Pet care associate vs animal shelter worker

The differences between pet care associates 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 pet care associate and an animal shelter worker. Additionally, a pet care associate has an average salary of $35,635, which is higher than the $33,011 average annual salary of an animal shelter worker.

The top three skills for a pet care associate include PET, customer service and sales floor. The most important skills for an animal shelter worker are crisis intervention, mental health, and direct care.

Pet care associate vs animal shelter worker overview

	Pet Care Associate	Animal Shelter Worker
Yearly salary	$35,635	$33,011
Hourly rate	$17.13	$15.87
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	84,256	72,185
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	3	3

Pet care associate vs animal shelter worker salary

Pet care associates and animal shelter workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Pet Care Associate	Animal Shelter Worker
Average salary	$35,635	$33,011
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $48,000	Between $22,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Minneapolis, MN	-
Highest paying state	Oregon	-
Best paying company	Purr'n Pooch	-
Best paying industry	Retail	-

Differences between pet care associate and animal shelter worker education

There are a few differences between a pet care associate and an animal shelter worker in terms of educational background:

	Pet Care Associate	Animal Shelter Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Biology	Psychology
Most common college	Northwestern University	Texas A&M University - Commerce

Pet care associate vs animal shelter worker demographics

Here are the differences between pet care associates' and animal shelter workers' demographics:

	Pet Care Associate	Animal Shelter Worker
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2%	Male, 30.7% Female, 69.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 2.6% 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 pet care associate and animal shelter worker duties and responsibilities

Pet care associate example 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.

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.

Pet care associate vs animal shelter worker skills

Common pet care associate skills

PET, 55%
Customer Service, 21%
Sales Floor, 4%
Quality Care, 3%
Administer Medications, 2%
Fish Tanks, 2%

Common animal shelter worker skills

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

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Pet Care Associate
Pet Care Associate vs Animal Shelter Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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