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Pet caretaker vs dog sitter

The differences between pet caretakers and dog sitters 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 a dog sitter. Additionally, a pet caretaker has an average salary of $30,478, which is higher than the $25,532 average annual salary of a dog sitter.

The top three skills for a pet caretaker include PET, administer medications and facility laundry. The most important skills for a dog sitter are PET, customer service, and dog care.

Pet caretaker vs dog sitter overview

Pet CaretakerDog Sitter
Yearly salary$30,478$25,532
Hourly rate$14.65$12.28
Growth rate28%28%
Number of jobs19,78267,682
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age3232
Years of experience33

Pet caretaker vs dog sitter salary

Pet caretakers and dog sitters have different pay scales, as shown below.

Pet CaretakerDog Sitter
Average salary$30,478$25,532
Salary rangeBetween $19,000 And $47,000Between $10,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City-Warwick, RI
Highest paying state-Connecticut
Best paying company-CARE
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between pet caretaker and dog sitter education

There are a few differences between a pet caretaker and a dog sitter in terms of educational background:

Pet CaretakerDog Sitter
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common majorBiologyPsychology
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborTexas A&M University - Commerce

Pet caretaker vs dog sitter demographics

Here are the differences between pet caretakers' and dog sitters' demographics:

Pet CaretakerDog Sitter
Average age3232
Gender ratioMale, 29.4% Female, 70.6%Male, 22.0% Female, 78.0%
Race ratioBlack 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, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between pet caretaker and dog sitter 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.

Dog sitter example responsibilities.

  • Manage all breeding, whelping, raising of puppies, grooming and showing of dogs for owners in the AKC.
  • Groom, trim, and clip animals' coats.
  • Provide smaller services such as cleaning ears, clipping nails, and small scissoring around eyes and paws.
  • Bath a variety of dog breeds, and provide basic grooming sanitary needs such as clipping nails and cleaning ears.
  • Maintain professional relationship with pet owners and communicate through email and phone regarding daily pet behavior.
  • Manage all breeding, whelping, raising of puppies, grooming and showing of dogs for owners in the AKC.

Pet caretaker vs dog sitter skills

Common pet caretaker skills
  • PET, 80%
  • Administer Medications, 7%
  • Facility Laundry, 3%
  • Coats, 2%
  • Food Intake, 2%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 2%
Common dog sitter skills
  • PET, 66%
  • Customer Service, 20%
  • Dog Care, 10%
  • Fresh Water, 1%
  • Clients Homes, 0%
  • Child Care, 0%

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