8.7%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$35,350-15.2%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$31,870-23.6%
Amarillo, Texas$32,600-21.8%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$34,130-18.1%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$40,670-2.4%
Austin, Texas$37,660-9.7%
Bakersfield, California$38,950-6.6%
Baltimore, Maryland$40,830-2.1%
Battle Creek, Michigan$35,740-14.3%
Bay City, Michigan$31,400-24.7%
Beaumont, Texas$33,590-19.4%
Beckley, West Virginia$29,970-28.1%
Bellingham, Washington$43,390+4.1%
Bend, Oregon$40,100-3.8%
Binghamton, New York$35,700-14.4%
Blacksburg, Virginia$32,520-22.0%
Bloomington, Illinois$35,840-14.0%
Bloomington, Indiana$33,330-20.1%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$31,100-25.4%
Bremerton, Washington$45,760+9.8%
Brownsville, Texas$33,050-20.7%
Buffalo, New York$37,430-10.2%
Fort Myers, Florida$36,280-13.0%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$30,420-27.0%
Champaign, Illinois$35,590-14.6%
Charleston, West Virginia$30,590-26.6%
Charlottesville, Virginia$36,170-13.2%
Chicago, Illinois$39,720-4.7%
Chico, California$40,130-3.7%
College Station, Texas$32,130-22.9%
Columbus, Indiana$32,320-22.5%
Corpus Christi, Texas$32,220-22.7%
Corvallis, Oregon$38,060-8.7%
Crestview, Florida$35,590-14.6%
Dallas, Texas$37,840-9.2%
Decatur, Illinois$33,800-18.9%
Deltona, Florida$35,040-16.0%
Detroit, Michigan$34,770-16.6%
Dover, Delaware$33,550-19.5%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$33,810-18.9%
Elkhart, Indiana$31,910-23.5%
Elmira, New York$36,060-13.5%
El Paso, Texas$32,470-22.1%
Erie, Pennsylvania$31,930-23.4%
Eugene, Oregon$37,080-11.1%
Evansville, Indiana$32,160-22.9%
Flint, Michigan$33,120-20.6%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$32,280-22.6%
Fresno, California$40,710-2.4%
Gainesville, Florida$35,960-13.7%
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania$33,900-18.7%
Glens Falls, New York$37,710-9.5%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$33,750-19.0%
Grants Pass, Oregon$37,830-9.3%
Hagerstown, Maryland$37,350-10.4%
Hanford, California$40,200-3.6%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$32,560-21.9%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$34,010-18.4%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$33,950-18.6%
Houston, Texas$34,630-16.9%
Huntington, West Virginia$30,330-27.2%
Indianapolis, Indiana$32,430-22.2%
Ithaca, New York$38,220-8.3%
Jackson, Michigan$32,510-22.0%
Jacksonville, Florida$35,570-14.7%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$32,400-22.3%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$33,040-20.7%
Kankakee, Illinois$32,950-21.0%
Kennewick, Washington$45,270+8.6%
Killeen, Texas$36,120-13.4%
Kingston, New York$38,270-8.2%
Kiryas Joel, New York$39,870-4.4%
Kokomo, Indiana$31,370-24.8%
Lafayette, Indiana$31,010-25.6%
Lakeland, Florida$34,350-17.6%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$33,980-18.5%
Lansing, Michigan$34,120-18.2%
Laredo, Texas$32,860-21.2%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$33,480-19.7%
Lexington, Kentucky$35,770-14.2%
Lexington Park, Maryland$39,430-5.4%
Longview, Texas$32,660-21.7%
Longview, Washington$43,150+3.5%
Los Angeles, California$41,710+0.0%
Louisville, Kentucky$34,480-17.3%
Lubbock, Texas$35,020-16.0%
Lynchburg, Virginia$32,860-21.2%
McAllen, Texas$36,340-12.8%
Medford, Oregon$42,410+1.7%
Merced, California$40,190-3.6%
Miami, Florida$39,070-6.3%
Michigan City, Indiana$31,980-23.3%
Midland, Michigan$31,560-24.3%
Midland, Texas$36,330-12.9%
Modesto, California$42,120+1.0%
Monroe, Michigan$32,030-23.2%
Morgantown, West Virginia$31,700-24.0%
Mount Vernon, Washington$43,660+4.7%
Muncie, Indiana$27,870-33.1%
Muskegon, Michigan$30,740-26.3%
Napa, California$44,720+7.3%
Naples, Florida$37,070-11.1%
New York, New York$41,480-0.5%
Niles, Michigan$31,700-24.0%
Sarasota, Florida$36,120-13.4%
Ocala, Florida$36,150-13.3%
Odessa, Texas$37,830-9.3%
