Animal caregiver vs kennel attendant

The differences between animal caregivers and kennel attendants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both an animal caregiver and a kennel attendant. Additionally, an animal caregiver has an average salary of $27,665, which is higher than the $26,373 average annual salary of a kennel attendant.

The top three skills for an animal caregiver include pigs, PET and animal handling. The most important skills for a kennel attendant are PET, animal handling, and facility laundry.

Animal caregiver vs kennel attendant overview

	Animal Caregiver	Kennel Attendant
Yearly salary	$27,665	$26,373
Hourly rate	$13.30	$12.68
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	57,251	72,239
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	3	3

What does an animal caregiver do?

An animal caretaker is primarily in charge of the welfare and safety of animals in a particular area. They may work at veterinary shops and clinics, private institutions, kennels, animal shelters, and even zoos. Although their responsibilities vary on the animals and their place of employment, it typically includes feeding, bathing, grooming, exercising, and petting. There are also instances where they must clean and sanitize cages, prepare meals, administer vitamins and medication, and monitor their behavior.

What does a kennel attendant do?

A kennel attendant is responsible for the daily care of boarded dogs and kennel maintenance. Some of the duties that you will perform will include cleaning cages, scheduling boarding appointments, and monitoring the behavior of these dogs. In addition, it is your responsibility to clean spilled food and animal waste and to dispose of trash on time. Other duties include walking animals if required, ensuring that the animals are always comfortable, and evacuating them when an emergency arises.

Animal caregiver vs kennel attendant salary

Animal caregivers and kennel attendants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Animal Caregiver	Kennel Attendant
Average salary	$27,665	$26,373
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $36,000	Between $20,000 And $34,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between animal caregiver and kennel attendant education

There are a few differences between an animal caregiver and a kennel attendant in terms of educational background:

	Animal Caregiver	Kennel Attendant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Biology	Medical Assisting Services
Most common college	Stanford University	Vermont Technical College

Animal caregiver vs kennel attendant demographics

Here are the differences between animal caregivers' and kennel attendants' demographics:

	Animal Caregiver	Kennel Attendant
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5%	Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 2.8% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between animal caregiver and kennel attendant duties and responsibilities

Animal caregiver example responsibilities.

Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
Educate pet owners about illnesses, medications, and general care, and answer their questions and concerns.
Walk all dogs, and occasionally strange animals such as pigs.
Create neighborhood service providing in-home pet care including; leash walks, off leash socials, and cat care.
Assist veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants in providing the best care possible for patients.
Provide routine grooming including brushing and clipping claws.

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Kennel attendant example responsibilities.

Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
Train to give dogs baths, brushing out coats, scissoring, and toenails.
Perform animal grooming duties such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, etc.
Experience in the use of specialize equipment such as cage washers, autoclaves and animal transport vehicles.
Assist owner in preforming body clips and bathing/drying dogs and cats, preform all grooming tasks including clipper skills except scissoring.
Operate cage/bottle washers, autoclaves and bedding dispensing/disposal equipment.

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Animal caregiver vs kennel attendant skills

Common animal caregiver skills

Pigs, 51%
PET, 19%
Animal Handling, 5%
Animal Shelter, 3%
General Care, 3%
Facility Laundry, 2%

Common kennel attendant skills

PET, 39%
Animal Handling, 10%
Facility Laundry, 8%
Animal Hospital, 5%
Animal Restraint, 4%
Administer Medications, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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