Kennel attendant vs animal shelter worker

The differences between kennel attendants and animal shelter workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a kennel attendant and an animal shelter worker. Additionally, an animal shelter worker has an average salary of $33,011, which is higher than the $26,373 average annual salary of a kennel attendant.

The top three skills for a kennel attendant include PET, animal handling and facility laundry. The most important skills for an animal shelter worker are crisis intervention, mental health, and direct care.

Kennel attendant vs animal shelter worker overview

	Kennel Attendant	Animal Shelter Worker
Yearly salary	$26,373	$33,011
Hourly rate	$12.68	$15.87
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	72,239	72,185
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	3	3

Kennel attendant vs animal shelter worker salary

Kennel attendants and animal shelter workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Kennel Attendant	Animal Shelter Worker
Average salary	$26,373	$33,011
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $34,000	Between $22,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between kennel attendant and animal shelter worker education

There are a few differences between a kennel attendant and an animal shelter worker in terms of educational background:

	Kennel Attendant	Animal Shelter Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Medical Assisting Services	Psychology
Most common college	Vermont Technical College	Texas A&M University - Commerce

Kennel attendant vs animal shelter worker demographics

Here are the differences between kennel attendants' and animal shelter workers' demographics:

	Kennel Attendant	Animal Shelter Worker
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2%	Male, 30.7% Female, 69.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between kennel attendant and animal shelter worker duties and responsibilities

Kennel attendant example responsibilities.

Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
Train to give dogs baths, brushing out coats, scissoring, and toenails.
Perform animal grooming duties such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, etc.
Experience in the use of specialize equipment such as cage washers, autoclaves and animal transport vehicles.
Assist owner in preforming body clips and bathing/drying dogs and cats, preform all grooming tasks including clipper skills except scissoring.
Operate cage/bottle washers, autoclaves and bedding dispensing/disposal equipment.

Animal shelter worker example responsibilities.

Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
Maintain an aquatic system of zebrafish and rotifers.
Assist veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants in providing the best care possible for patients.
Milk animals such as cows and goats, by hand or using milking machines.

Kennel attendant vs animal shelter worker skills

Common kennel attendant skills

PET, 39%
Animal Handling, 10%
Facility Laundry, 8%
Animal Hospital, 5%
Animal Restraint, 4%
Administer Medications, 4%

Common animal shelter worker skills

Crisis Intervention, 15%
Mental Health, 14%
Direct Care, 11%
Emergency Shelter, 10%
Client Intake, 10%
Community Resources, 9%

Kennel Attendant vs. similar jobs

Kennel Attendant related careers

Kennel Attendant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Kennel Attendant
Kennel Attendant vs Animal Shelter Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse personal care and attendants jobs