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The differences between nannies and pet sitters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a nanny, becoming a pet sitter takes usually requires 1-3 months. Additionally, a nanny has an average salary of $40,262, which is higher than the $25,823 average annual salary of a pet sitter.
The top three skills for a nanny include meal prep, kids and CPR. The most important skills for a pet sitter are PET, walkers, and clients homes.
| Nanny | Pet Sitter | |
| Yearly salary | $40,262 | $25,823 |
| Hourly rate | $19.36 | $12.41 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 69,703 | 21,735 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 37 | 32 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 3 |
Nannies are family employees who are primarily responsible for taking care of children in the family's house. They are usually tapped to take care of the kids while the parents are at work or away on vacation. Their responsibilities include preparing food for the children, feeding the children, bathing them, dressing them up, ensuring that they take a nap, playing with them, and tucking them to bed at night. They also ensure that the schedule set by the parents is being followed. They may also do other household chores such as cleaning, watering the plants, washing the dishes, among others.
A pet sitter is responsible for taking care of household pets while their owners are away. Pet sitters perform services for pet maintenance, including taking them to the veterinarian, monitoring their food, walk them in the park, and administer medications, if any. They also reach out to the pet owners for possible updates and emergencies, taking their instructions immediately. Apart from being highly communicative and organizational, a pet sitter should have an interest and passion in taking care of pets to ensure high-quality services.
Nannies and pet sitters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Nanny | Pet Sitter | |
| Average salary | $40,262 | $25,823 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $61,000 | Between $10,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Newport, RI |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Missouri State University | CARE |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Non Profits |
There are a few differences between a nanny and a pet sitter in terms of educational background:
| Nanny | Pet Sitter | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Business |
| Most common college | - | University of Massachusetts Amherst |
Here are the differences between nannies' and pet sitters' demographics:
| Nanny | Pet Sitter | |
| Average age | 37 | 32 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 6.9% Female, 93.1% | Male, 19.7% Female, 80.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 7.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 11% |