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The differences between animal caregivers and pet sitters 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 pet sitter. Additionally, an animal caregiver has an average salary of $27,665, which is higher than the $25,823 average annual salary of a pet sitter.
The top three skills for an animal caregiver include pigs, PET and animal handling. The most important skills for a pet sitter are PET, walkers, and clients homes.
| Animal Caregiver | Pet Sitter | |
| Yearly salary | $27,665 | $25,823 |
| Hourly rate | $13.30 | $12.41 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 57,251 | 21,735 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
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.
A pet sitter is responsible for taking care of household pets while their owners are away. Pet sitters perform services for pet maintenance, including taking them to the veterinarian, monitoring their food, walk them in the park, and administer medications, if any. They also reach out to the pet owners for possible updates and emergencies, taking their instructions immediately. Apart from being highly communicative and organizational, a pet sitter should have an interest and passion in taking care of pets to ensure high-quality services.
Animal caregivers and pet sitters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Animal Caregiver | Pet Sitter | |
| Average salary | $27,665 | $25,823 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $36,000 | Between $10,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Newport, RI |
| Highest paying state | - | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | - | CARE |
| Best paying industry | - | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between an animal caregiver and a pet sitter in terms of educational background:
| Animal Caregiver | Pet Sitter | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Massachusetts Amherst |
Here are the differences between animal caregivers' and pet sitters' demographics:
| Animal Caregiver | Pet Sitter | |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5% | Male, 19.7% Female, 80.3% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |