How to hire a pet care associate

How to hire a pet care associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step pet care associate hiring guide:

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

What does a pet care associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a pet care associate, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   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 pet care associate 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 pet care associate that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of pet care associates.

   Type of Pet Care Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Pet Care Associate	Animal care and service workers provide care for animals. They feed, groom, bathe, and exercise pets and other nonfarm animals... Show more	$12-23
   Dog Walker	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... Show more	$10-21
   Dog Sitter	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... Show more	$4-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PET
   • Customer Service
   • Sales Floor
   • Quality Care
   • Administer Medications
   • Fish Tanks
   • Animal Habitats
   • Stock Shelves
   • Animal Cages
   • Clean Cages
   • POS
   • Fresh Water
   • General Care
   • Clean Environment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Achieve detailed grooming including skin, ear, nail care, coat clips and dental care.
   • Prepare foods for various animals to include reptiles, snakes, hamsters, and birds etc.
   • Communicate with customers about events/concerns in which include their pet.
   • Assist patients in meeting their personal care needs and provide individualized interventions while encouraging patient involvement and promoting independence.
   • Used touch point and SMS and can quickly adapt to other computer software's.

   More pet care associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your pet care associate job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A pet care associate salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a pet care associate in Alabama may be lower than in Oregon, and an entry-level pet care associate usually earns less than a senior-level pet care associate. Additionally, a pet care associate with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average pet care associate salary

   $35,635yearly

   $17.13 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level pet care associate salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 1, 2026

   Average pet care associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Minnesota	$38,555	$19
   2	Missouri	$33,994	$16
   3	Wisconsin	$33,386	$16
   4	North Carolina	$32,509	$16
   5	Texas	$25,816	$12

   Average pet care associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Purr'n Pooch	$35,903	$17.26
   2	NC.gov	$35,037	$16.84	16

4. Writing a pet care associate job description

   A pet care associate 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 pet care associate job description:

   Pet care associate job description example

   Description of Work
   
   NOTE: If you are a current NC State Government employee, you will not be considered for a temporary assignment. Temporary Solutions cannot accommodate dual employment.
   
   Individuals hired into a temporary State job must be fully qualified for the job. OSHR supports the Governor's Job Ready initiative and seeks to expand a temporary's skill set to enhance their qualifications for State government and private sector jobs. Exposure to an agency's culture, process, procedures and potential learning opportunities can provide valuable experience to those who may ultimately seek permanent employment with the state.
   
   This temporary position is located in Asheville - Buncombe Countyand serves students in the following counties: Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford,Swain, Transylvania, Yancey.There are no leave or retirement benefits offered. Visitwww.nctemporarysolutions.comfor employment information.
   
   Job Order Hourly Rate of Pay: $20.00 (Based on education and/or years of relevant work experience reflected on the application)
   
   This temporary position will be assigned to the Department of Health & Human Services - HS - Services for the Blind. This position will locate and provide information and services to potentially eligible, eligible, and under-served children and families with VIB ages 14-21 years of age according to the definitions given in the WIOA/PETS legislation. Employee will work with DSB VR Staff in the implementation and service delivery of pre-employment transition services to qualifying students with visual impairments, blindness or deaf-blindness. Will provide service delivery, outreach, marketing and documentation of services rendered for VIB-PETS clients throughout the various stages of the vocational rehabilitation process. Will focus efforts on areas of the state that do not presently offer a MOU with local school systems.
   
   Knowledge, Skills and Abilities / Competencies
   
   [NOTE: Qualified applicants must meet and CLEARLY reflect on their application training and experience and all knowledge, skills, abilities and any experience or competencies specified in the supplemental question(s) to be considered.]
   
   * Experience working with youth ages 14-21 years of age, school staff and providers
   * Experience in conducting outreach activities, networking, building relationships with organizations
   * Experience working with individuals with disabilities
   * Ability to use MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) efficiently in composing letters, presentations and reports.
   * Excellent communication skills for interacting with eligible individuals, employers, vendors, agency staff and others as required.
   
   Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
   
   Bachelor's degree in a discipline relative to the program served from an appropriately accredited institution; or Bachelor's degree from an appropriately accredited institution and one year of experience in an area related to program that provides experience in techniques of casework or counseling; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
   
   Supplemental and Contact Information
   
   Temporary Solutions
   
   Office of State Human Resources
   
   1110 Navaho Drive, Suite 200
   
   Raleigh, NC 27609

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with pet care associate candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to 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 pet care associate

   Once you have selected a candidate for the pet care associate position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new pet care associate. 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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How much does it cost to hire a pet care associate?