Will AI replace animal control workers?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 8h (100%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 4% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 2 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 7 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

8h of a typical shift, or 100%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Capture and remove stray, uncontrolled, or abused animals from undesirable conditions, using nets, nooses, or tranquilizer darts as necessary. (1h 18m a shift)
• Investigate reports of animal attacks or animal cruelty, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, and writing reports. (1h 6m a shift)
• Write reports of activities, and maintain files of impoundments and dispositions of animals. (54m a shift)
• Supply animals with food, water, and personal care. (42m a shift)
• Clean facilities and equipment such as dog pens and animal control trucks. (42m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 96% say dealing with the public is very or extremely important
• 92% work outdoors in all weather every day
• 88% handle conflict at least once a week

On Indeed, job postings in the Security & Public Safety sector are at 119% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 4.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 1,500 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $45,660 a year ($21.95 an hour), 10% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $33,090 and $68,070 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 14,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 1,500 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 12,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.01% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 642nd largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 14,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 65% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Active Listening, Speaking, Service Orientation, Critical Thinking
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 8h of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint

Yes. Occupational experts recently added these to the official task list, a sign of how the work itself is shifting. New tasks aren't rated for AI or robots yet:

• Deliver educational presentations on wildlife topics, such as animal safety, at schools and community events.
• Pick up deceased animals from roadways and dispose of the animal carcasses.
• Testify at court hearings when citations are contested.
• Transport injured or ill wildlife to rescues.

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers (1h 47m touched, $76k median pay)
• Security Guards (3h 42m touched, $38k median pay)
• Fish and Game Wardens (22m touched, $74k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 16 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.