Animal Caretakers
Agriculture, Food and Natural ResourcesO*NET 39-2021.00United States
Feed, water, groom, bathe, exercise, or otherwise provide care to promote and maintain the well-being of pets and other animals that are not raised for consumption, such as dogs, cats, race horses, ornamental fish or birds, zoo animals, and mice. Work in settings such as kennels, animal shelters, zoos, circuses, and aquariums.
- Median annual earnings
- $34,406
- Projected change
- +18.5%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 381.41K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
73.1% of the workforce
Growing to 451.94K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What animal caretakers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.
- Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment.
- Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury.
- Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species.
- Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles.
- Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake.
- Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health.
- Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals, such as behavior, habitat, breeding habits, or facility activities.
- Answer telephones and schedule appointments.
- Advise pet owners on how to care for their pets' health.
- Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $22,274
- 25th percentile
- $26,661
- 50th percentile
- $34,406
- 75th percentile
- $43,768
- 90th percentile
- $64,088
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $34,406 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+18.5%much faster than average
2025381,405 jobs
2035 projected451,936 jobs
70,531 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 73.1%
- Associate degree
- 13.6%
- Bachelor's degree
- 13.4%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Groomers5,374 postings
- 02Dog Groomers4,460 postings
- 03Pet Sitters3,213 postings
- 04Pet Groomers2,903 postings
- 05Dog Daycare Attendants1,718 postings
- 06Dog Bathers1,429 postings
- 07Dog Walkers1,106 postings
- 08Animal Care Specialists1,091 postings
- 09Kennel Attendants908 postings
- 10Kennel Technicians900 postings
- 11Grooming Salon Managers814 postings
- 12Animal Care Technicians771 postings
- 13Animal Care Attendants762 postings
- 14Animal Caretakers624 postings
- 15Bathers611 postings
- 16Pet Stylists/Dog Groomers589 postings
- 17Kennel Assistants496 postings
- 18Animal Care Supervisors457 postings
- 19Pet Specialists303 postings
- 20Pet Grooming Salon Managers291 postings
Top employers
- 01PetCo6,444 postings
- 02Destination Pet690 postings
- 03PetSmart436 postings
- 04Pet Supplies Plus394 postings
- 05Best Friends Pet Care368 postings
- 06The Comforted Kitty176 postings
- 07Petsuites169 postings
- 08Tractor Supply117 postings
- 09Wag Hotels85 postings
- 10Woofie's79 postings
- 11Charles River Laboratories75 postings
- 12CARE International73 postings
- 13Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming64 postings
- 14Pet Paradise Resort59 postings
- 15Camp Bow Wow58 postings
- 16Passionately Pets58 postings
- 17Pet Paradise55 postings
- 18Cengage Learning51 postings
- 19Furry Fellas Pet Service50 postings
- 20Home Instead49 postings
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