Animal Caretakers

Pay and outlook

Median annual wage, May 2025

$35,360

Half earn more, half earn less

Middle half earn

$29,820 – $40,050

25th to 75th percentile

People employed, May 2025

266,910

Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)

Projected change, 2025–35

+12.1%

Growing at twice the all-jobs rate or more (7%+)

Openings a year (projected)

62,800

New jobs plus replacing people who leave

Typical education to enter

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS

• All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
• Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
• Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.

What the work involves

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.

Main tasks

• Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.
• Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment.
• Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury.
• Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species.
• Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles.
• Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health.
• Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake.
• Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals, such as behavior, habitat, breeding habits, or facility activities.

Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.

Getting in

Typical education to enter (BLS)

High school diploma or equivalent

Training once hired: short-term on-the-job training

O*NET Job Zone 1–2

Little to some preparation

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Fields of study that lead here

From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 3 programmes to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.

Related careers

Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.

• Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

  $38,150 median · +9.1% projected

• Animal Trainers

  $39,990 median · +4.2% projected

• Animal Breeders

  $51,130 median · +3% projected

• Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

  $47,380 median · +9.4% projected

• Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals

  $36,670 median · -3.2% projected

• Personal Care Aides

  $35,800 median · +18.1% projected