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Animal Attendant salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an animal attendant is $66,400 per annum, before tax, up $13,700 since 2018.
- Who employs you moves pay more than anything else here: council pounds and larger welfare organisations tend to pay above small private kennels and catteries, and the Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award sets minimum rates plus weekend and public holiday loadings that matter in a job running seven days.
- Extra study in animal behaviour or veterinary nursing can move you to a higher classification, and head attendants and supervisors earn more than those starting out.
The median salary rose by $13,700 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than animal attendant
The largest typical pay rise is $20,300 a year, moving into Veterinary Nurse.
- Veterinary Nurse+$20,300/yr
- Animal Health Officer+$11,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher animal attendant salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time animal attendant salary is $66,400; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Animal care and handling and Health education and advice tend to command a premium over general animal attendant experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Veterinary Nurse pays a typical $20,300 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Animal Attendant salary questions
How much do animal attendants earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an animal attendant is $66,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is animal attendant pay rising or falling?
The median animal attendant salary is up $13,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than animal attendant?
Veterinary Nurse pays a typical $20,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to animal attendant.
Related salaries
- Veterinary Nurse salary
- Zookeeper salary
- Boarding Kennel Operator salary
- Dog Groomer salary
- Animal Health Officer salary
- Stablehand salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.