Animal handler demographics and statistics in the US
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Animal handler demographics by:
Animal handler gender statistics
61.2% of animal handlers are women and 38.8% of animal handlers are men.
- Female, 61.2%
- Male, 38.8%
Animal handler gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 61.2% |
| Male | 38.8% |
Animal handler gender pay gap
Women earn 99¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$28,254
Female income
$27,876
Animal handler gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in animal handler positions over time. Currently, 61.2% of animal handlers are female.
Animal handler gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 37.95% | 62.05% |
| 2011 | 41.38% | 58.62% |
| 2012 | 44.61% | 55.39% |
| 2013 | 40.00% | 60.00% |
| 2014 | 42.37% | 57.63% |
| 2015 | 42.55% | 57.45% |
| 2016 | 42.17% | 57.83% |
| 2017 | 35.90% | 64.10% |
| 2018 | 39.76% | 60.24% |
| 2019 | 37.46% | 62.54% |
| 2020 | 39.88% | 60.12% |
| 2021 | 38.83% | 61.17% |
Animal handler related jobs gender ratio
We compared animal handlers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, ringman and farrier have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Daycare Provider | 6% | 94% |
| Horse Show Judge | 6% | 94% |
| Pet Groomer | 14% | 86% |
| Animal Handler | 39% | 61% |
| Farrier | 73% | 27% |
| Ringman | 88% | 13% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Animal handler demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among animal handlers is White, which makes up 68.4% of all animal handlers. Comparatively, 17.7% of animal handlers are Hispanic or Latino and 6.6% of animal handlers are Unknown.
- White, 68.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 17.7%
- Unknown, 6.6%
- Black or African American, 4.2%
- Asian, 2.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
Animal handler race
| Animal handler race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 68.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 17.7% |
| Unknown | 6.6% |
| Black or African American | 4.2% |
| Asian | 2.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
Animal handler race and ethnicity over time
See how animal handler racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Animal handler race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 78.23% | 3.94% | 1.46% | 14.10% |
| 2011 | 78.53% | 3.23% | 1.52% | 14.23% |
| 2012 | 76.02% | 3.81% | 1.64% | 15.27% |
| 2013 | 76.72% | 3.24% | 1.77% | 15.11% |
| 2014 | 75.37% | 4.45% | 2.23% | 14.44% |
| 2015 | 75.12% | 3.93% | 1.60% | 15.37% |
| 2016 | 75.91% | 3.94% | 1.74% | 14.93% |
| 2017 | 75.97% | 3.83% | 2.07% | 14.99% |
| 2018 | 73.97% | 3.76% | 2.71% | 15.62% |
| 2019 | 74.13% | 3.99% | 2.11% | 16.21% |
| 2020 | 70.53% | 3.67% | 2.50% | 16.90% |
| 2021 | 68.39% | 4.22% | 2.61% | 17.71% |
Animal handler wage gap by race
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $27,791 |
| White | $28,826 |
| Black or African American | $27,024 |
| Asian | $28,818 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $28,859 |
Average animal handler age
See how the average age of animal handlers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Animal handler age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 24 | 30 |
| White | 29 | 29.5 |
| Black or African American | 38 | 25.5 |
| Asian | 38 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 33 | 27 |
Animal handler age breakdown
The average age of animal handlers is 20-30 years years old, representing 45% of the animal handler population.
Animal handler age breakdown
| Animal Handler Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 23% |
| 30-40 years | 25% |
| 20-30 years | 45% |
Animal handler educational attainment
The most common degree for animal handlers is bachelor's degree, with 45% of animal handlers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 22% and associate degree degree at 21%.
- Bachelor's, 45%
- Associate, 22%
- High School Diploma, 21%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Animal handlers by degree level
| Animal handler degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 45% |
| Associate | 22% |
| High School Diploma | 21% |
| Diploma | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Animal handler jobs you might like
Animal handler wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $26,920 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $29,882 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $28,441 |
Animal handler employment statistics
Most animal handlers work for a private in the non profits industry.
Company size where animal handlers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where animal handlers work.
Animal handler jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 18% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 28% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 26% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 5% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 10% |
| > 10,000 employees | 12% |
Animal handler jobs by company type
Employees with the animal handler job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most animal handlers prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Animal handler jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 17% |
| Public | 10% |
| Private | 59% |
| Government | 14% |
Animal handler jobs by industry
The most common industries for animal handlers are non profits, education and government.
Animal handler industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Non Profits | 15% |
| Education | 11% |
| Government | 10% |
| Retail | 9% |
| Hospitality | 8% |
| Health Care | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 6% |
| Finance | 5% |
| Professional | 5% |
| Start-up | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Energy | 3% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
Animal handler turnover and employment statistics
Animal handler unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for animal handlers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Animal handler unemployment rate by year
| Year | Animal handler unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 8.28% |
| 2011 | 9.88% |
| 2012 | 8.97% |
| 2013 | 7.70% |
| 2014 | 7.03% |
| 2015 | 6.82% |
| 2016 | 6.68% |
| 2017 | 5.67% |
| 2018 | 6.03% |
| 2019 | 5.39% |
| 2020 | 8.94% |
| 2021 | 7.82% |
Average animal handler tenure
The average animal handler stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 485 animal handlers resumes in Zippia's database.
Animal handler tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 35% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 10% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 6% |
Animal handler LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of animal handlers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Runner | 3.67% | 15,501 |
| Seeing Eye Dog Trainer | 10.68% | 24,791 |
| Animal Handler | 10.70% | - |
| Slot Attendant | 11.36% | 45,107 |
| Residence Director | 11.45% | 6,007 |
| Usher/Ticket Taker | 14.79% | 1,556 |
| Funeral Director | 15.24% | 5,746 |
Similar animal handler jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Runner | 3.67% | 15,501 |
| Seeing Eye Dog Trainer | 10.68% | 24,791 |
| Slot Attendant | 11.36% | 45,107 |
| Residence Director | 11.45% | 6,007 |
| Usher/Ticket Taker | 14.79% | 1,556 |
| Funeral Director | 15.24% | 5,746 |
Foreign languages spoken by animal handlers
The most common foreign language among animal handlers is Spanish at 55.6%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 11.1% and Russian is the third-most popular at 7.4%.
- Spanish, 55.6%
- French, 11.1%
- Russian, 7.4%
- Portuguese, 3.7%
- Irish, 3.7%
- Other, 18.5%
Animal handler languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 55.6% |
| French | 11.1% |
| Russian | 7.4% |
| Portuguese | 3.7% |
| Irish | 3.7% |
| Other | 18.5% |
