Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between dog walkers and wild animal caretakers 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 walker and a wild animal caretaker. Additionally, a dog walker has an average salary of $30,893, which is higher than the $27,846 average annual salary of a wild animal caretaker.
The top three skills for a dog walker include PET, walkers and clients homes. The most important skills for a wild animal caretaker are animal handling, facility laundry, and general care.
| Dog Walker | Wild Animal Caretaker | |
| Yearly salary | $30,893 | $27,846 |
| Hourly rate | $14.85 | $13.39 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 5,474 | 11,735 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
A dog walker provides dog walking services to pet owners at scheduled times, ensuring their safety. They first meet with pet owners to discuss their preferred schedule and use this opportunity to learn more about the dog and understand its needs. There are instances where a dog walker may walk multiple dogs, consider weather conditions, pick-up and dispose of waste properly, and feed dogs with water or food. Moreover, a dog walker regularly updates pet owners with the duration or location of walks, including the dog's behavior.
A wild animal caretaker is responsible for administering care to animals at pet shops, kennels, aquariums, zoos, and research labs. They are tasked with grooming, feeding, giving water to, and exercising animals. They monitor animals, record their health conditions, and report any problems. They must have excellent communication, interpersonal, and time-management skills to excel in this role.
Dog walkers and wild animal caretakers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dog Walker | Wild Animal Caretaker | |
| Average salary | $30,893 | $27,846 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $44,000 | Between $20,000 And $37,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | - |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | - |
| Best paying company | CARE | - |
| Best paying industry | Professional | - |
There are a few differences between a dog walker and a wild animal caretaker in terms of educational background:
| Dog Walker | Wild Animal Caretaker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Massachusetts Amherst | New York University |
Here are the differences between dog walkers' and wild animal caretakers' demographics:
| Dog Walker | Wild Animal Caretaker | |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.2% Female, 70.8% | Male, 26.2% Female, 73.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 2.6% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |