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What is an animal rehabilitator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an animal rehabilitator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $14.9 an hour? That's $30,991 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 28% and produce 101,200 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreAnimal RehabilitatorUS Average
Salary
2.4

Avg. Salary $30,991

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.7

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.45%

Asian 2.39%

Black or African American 3.48%

Hispanic or Latino 12.78%

Unknown 6.33%

White 74.57%

Gender

female 68.42%

male 31.58%

Age - 29
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 29
Stress level
6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
8.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an animal rehabilitator

  1. Explore animal rehabilitator education requirements

    Most common animal rehabilitator degrees

    Bachelor's

    53.8 %

    Associate

    38.5 %

    Certificate

    7.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific animal rehabilitator skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Rehabilitation50.53%
    Wild Animals49.47%
  3. Complete relevant animal rehabilitator training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New animal rehabilitators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an animal rehabilitator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real animal rehabilitator resumes.
  4. Research animal rehabilitator duties and responsibilities

    • Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
    • Participate in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of multiple types of birds.
    • Complete physical checks and monitor patients to detect unusual or harmful behavior and report observations to professional staff.
    • Perform receiving, reclaiming, and animal care and adoption duties.
  5. Prepare your animal rehabilitator resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your animal rehabilitator resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an animal rehabilitator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable animal rehabilitator resume templates

    Build a professional animal rehabilitator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your animal rehabilitator resume.
    Animal Rehabilitator Resume
    Animal Rehabilitator Resume
    Animal Rehabilitator Resume
    Animal Rehabilitator Resume
    Animal Rehabilitator Resume
    Animal Rehabilitator Resume
    Animal Rehabilitator Resume
    Animal Rehabilitator Resume
    Animal Rehabilitator Resume
  6. Apply for animal rehabilitator jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an animal rehabilitator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first animal rehabilitator job

Zippi

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Average animal rehabilitator salary

The average animal rehabilitator salary in the United States is $30,991 per year or $15 per hour. Animal rehabilitator salaries range between $21,000 and $44,000 per year.

Average animal rehabilitator salary
$30,991 Yearly
$14.90 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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