Pet caretaker vs animal shelter worker

The differences between pet caretakers 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 caretaker and an animal shelter worker. Additionally, an animal shelter worker has an average salary of $33,011, which is higher than the $30,478 average annual salary of a pet caretaker.

The top three skills for a pet caretaker include PET, administer medications and facility laundry. The most important skills for an animal shelter worker are crisis intervention, mental health, and direct care.

Pet caretaker vs animal shelter worker overview

	Pet Caretaker	Animal Shelter Worker
Yearly salary	$30,478	$33,011
Hourly rate	$14.65	$15.87
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	19,782	72,185
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	3	3

Pet caretaker vs animal shelter worker salary

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

	Pet Caretaker	Animal Shelter Worker
Average salary	$30,478	$33,011
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $47,000	Between $22,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between pet caretaker and animal shelter worker education

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

	Pet Caretaker	Animal Shelter Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Biology	Psychology
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	Texas A&M University - Commerce

Pet caretaker vs animal shelter worker demographics

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

	Pet Caretaker	Animal Shelter Worker
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6%	Male, 30.7% Female, 69.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 67.9% 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 caretaker and animal shelter worker duties and responsibilities

Pet caretaker example responsibilities.

Achieve detailed grooming including skin, ear, nail care, coat clips and dental care.
Walk/Exercise dogs and clean up after them (pet messes, spil food or water, clean kennels )
Provide daily pet care to animals, including: walking, grooming, trips to veterinarian, overnight care.
Assist in answering customer questions regarding grooming, scheduling grooming appointments and maintaining salon cleanliness and safety.
Create styles as requested by clients to include hand scissor jobs, breed trims and maintenance clips.

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 caretaker vs animal shelter worker skills

Common pet caretaker skills

PET, 80%
Administer Medications, 7%
Facility Laundry, 3%
Coats, 2%
Food Intake, 2%
Scheduling Appointments, 2%

Common animal shelter worker skills

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