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Animal Caretaker

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Life As an Animal Caretaker

Career Description Feed, water, groom, bathe, exercise, or otherwise care for pets and other nonfarm animals, such as dogs, cats, 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.

What Do Animal Caretakers Do On a Daily Basis?

  • Sell pet food and supplies.
  • Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake.
  • Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.
  • Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury.
  • Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears.
  • Answer telephones and schedule appointments.

Animal Caretaker Needed Skills

Below is a list of the skills most Animal Caretakers say are important on the job.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

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.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

  • Farrier
  • Doggy Daycare Activities Director
  • Kennel Technician (Kennel Tech)
  • Walker
  • Dog Beautician

Job Opportunities for Animal Caretakers

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 241,500 jobs in the United States for Animal Caretaker. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 24.2% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 58,500 new jobs for Animal Caretaker by 2026. There will be an estimated 46,200 positions for Animal Caretaker per year.

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The states with the most job growth for Animal Caretaker are Utah, Nevada, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Maryland, Maine, or Kentucky. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Average Animal Caretakers Salary

The average yearly salary of an Animal Caretaker ranges between $18,160 and $37,250.

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Animal Caretakers who work in District of Columbia, Alaska, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.

How much do Animal Caretakers make in each U.S. state?

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $21,280
Alaska $31,040
Arizona $27,320
Arkansas $24,050
California $29,830
Colorado $27,510
Connecticut $28,530
Delaware $24,810
District of Columbia $35,520
Florida $24,770
Georgia $24,790
Hawaii $29,680
Idaho $22,760
Illinois $24,550
Indiana $23,590
Iowa $24,080
Kansas $22,890
Kentucky $22,730
Louisiana $22,770
Maine $26,810
Maryland $28,140
Massachusetts $30,930
Michigan $24,390
Minnesota $26,470
Mississippi $23,320
Missouri $24,450
Montana $25,770
Nebraska $26,220
Nevada $23,720
New Hampshire $24,810
New Jersey $26,700
New Mexico $25,740
New York $29,780
North Carolina $24,110
North Dakota $24,440
Ohio $24,030
Oklahoma $23,710
Oregon $28,240
Pennsylvania $23,960
Rhode Island $28,550
South Carolina $23,400
South Dakota $24,080
Tennessee $23,530
Texas $23,420
Utah $25,440
Vermont $26,650
Virginia $25,440
Washington $30,130
West Virginia $23,790
Wisconsin $23,530
Wyoming $23,550

What Tools & Technology do Animal Caretakers Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Animal Caretakers may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft Access
  • Appointment-Plus

How to Become an Animal Caretaker

Learn what Animal Caretaker education requirements there are.

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What work experience do I need to become an Animal Caretaker?

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Who Employs Animal Caretakers?

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The table below shows the approximate number of Animal Caretakers employed by various industries.

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Similar Careers

Those thinking about becoming an Animal Caretaker might also be interested in the following careers:

Those who work as an Animal Caretaker sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

Image Credit: Corey Hensley via Public Domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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