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Pet caretaker vs pet care specialist

The differences between pet caretakers and pet care specialists 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 pet care specialist. Additionally, a pet care specialist has an average salary of $31,162, 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 a pet care specialist are PET, health issues, and customer service.

Pet caretaker vs pet care specialist overview

Pet CaretakerPet Care Specialist
Yearly salary$30,478$31,162
Hourly rate$14.65$14.98
Growth rate28%28%
Number of jobs19,782117,277
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age3232
Years of experience33

Pet caretaker vs pet care specialist salary

Pet caretakers and pet care specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Pet CaretakerPet Care Specialist
Average salary$30,478$31,162
Salary rangeBetween $19,000 And $47,000Between $20,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between pet caretaker and pet care specialist education

There are a few differences between a pet caretaker and a pet care specialist in terms of educational background:

Pet CaretakerPet Care Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common majorBiologyBiology
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborNorthwestern University

Pet caretaker vs pet care specialist demographics

Here are the differences between pet caretakers' and pet care specialists' demographics:

Pet CaretakerPet Care Specialist
Average age3232
Gender ratioMale, 29.4% Female, 70.6%Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5%
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, 18.2% Asian, 2.6% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between pet caretaker and pet care specialist 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.

Pet care specialist example responsibilities.

  • Achieve detailed grooming including skin, ear, nail care, coat clips and dental care.
  • Interact on a professional level with other pet food company representatives and honor their interaction with customers.
  • Handle cash and perform all transactions at customer checkout -inform customers on exceptional pet care while offering excellent customer service
  • Perform euthanasia once lab exercises are complete.
  • Complete and certify to administer euthanasia.
  • Assist in answering customer questions regarding grooming, scheduling grooming appointments and maintaining salon cleanliness and safety.
  • Show more

Pet caretaker vs pet care specialist skills

Common pet caretaker skills
  • PET, 80%
  • Administer Medications, 7%
  • Facility Laundry, 3%
  • Coats, 2%
  • Food Intake, 2%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 2%
Common pet care specialist skills
  • PET, 64%
  • Health Issues, 27%
  • Customer Service, 3%
  • Work Ethic, 1%
  • CPR, 1%
  • Walkers, 0%

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