Animal Caretakers

Median salary

$35,360

Average salary

$37,300

Employment

266,910

Projected growth

12.1% growth

Annual openings

74,600

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Animal Caretakers Do

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. May keep records of feedings, treatments, and animals received or discharged. May clean, disinfect, and repair cages, pens, or fish tanks.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 25.2%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.2/5
Administrativeimportance 3.1/5
English Languageimportance 3.1/5
Education and Trainingimportance 2.6/5
Administration and Managementimportance 2.5/5
Psychologyimportance 2.5/5
Mathematicsimportance 2.5/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.4/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.8/5
Contact With Others4.8/5
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.6/5
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6/5
Spend Time Standing4.3/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Nursing Assistants96% skill match
Waiters and Waitresses96% skill match
Phlebotomists96% skill match
Fast Food and Counter Workers95% skill match
Pharmacy Aides95% skill match
Medical Assistants95% skill match
Childcare Workers95% skill match
Medical Dosimetrists95% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Service Orientationimportance 3.0/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.8/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.6/5
Time Managementimportance 2.5/5
Instructingimportance 2.1/5
Systems Analysisimportance 2.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

CEEJS The Pet Groomer's Secretary
DaySmart Software 123Pet
DaySmart Software Appointment-Plus
Envision Pet Grooming
Groom Pro
Groomsoft
K9 Bytes K9 Koordinator
Kennel Link

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Dependability
Cooperation
Attention to Detail
Sincerity
Optimism
Integrity
Perseverance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
SocialMedium
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeLow
ArtisticLow
EnterprisingLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.