Protective Service · SOC 33-9011
Capturing and caring for animals in the field is inherently physical; paperwork is the only foothold for AI.
Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
Timeline: AI may assist with report-writing and routing by 2026, but the hands-on, unpredictable nature of animal control keeps the core role human through at least 2033.
Tap a skill to find courses on Coursera.
Some links are affiliate links — if you sign up or buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
$82,320 median pay
$34,980 median pay
$68,180 median pay
$76,290 median pay
$38,370 median pay
$57,970 median pay
AI job-risk card
Animal Control Workers is resilient on AIFear. Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
AIFear.com
Our AI Fear Score for Animal Control Workers is 20/100 (Resilient). Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
20 out of 100, based on an AI-model review of this occupation's O*NET tasks against what current AI can actually do.
Most exposed: Writing incident and investigation reports, Drafting warnings and citations, Routing violations to authorities. Harder to automate: Physical capture using nets and tranquilizers, On-scene animal health assessment, Facility cleaning and animal care, Witness interviews and evidence gathering.
Lean into Animal handling and welfare, Field reporting and documentation, Community conflict resolution, Basic veterinary triage. Consider roles such as Veterinary Technician or Wildlife Rehabilitation Specialist or Animal Shelter Manager.
Tasks, skills and AI-exposure for this role were reviewed by an AI model against its O*NET task profile (curated roles use published research anchors). Pay and employment, where shown, are U.S. BLS OEWS (May 2024) figures. This is an estimate, not a prediction about any individual's job. Compare all occupations.