How to hire a dog bather

How to hire a dog bather, step by step

Here's a step-by-step dog bather hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a dog bather job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new dog bather
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your dog bather job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a dog bather for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A dog bather's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, dog bathers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents dog bather salaries for various positions.

   Type of Dog Bather	Description	Hourly rate
   Dog Bather	Animal care and service workers provide care for animals. They feed, groom, bathe, and exercise pets and other nonfarm animals... Show more	$10-21
   Groom	A groom is primarily in charge of maintaining the hygiene and appearance of pets. Typically working at grooming shops, a groom liaises with pet owners to identify their preferences, observe the pet's condition to identify its needs, and explain the extent of procedures to pet owners... Show more	$10-20
   Animal Care Technician	An animal care technician is an animal medical professional who is responsible for providing care to animals in the clinical or research setting. Animal care technicians take blood or stool samples from animals and run laboratory tests to determine the cause of an ailment... Show more	$10-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PET
   • Appointment Scheduling
   • Teeth
   • Coats
   • Facility Laundry
   • Front Desk
   • Clipping
   • Computer System
   • Customer Service
   • Reminder Calls
   • Pet Care
   • Animal Handling
   • Sales Floor
   • Book Appointments

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all breeding, whelping, raising of puppies, grooming and showing of dogs for owners in the AKC.
   • Provide customer service to pet owners and accommodate their individual needs.
   • Participate in pet nutrition seminars and training.
   • Assist in answering customer questions regarding grooming, scheduling grooming appointments and maintaining salon cleanliness and safety.
   • Used touch point and SMS and can quickly adapt to other computer software's.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your dog bather job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A dog bather can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, dog bathers' average salary in tennessee is 42% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level dog bathers 52% less than senior-level dog bathers.
   • Certifications. A dog bather with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a dog bather's salary.

   Average dog bather salary

   $14.97hourly

   $31,134 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level dog bather salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

4. Writing a dog bather job description

   A good dog bather job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a dog bather job description:

   Dog bather job description example

   Experienced Dog Bather
   Full Time
   Rates Based on Experience: $17.50-$19/hr
   
   Purrks & Benefits:

   • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
   • Amazing discounts on all products and services
   • Tips
   • Paid time off
   • Discounted pet insurance
   • Free small dog daycare (not available at all locations)
   • Working with dogs every day

   We are looking for full-time Experienced bathers to join our high-energy, fun, and customer-friendly teams in our Greater LA locations.
   
   What will you do?

   • Learn! Our experienced trainers and management team work together to train you for success. We will teach you how to master all the skills required through our step-by-step and organized program.

   • Grow! Upon reaching the stage of a Professional Bather, you are then eligible to be nominated to apply to our Grooming Apprenticeship, where you will begin the next stage of your journey. You'll not only learn the basics of Grooming 101 but dive into creative techniques such as Japanese styling, hand stripping, and more!

   • Succeed! You'll feel proud to see the transformations in the dogs that you work on, and to know that they are leaving your care feeling happier (and better looking!) than when they walked in.

   
   If you are the type of person who sees grooming as an art and is ready to be surrounded by like-minded individuals, please apply!
   
   We have very competitive pay rates, and they would depend on which bathing level you test into during your skills test evaluation.
   
   

   
   *Healthy Spot considers qualified applicants with criminal histories.*
   

   --

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right dog bather for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your dog bather job on Zippia to find and recruit dog bather candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit dog bathers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new dog bather

   Once you've selected the best dog bather candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new dog bather. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a dog bather?