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The differences between dog sitters and animal attendants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a dog sitter and an animal attendant. Additionally, an animal attendant has an average salary of $26,394, which is higher than the $25,532 average annual salary of a dog sitter.
The top three skills for a dog sitter include PET, customer service and dog care. The most important skills for an animal attendant are PET, patients, and animal handling.
| Dog Sitter | Animal Attendant | |
| Yearly salary | $25,532 | $26,394 |
| Hourly rate | $12.28 | $12.69 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 67,682 | 53,000 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
A dog sitter is primarily responsible for taking care of dogs while their owners are away. Their tasks include feeding dogs, taking them to walks or daycares, bathing or cleaning their ears, and providing owners with regular updates. Most dog sitters typically meet with clients beforehand to learn about the dogs and their needs, as some of them may require medicine or particular care. Should there be any problems, a dog sitter must report to the owners right away.
An animal attendant is responsible for administering high-quality care for the animals in a shelter, clinic, or wildlife preserve. Animal attendants monitor the health conditions of the animals, manage their food intake and medications, maintain the adequacy of animal stock inventories, and report any critical findings and unusual observations to the veterinarians. They also ensure the cleanliness and orderliness of all the facilities and cages, as well as the efficiency of tools and equipment to support daily animal operations.
Dog sitters and animal attendants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dog Sitter | Animal Attendant | |
| Average salary | $25,532 | $26,394 |
| Salary range | Between $10,000 And $64,000 | Between $20,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | Warwick, RI | Ithaca, NY |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New York |
| Best paying company | CARE | Baylor College of Medicine |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Education |
There are a few differences between a dog sitter and an animal attendant in terms of educational background:
| Dog Sitter | Animal Attendant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Biology |
| Most common college | Texas A&M University - Commerce | Ohio State University |
Here are the differences between dog sitters' and animal attendants' demographics:
| Dog Sitter | Animal Attendant | |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 22.0% Female, 78.0% | Male, 29.2% Female, 70.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |