Animal handler vs dog sitter

The differences between animal handlers and dog 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 handler and a dog sitter. Additionally, an animal handler has an average salary of $27,820, which is higher than the $25,532 average annual salary of a dog sitter.

The top three skills for an animal handler include animal handling, goats and animal species. The most important skills for a dog sitter are PET, customer service, and dog care.

Animal handler vs dog sitter overview

	Animal Handler	Dog Sitter
Yearly salary	$27,820	$25,532
Hourly rate	$13.38	$12.28
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	28,040	67,682
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	3	3

Animal handler vs dog sitter salary

Animal handlers and dog sitters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Animal Handler	Dog Sitter
Average salary	$27,820	$25,532
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $40,000	Between $10,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	Warwick, RI
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	CARE
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between animal handler and dog sitter education

There are a few differences between an animal handler and a dog sitter in terms of educational background:

	Animal Handler	Dog Sitter
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Biology	Psychology
Most common college	Northwestern University	Texas A&M University - Commerce

Animal handler vs dog sitter demographics

Here are the differences between animal handlers' and dog sitters' demographics:

	Animal Handler	Dog Sitter
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 38.8% Female, 61.2%	Male, 22.0% Female, 78.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.4% 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%

Differences between animal handler and dog sitter duties and responsibilities

Animal handler example responsibilities.

Handle, dogs pigs, donkey, and horses.
Assist veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants in providing the best care possible for patients.
Provide environmental enrichment for various mammal and raptor species.

Dog sitter example responsibilities.

Manage all breeding, whelping, raising of puppies, grooming and showing of dogs for owners in the AKC.
Groom, trim, and clip animals' coats.
Provide smaller services such as cleaning ears, clipping nails, and small scissoring around eyes and paws.
Bath a variety of dog breeds, and provide basic grooming sanitary needs such as clipping nails and cleaning ears.
Maintain professional relationship with pet owners and communicate through email and phone regarding daily pet behavior.
Manage all breeding, whelping, raising of puppies, grooming and showing of dogs for owners in the AKC.

Animal handler vs dog sitter skills

Common animal handler skills

Animal Handling, 55%
Goats, 13%
Animal Species, 8%
Exotic Animals, 4%
Zoo Animals, 3%
Animal Welfare, 3%

Common dog sitter skills

PET, 66%
Customer Service, 20%
Dog Care, 10%
Fresh Water, 1%
Clients Homes, 0%
Child Care, 0%