Animal caregiver vs small animal caretaker

The differences between animal caregivers and small animal caretakers 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 small animal caretaker. Additionally, a small animal caretaker has an average salary of $29,688, which is higher than the $27,665 average annual salary of an animal caregiver.

The top three skills for an animal caregiver include pigs, PET and animal handling. The most important skills for a small animal caretaker are PET, animal handling, and cage cards.

Animal caregiver vs small animal caretaker overview

	Animal Caregiver	Small Animal Caretaker
Yearly salary	$27,665	$29,688
Hourly rate	$13.30	$14.27
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	57,251	5,542
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	3	3

Animal caregiver vs small animal caretaker salary

Animal caregivers and small animal caretakers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Animal Caregiver	Small Animal Caretaker
Average salary	$27,665	$29,688
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $36,000	Between $19,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between animal caregiver and small animal caretaker education

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

	Animal Caregiver	Small Animal Caretaker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Stanford University	Northwestern University

Animal caregiver vs small animal caretaker demographics

Here are the differences between animal caregivers' and small animal caretakers' demographics:

	Animal Caregiver	Small Animal Caretaker
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5%	Male, 30.4% Female, 69.6%
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, 4.8% Unknown, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 2.8% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between animal caregiver and small animal caretaker 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.

Small animal caretaker example responsibilities.

Sanitize facility equipment using tunnel and rack washers, acidify watering systems, and autoclaves for sterilization.
Maintain inventory of chemicals require for cleaning and testing of milking equipment.

Animal caregiver vs small animal caretaker skills

Common animal caregiver skills

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

Common small animal caretaker skills

PET, 55%
Animal Handling, 34%
Cage Cards, 5%
Animal Species, 4%
Exotic Animals, 3%

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Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Animal Caregiver
Animal Caregiver vs Small Animal Caretaker

Updated January 8, 2025

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