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Job outlook for pet caretakers in the United States
Are pet caretaker jobs in demand?
Pet caretaker job and salary trends over time
Pet caretaker jobs over time
Pet caretaker job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,109 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 951 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,043 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 982 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 936 | 0.00% |
Average pet caretaker salary over time
Pet caretaker salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $30,478 | $14.65 | +5.2% |
| 2024 | $28,959 | $13.92 | +4.3% |
| 2023 | $27,767 | $13.35 | +3.5% |
| 2022 | $26,820 | $12.89 | +4.4% |
| 2021 | $25,698 | $12.35 | +4.7% |
Pet caretaker jobs by state
Most common states for pet caretakers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 173 | 5% |
| 2 | Alaska | 739,795 | 37 | 5% |
| 3 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 296 | 4% |
| 4 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 234 | 4% |
| 5 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 112 | 4% |
| 6 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 64 | 4% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 54 | 4% |
| 8 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 50 | 4% |
| 9 | Delaware | 961,939 | 43 | 4% |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 43 | 4% |
| 11 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 25 | 4% |
| 12 | Vermont | 623,657 | 24 | 4% |
| 13 | California | 39,536,653 | 1,143 | 3% |
| 14 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 335 | 3% |
| 15 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 257 | 3% |
| 16 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 232 | 3% |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 186 | 3% |
| 18 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 105 | 3% |
| 19 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 52 | 3% |
| 20 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 20 | 3% |
Most common cities for pet caretakers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne | 1 | 1% | $25,635 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $32,120 |
| 3 | Madison | 1 | 0% | $30,079 |
Pet Caretaker job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of pet caretaker experts
APDT
National Association of Professional Pet Sitters
Pet Sitters International
Khara Schuetzner
Certified Professional Dog Trainer Knowledge Skills Assessed Certified Nose Work InstructorAPDT
What type of skills will young Pet Caretakers need?
Khara Schuetzner: They will need technology skills, communication, animal behavior knowledge, and business management. Pet ownership is on the rise; according to the American Pet Products Association, 67% percent of U.S. households own a pet.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Pet Caretakers to find work opportunities?
Khara Schuetzner: Dog Training, you can find work where you are living. The Association of Professional Dog Trainers has a job board. You can become a supporting member to access it.
How do you envision technology impacting Pet Caretakers in the next 5 years?
Khara Schuetzner: During the pandemic, some dog trainers were scrambling to get classes online. With more households getting pets, I see technology being needed to assist pet trainers and owners in keeping pets mentally stimulated. There are already some products such as the Pet Tutor and Furbo on the market to assist in dog training.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Pet Caretakers?
Yvette Gonzales: Although things may be slower for the near future while they wait for widespread vaccinations to become available, I believe our industry will continue to go and thrive.
What general advice would you give to a Pet Caretaker?
Yvette Gonzales: In this year of Covid-19, the pet care industry has taken a hit. Since pet care services are provided in-person, travel restrictions and the movement to work from home has changed the face of how our business is done. Meet and greets, which are normally done in person, may now first be done via a Zoom conference, and dog walks are now initiated via porch or driveway pick up. The lack of business and recreational travelers has very much put a halt to long trips for clients, so the pet sitting portion of businesses has come to mostly a standstill. Once the world begins to travel again, our business will see a boom as clients are anxious to get back out and travel the world, this will mean our industry will see an increase in new hires, it's also believed that many new businesses will form, as those who lost their jobs during the pandemic may now turn into entrepreneurs. Grads entering the workforce pre-vaccination will find the opportunities in pet care to be limited; however, if the desire to begin a new business venture is still appealing, now is the perfect time to get organized, begin to market their business, and be assured they won't be immediately overwhelmed with clients. It's good to begin slowly so that when the rush begins everything will operate like a finely tuned machine.
Technology has allowed pet sitters to advance their skills online as well as stay in touch with clients and colleagues this trend will continue post Covid. GPS and online scheduling programs allow for pet parents to easily book services, as well as track their sitters/pets' movements, allowing for greater ease of service and peace of mind.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Pet Caretakers to find work opportunities?
Yvette Gonzales: The wonderful thing about the pet care field is that the need is great everywhere in the U.S. People have pets in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Pet Caretakers in the next 3-5 years?
Beth Stultz-Hairston: As the pet-sitting industry grows and evolves, more and more pet-sitting companies are using specialized pet-sitter software to track bookings, accept payments, etc., and most pet sitters and dog walkers can use this software from their smartphones. Social media and online marketing have been increasingly important to businesses in the pet-care industry, and skills in these areas can prove particularly valuable when pursuing a career in the industry or seeking a position at an established pet-care business.