What Do Animal Caretaker Do?
Example of Animal Caretaker Job 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.
Life As an Animal Caretaker
- Discuss with clients their pets’ grooming needs.
- Sell pet food and supplies.
- Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears.
- Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals, such as behavior, habitat, breeding habits, or facility activities.
- Adjust controls to regulate specified temperature and humidity of animal quarters, nurseries, or exhibit areas.
- Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake.
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Things an Animal Caretaker Should Know How to Do
When polled, Animal Caretakers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
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.
Related Job Titles
- Mobile Pet Groomer
- Animal Health Technician
- Cat Sitter
- Aquarist
- Dog Bather
Animal Caretaker Employment Estimates
There were about 241,500 jobs for Animal Caretaker in 2016 (in the United States). 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. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 46,200 job openings in this field each year.
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.
Do Animal Caretakers Make A Lot Of Money?
The average yearly salary of an Animal Caretaker ranges between $18,160 and $37,250.
Animal Caretakers who work in District of Columbia, Alaska, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
How much do Animal Caretakers make in different U.S. states?
| 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 do Animal Caretakers Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Animal Caretakers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Access
- Appointment-Plus
How do I Become an Animal Caretaker?
Education needed to be an Animal Caretaker:
How Long Does it Take to Become an Animal Caretaker?
Where Animal Caretakers Are Employed
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
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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