1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
What is an Animal Keeper?
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an animal keeper. For example, did you know that they make an average of $14.82 an hour? That's $30,829 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 16% and produce 51,700 job opportunities across the U.S.
What Does an Animal Keeper Do
There are certain skills that many animal keepers have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed customer-service skills, detail oriented and problem-solving skills.
How To Become an Animal Keeper
If you're interested in becoming an animal keeper, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 72.4% of animal keepers have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 4.6% of animal keepers have master's degrees. Even though most animal keepers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Animal Keeper Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, an animal keeper can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as animal care specialist, progress to a title such as veterinary technician and then eventually end up with the title service manager.
Average Salary for an Animal Keeper
Animal Keepers in America make an average salary of $30,829 per year or $15 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $45,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $20,000 per year.
Average Animal Keeper Salary
$30,829 Yearly$14.82 hourly
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Animal Keeper
There are several types of animal keeper, including:
Animal Daycare Provider
Role:
It does not get any more fun than this. As an animal daycare provider, you get to hang out all day with a bunch of pets that their owners drop off on their way to work; feeding and entertaining them, taking them on walks, and supervising their playtime.
You get trained on the job to get up to speed with safety measures, what to do with aggressive dogs, and how to restrain the ones that go overboard. You will learn how to spot an injury and know when it is time to call a vet. You will have to feed the babies... ahem, I mean animals, clean their spaces indoors and outdoors, and give medications to the ones who need them.
Animal daycare providers might have to work odd hours, early mornings, and late nights, weekends, and holidays. But on the upside, part-time options are usually available. Getting bitten or scratched and stepping in poo is part of the package, but if you love animals, none of this will be too much of a problem.
You get trained on the job to get up to speed with safety measures, what to do with aggressive dogs, and how to restrain the ones that go overboard. You will learn how to spot an injury and know when it is time to call a vet. You will have to feed the babies... ahem, I mean animals, clean their spaces indoors and outdoors, and give medications to the ones who need them.
Animal daycare providers might have to work odd hours, early mornings, and late nights, weekends, and holidays. But on the upside, part-time options are usually available. Getting bitten or scratched and stepping in poo is part of the package, but if you love animals, none of this will be too much of a problem.
- Average Salary: $30,390
- Degree: High School Diploma
Kennel Attendant
Role:
The role of a Kennel Attendant, also known as a Kennel Assistant, as the name implies, is to provide care, such as food, warmth, and water, to animals found in shelters and veterinary clinics and centers.
Their tasks might range from simple ones to more complicated ones. They often transport animals from one kennel to another, check on animals regularly, clean up around the kennel and the center, providing company to these animals so that they do not feel mistreated or lonely, and reporting on the animals' health and state, should any change occur, to higher management or the local veterinarian.
A prospect in this field should have a high school diploma or a GED. Prior experience with animals and animal care is always preferred but not necessarily a must. Strong organizational skills and a strong passion for animal welfare are key to doing well in this position.
Their tasks might range from simple ones to more complicated ones. They often transport animals from one kennel to another, check on animals regularly, clean up around the kennel and the center, providing company to these animals so that they do not feel mistreated or lonely, and reporting on the animals' health and state, should any change occur, to higher management or the local veterinarian.
A prospect in this field should have a high school diploma or a GED. Prior experience with animals and animal care is always preferred but not necessarily a must. Strong organizational skills and a strong passion for animal welfare are key to doing well in this position.
- Average Salary: $26,373
- Degree: High School Diploma
Pet Sitter
Role:
A pet sitter is someone who cares for a pet in its home while the owner is away. It could also include taking the pet on a walk. A pet sitter is responsible for providing food and water, brushing fur and teeth in the case of dog and cat, walking dogs, and cleaning litter boxes. They also give medications when necessary and take the pets to the vet if they suffer an injury or become sick while pet sitting them. Working as a pet sitter may sometimes require that you stay overnight at the owner's home so that you can let pets out for regular bathroom breaks.
To be a successful pet sitter, you should have a good rapport with animals. You should also be reliable and trustworthy, and you must have interpersonal skills, communication skills, and a love for animals. Pet sitters are not required to have any formal education but must be familiar with all the aspects of caring for pets. The median annual salary of a pet sitter is $23,760.
