Animal caretakers might take care of pets while their owners are gone for a vacation or work.
Animal caretakers provide pets and non-farm animals with general care, such as feeding, watering and bathing. They work in a variety of environments such as veterinary hospitals, zoos, animal rescue or kennels. Some caretakers might also provide grooming services. Some walk pets when the owners are at work or away. Those working in pet stores, animal hotels or kennels clean cages and look after the animals. Specialists working in the zoos might also watch for the overall conditions of the animals to ensure that any diseases or illnesses are caught early on.
Average Salary
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that animal caretakers in 2009 earned a mean annual wage of $21,830 per year, or $10.50 an hour. The salaries ranged from $15,590 to $31,660 a year, or $7.49 to $15.22 an hour. Specialists in the middle made anywhere from $17,110 to $24,190 a year, or $8.22 to $11.63 per hour.
Biggest Employers
Organizations providing "other personal services", according to the BLS, employed the largest number of animal caretakers in 2009, 46,060 out 132,860, and paid an annual mean wage of $21,950. Companies providing "other professional and scientific services" were second on the list with 26,750 employed caretakers and an average salary of $20,280 a year. Other miscellaneous retail stores were next, employing 22,750 animal caretakers and paying $19,670 a year. Social advocacy groups and spectator sports paid anywhere from $20,490 to $22,530 a year.
Highest-Paying Employers
The federal and local governments both were on the list of top-five-paying employers in 2009, according to the BLS, with average salaries of $38,010 and $29,160 a year, respectively. General hospitals paid an average of $33,040 a year, while manufacturers of pharmaceuticals paid $30,570. Colleges and universities were also on the list of top-paying employers with an annual mean wage of $29,570.
Location
Alaska and Delaware were among the top five states with highest concentrations of animal caretakers per 1,000 workers in 2009, according to the BLS, and paid top-five average salaries, $27,190 and $24,530 a year, respectively. Hawaii was the highest-paying state with an annual mean wage of $31,240. Honolulu, Hawaii, paid the highest salary among metropolitan areas, $34,290 a year on average, followed by Mount Vernon, Washington, $29,550 a year. Ames, Iowa, paid one of the top-five salaries, $27,840 a year, along with having one of the highest concentrations of animal caretakers per 1,000 workers. Other top-five-paying cities in 2009 were Redding, California, and Boston, Massachusetts, both with salaries over $27,000.
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