Animal Caretakers
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.
- Median pay
- $35,360
- Doing it now
- 365,300
- By 2035
- Up 12.1%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
a year
across the country
62,800 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.
- Answer telephones and schedule appointments.
- Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury.
- Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals, such as behavior, habitat, breeding habits, or facility activities.
- Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment.
- Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake.
- Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Agricultural and Domestic Animal ServicesSee 29 colleges that teach it
- AnthrozoologySee 1 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Hands-on and practical
Helping and teaching
Organised and precise
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $35,360 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.