To be a successful pet sitter, you should have a good rapport with animals. You should also be reliable and trustworthy, and you must have interpersonal skills, communication skills, and a love for animals. Pet sitters are not required to have any formal education but must be familiar with all the aspects of caring for pets. The median annual salary of a pet sitter is $23,760.
- Average Salary: $25,823
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Animal Keeper Jobs
Number Of Animal Keeper Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 294 | $33,099 |
| 2 | Texas | 147 | $26,480 |
| 3 | Florida | 100 | $26,744 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 99 | $32,109 |
| 5 | Illinois | 87 | $31,012 |
| 6 | New York | 77 | $32,338 |
| 7 | Minnesota | 68 | $33,460 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 67 | $25,496 |
| 9 | Colorado | 64 | $28,881 |
| 10 | Iowa | 57 | $29,538 |
| 11 | Ohio | 57 | $23,293 |
| 12 | Maryland | 54 | $30,391 |
| 13 | Georgia | 49 | $27,561 |
| 14 | Michigan | 48 | $28,534 |
| 15 | Virginia | 48 | $26,107 |
| 16 | New Jersey | 46 | $28,489 |
| 17 | Washington | 45 | $34,163 |
| 18 | Indiana | 44 | $28,712 |
| 19 | North Carolina | 39 | $28,142 |
| 20 | Arizona | 36 | $31,086 |
| 21 | Oregon | 32 | $32,263 |
| 22 | Mississippi | 30 | $26,766 |
| 23 | Missouri | 30 | $27,632 |
| 24 | Nebraska | 25 | $28,966 |
| 25 | Connecticut | 23 | $33,910 |
| 26 | Kansas | 23 | $27,204 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | 21 | $28,997 |
| 28 | Utah | 16 | $28,584 |
| 29 | Nevada | 15 | $30,148 |
| 30 | Tennessee | 13 | $22,337 |
| 31 | South Carolina | 12 | $22,822 |
| 32 | Alaska | 11 | $32,659 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | 10 | $27,638 |
| 34 | New Mexico | 10 | $23,378 |
| 35 | Hawaii | 8 | $25,089 |
| 36 | Louisiana | 8 | $24,796 |
| 37 | West Virginia | 7 | $35,760 |
| 38 | Maine | 7 | $34,550 |
| 39 | Vermont | 7 | $31,623 |
| 40 | Kentucky | 7 | $24,322 |
| 41 | Alabama | 7 | $24,325 |
| 42 | Idaho | 6 | $33,209 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | 5 | $33,249 |
| 44 | Wyoming | 5 | $28,864 |
| 45 | South Dakota | 5 | $30,064 |
| 46 | Montana | 5 | $26,994 |
| 47 | Arkansas | 4 | $25,529 |
| 48 | Delaware | 3 | $33,669 |
| 49 | Rhode Island | 3 | $31,869 |
| 50 | North Dakota | 0 | $35,258 |
Top Colleges for Animal Keepers
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
5. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,887
Enrollment
23,202
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
Top Skills For an Animal Keeper
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 17.1% of animal keepers listed animal husbandry on their resume, but soft skills such as customer-service skills and detail oriented are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Animal Keeper Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Animal Keeper templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Animal Keeper resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Animal Keeper Demographics
Animal Keeper Gender Distribution
Female
74%
Male
26%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among animal keepers, 73.6% of them are women, while 26.4% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among animal keepers is White, which makes up 67.9% of all animal keepers.
- The most common foreign language among animal keepers is Spanish at 68.4%.
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How Do Animal Keeper Rate Their Jobs?
Top Animal Keeper Employers
Most Common Employers For Animal Keeper
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smithsonian Institution | $75,302 | $36.20 | 7 |
| 2 | Wildlife Conservation Society | $34,927 | $16.79 | 19 |
| 3 | The Walt Disney Company | $32,568 | $15.66 | 6 |
| 4 | Maymont | $32,448 | $15.60 | 12 |
| 5 | California Science Center | $31,714 | $15.25 | 3 |
| 6 | PAWS | $30,148 | $14.49 | 8 |
| 7 | Denver Zoo | $30,033 | $14.44 | 4 |
| 8 | Jungle Island | $29,920 | $14.38 | 6 |
| 9 | Phoenix Zoo | $27,690 | $13.31 | 4 |
| 10 | Cleveland Metroparks | $27,537 | $13.24 | 4 |