How to hire a nonfarm animal caretaker

How to hire a nonfarm animal caretaker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step nonfarm animal caretaker hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the nonfarm animal caretaker you need to hire. Certain nonfarm animal caretaker roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a nonfarm animal caretaker to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a nonfarm animal caretaker that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of nonfarm animal caretakers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Nonfarm Animal Caretaker	Description	Hourly rate
   Nonfarm Animal Caretaker	Animal care and service workers provide care for animals. They feed, groom, bathe, and exercise pets and other nonfarm animals... Show more	$9-21
   Pet Groomer	A pet groomer typically works with pets and other animals in pet grooming boutiques and pet stores. As a pet groomer, you will perform a few tasks that may include cleaning and taking care of pets such as dogs, maintaining the cleanliness of the work area for the next client, and working with the cash registers... Show more	$10-23
   Pet Sitter	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... Show more	$4-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Coats
   • Mental Health
   • Animal Species
   • Food Supplements
   • Schedule Appointments
   • Facility Laundry

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage pigs, sheep, chickens, horses, etc.-fed/groom animals-Assisted with animal theme events-Assured customers' safe positive interactions with animals
   • Sanitize facility equipment using tunnel and rack washers, acidify watering systems, and autoclaves for sterilization.
   • Experience with caring for various species of domestic pets, including snakes.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the nonfarm animal caretaker job description is a good way to get more applicants. A nonfarm animal caretaker salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a nonfarm animal caretaker in Louisiana may be lower than in West Virginia, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level nonfarm animal caretaker. Additionally, a nonfarm animal caretaker with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average nonfarm animal caretaker salary

   $14.39hourly

   $29,938 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level nonfarm animal caretaker salary

   $19,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 13, 2026

   Average nonfarm animal caretaker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$33,152	$16
   2	Maryland	$32,839	$16
   3	Maryland	$32,752	$16
   4	New York	$32,211	$15
   5	New York	$32,210	$15
   6	Massachusetts	$31,745	$15
   7	California	$31,144	$15
   8	California	$31,042	$15
   9	California	$31,028	$15
   10	Virginia	$30,935	$15
   11	California	$30,906	$15
   12	Colorado	$30,604	$15
   13	Wisconsin	$30,412	$15
   14	California	$29,607	$14
   15	California	$29,594	$14
   16	California	$29,561	$14
   17	California	$29,551	$14
   18	California	$29,527	$14
   19	California	$29,522	$14
   20	New Jersey	$29,410	$14

   Average nonfarm animal caretaker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Columbia University in the City of New York	$63,766	$30.66
   2	Hackensack Meridian Health	$39,100	$18.80
   3	NewMarket	$35,849	$17.24
   4	Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings	$34,140	$16.41	8
   5	Charles River Center	$33,568	$16.14	13
   6	VCA Animal Hospitals	$31,042	$14.92	19
   7	BayCrest Partners	$30,591	$14.71
   8	Full Circle Farm, Inc.	$30,589	$14.71
   9	Acres	$30,589	$14.71
   10	Iowa Select Farms	$30,187	$14.51	30
   11	NICE Community School District	$29,609	$14.24
   12	Charles River Labs	$29,383	$14.13	84
   13	HEALY MURPHY CENTER	$28,218	$13.57
   14	JBS USA	$26,620	$12.80	12
   15	Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi	$25,084	$12.06	1
   16	City of Norfolk	$25,063	$12.05
   17	Petco Holdings, Inc.	$24,760	$11.90	129
   18	Seaboard	$23,946	$11.51	8

4. Writing a nonfarm animal caretaker job description

   A nonfarm animal caretaker job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a nonfarm animal caretaker job description:

   Nonfarm animal caretaker job description example

   PURPOSE OF POSITION: To work as a team member caring for and administering to feeder pigs and gilts to assure optimum productivity. This person will assist where needed working with animals and light facility repair and maintenance.
   KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
   
   Adhere to ISF bio-security policy at all times and report to management team any violation.
   Adhere to ISF animal wellbeing policy at all times and know reporting procedures when incident occurs.
   Adhere to ISF safety policies and procedures and wear appropriate safety equipment (PPE) for appropriate tasks and work in a safe manner.
   The 3 key responsibilities listed above are all tracked via audits, you play a critical role in the success of audits for the entire farm which also impacts incentive payouts.
   Care and management of animals to ensure that:
   Animals are properly fed.
   Water is available,
   Observation of all animals daily and ensuring sick animals are properly treated.
   Overall animal conditions are evaluated and maintained.
   Follow proper steps for timely euthanasia and be able to identify when it is needed.
   Care and management of facilities to ensure that:
   Fans, curtains, heaters and other equipment are working properly.
   Ventilation equipment is adjusted to provide proper environment.
   Facilities are kept clean, including power washing and disinfecting.
   Maintain accurate records using ISF forms and protocols.
   Procure, administer and dispense medications and vaccinations according to ISF protocols.
   Perform heat detection, artificial insemination and pregnancy checks.
   Proper handling of chemicals (storage and application).
   Follow dead removal protocols and ensure safety and biosecurity procedures are being followed.
   Move animals (gilts and boars) using safe handling practices.
   Provide feedback to farm manager.
   Receive, sort and pen incoming pigs.
   Assist with loading and unloading activities.
   Perform month end inventories on animals and supplies.
   Demeanor should be positive and professional at all times.
   Daily focus should be on welfare of animals, not personal issues.
   Attendance is critical. Be at work on scheduled days and be ready to walk into barns by start time given.
   Be friendly, positive, helpful, team-oriented and respectful to co-workers and management team.
   Flexibility in hours during health and staffing challenges is required.
   
   Bilingual: Not required
   
   Education/ Experience: None required
   
   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   This person must be motivated and be able to follow directions and complete tasks effectively. Thus, they must have initiative, organization, and dependability. Physical requirements include the ability to lift up to 40 pounds and to climb over gates up to 48 inches in height as well as pushing, pulling, bending and kneeling. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk and stand, use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, controls, or animals. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and talk or hear.
   
   This position requires the employee to work closely with managers, supervisors, production staff and other employees, so teamwork and effective communication skills are very important. Direct contact with animals will occur, so good stockmanship and bio-security practices must be understood and practiced at all times. The employee must be able to, with or without accommodation, work in all facilities within the requirements of this job description.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right nonfarm animal caretaker 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 nonfarm animal caretaker job on Zippia to find and recruit nonfarm animal caretaker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit nonfarm animal caretakers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 nonfarm animal caretaker

   Once you've decided on a perfect nonfarm animal caretaker candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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 nonfarm animal caretaker. 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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