Olympia, Washington$44,370+6.4%
Orlando, Florida$36,740-11.9%
Owensboro, Kentucky$32,320-22.5%
Oxnard, California$41,020-1.6%
Paducah, Kentucky$34,560-17.1%
Palm Bay, Florida$36,230-13.1%
Panama City, Florida$34,460-17.3%
Parkersburg, West Virginia$30,990-25.7%
Pensacola, Florida$36,810-11.7%
Peoria, Illinois$34,680-16.8%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$37,340-10.4%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$34,370-17.6%
Portland, Oregon$42,370+1.6%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$34,160-18.1%
Punta Gorda, Florida$33,910-18.7%
Reading, Pennsylvania$33,950-18.6%
Redding, California$40,390-3.1%
Richmond, Virginia$35,130-15.7%
Riverside, California$40,430-3.0%
Roanoke, Virginia$33,630-19.3%
Rochester, New York$37,160-10.9%
Rockford, Illinois$35,280-15.4%
Sacramento, California$41,830+0.3%
Saginaw, Michigan$32,740-21.5%
Salem, Oregon$40,350-3.2%
Salinas, California$43,490+4.3%
Salisbury, Maryland$37,580-9.9%
San Angelo, Texas$35,930-13.8%
San Antonio, Texas$35,710-14.3%
San Diego, California$42,970+3.1%
San Francisco, California$46,960+12.6%
San Jose, California$47,930+15.0%
San Luis Obispo, California$42,350+1.6%
Santa Cruz, California$43,360+4.0%
Santa Maria, California$42,300+1.5%
Santa Rosa, California$42,370+1.6%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$32,500-22.0%
Seattle, Washington$47,810+14.7%
Sebastian, Florida$35,500-14.8%
Sebring, Florida$32,100-23.0%
Sherman, Texas$34,120-18.2%
South Bend, Indiana$32,920-21.0%
Spokane, Washington$43,540+4.4%
Springfield, Illinois$35,980-13.7%
State College, Pennsylvania$31,640-24.1%
Staunton, Virginia$33,320-20.1%
Stockton, California$40,510-2.8%
Syracuse, New York$38,050-8.7%
Tallahassee, Florida$33,660-19.3%
Tampa, Florida$36,740-11.9%
Terre Haute, Indiana$27,170-34.8%
Texarkana, Texas$31,560-24.3%
Traverse City, Michigan$34,610-17.0%
Trenton, New Jersey$39,060-6.3%
Tyler, Texas$31,880-23.5%
Utica, New York$37,350-10.4%
Vallejo, California$45,130+8.3%
Victoria, Texas$29,220-29.9%
Vineland, New Jersey$37,690-9.6%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$33,900-18.7%
Visalia, California$39,310-5.7%
Waco, Texas$35,260-15.4%
Watertown, New York$35,070-15.9%
Weirton, West Virginia$30,350-27.2%
Wenatchee, Washington$41,660-0.1%
Wheeling, West Virginia$31,260-25.0%
Wichita Falls, Texas$31,940-23.4%
Wildwood, Florida$35,420-15.0%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$30,910-25.9%
Winchester, Virginia$33,000-20.8%
Yakima, Washington$41,000-1.7%
York, Pennsylvania$32,800-21.3%
Yuba City, California$45,330+8.7%
Gross salary
41,690/yr
Estimated take-home
34,875/yr
Est. total withheld
16.3%

Single filer, federal + California state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Animal Caretakers salaries in California → All Animal Caretakers salaries →
Community reality check

Community reality check for El Centro

These notes add local color around El Centro, California: comfort ranges, budget constraints and location trade-offs reported in public discussions.

Relocation gap2.0× calculator gap
City comparison anecdotal

Discussion highlights that calculators may imply roughly 2x gross income for comparable standard of living, while some employers offer only about 10% location premiums. Tech total compensation can be an exception, so the page should distinguish salary from total compensation.

2.0×calculator multiplier10%HCOL premium cited$200KAtlanta TC example$450KBay Area TC example

Anecdotal public-discussion signals, not official salary data, rent data or financial advice. Read this alongside the official figures on the page.

Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 39-2021 SOC code
Official area El Centro, CA BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 20940 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: ca_ftb_verificado 2025
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: California

Population (metro area)
179,319