Animal trainers held about 45,300 jobs in 2018. The largest employers of animal trainers were as follows:
Self-employed workers | 43% |
Support activities for agriculture and forestry | 19 |
Animal production and aquaculture | 8 |
Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 7 |
Retail trade | 7 |
Nonfarm animal caretakers held about 285,600 jobs in 2018. The largest employers of nonfarm animal caretakers were as follows:
Other personal services | 33% |
Self-employed workers | 27 |
Professional, scientific, and technical services | 13 |
Retail trade | 11 |
Social advocacy organizations | 4 |
Animal care and service workers are employed in a variety of settings. Many work at kennels; others work at zoos, stables, animal shelters, pet stores, veterinary clinics, and aquariums. Their work may involve travel.
Although animal care and service workers may consider their work enjoyable and rewarding, they face unpleasant and emotionally distressing situations at times. For example, those who work in shelters may observe abused, injured, or sick animals. Some caretakers may have to help veterinarians euthanize injured or unwanted animals.
In addition, a lot the work involves physical tasks, such as moving and cleaning cages, lifting bags of food, and exercising animals.
Injuries and Illnesses
Animal care and service workers may be bitten, scratched, or kicked when working with scared or aggressive animals. Injuries may also happen while the caretaker is holding, cleaning, or restraining an animal.
Work Schedules
Animals may need care around the clock in facilities that operate 24 hours a day, such as kennels, animal shelters, and stables. Caretakers often work irregular schedules, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Some nonfarm animal caretakers work part time.
Animal care and service workers typically have a high school diploma or equivalent and learn the occupation on the job. Many employers prefer to hire people who have experience with animals.
Education
Animal care and service workers typically need at least a high school diploma or equivalent.
Although pet groomers typically learn by working under the guidance of an experienced groomer, they can also attend grooming schools.
Animal trainers usually need a high school diploma or equivalent, although some positions may require a bachelor’s degree. For example, marine mammal trainers usually need a bachelor’s degree in marine biology, animal science, biology, or a related field.
Dog trainers and horse trainers may take courses at community colleges or vocational and private training schools.
Most zoos require zookeepers to have a bachelor’s degree in biology, animal science, or a related field.
Training
Most animal care and service workers learn through on-the-job training.
Animal trainers may learn their skills from an experienced trainer. Pet groomers often learn their trade under the guidance of an experienced groomer.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Although not required, certifications may help workers establish their credentials and enhance their skills. For example, professional associations and private vocational and state-approved trade schools offer certification for dog trainers.
The National Dog Groomers Association of America offers certification for master status as a groomer. Both the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters and Pet Sitters International offer a home-study certification program for pet sitters. Marine mammal trainers should be certified in scuba diving.
Many states require self-employed animal care and service workers to have a business license.
Other Experience
For many animal care and service workers positions, it helps to have experience working with animals. Volunteering and internships at zoos and aquariums are excellent ways to gain such experience.
Animal care and service workers typically have an interest in the Building and Organizing interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Building interest area indicates a focus on working with tools and machines, and making or fixing practical things. The Organizing interest area indicates a focus on working with information and processes to keep things arranged in orderly systems.
If you are not sure whether you have a Building or Organizing interest which might fit with a career as a animal care and service worker, you can take a career test to measure your interests.
Animal care and service workers should also possess the following specific qualities:
Compassion. Workers must be compassionate when dealing with animals and their owners. They should like animals and must treat them with kindness.
Customer-service skills. Animal care and service workers should understand pet owners’ needs so they can provide services that leave the owners satisfied. Some animal care and service workers may need to deal with distraught pet owners; for example, caretakers working in animal shelters may need to reassure owners looking for a lost pet.
Detail oriented. Workers must be detail oriented because they are often responsible for keeping animals on a strict diet, maintaining records, and monitoring changes in animals’ behavior.
Patience. Animal caretakers and all animal trainers need to be patient when training or working with animals that do not respond to commands.
Physical stamina. Stamina is important for animal care and service workers because their work often involves kneeling, crawling, bending, and occasionally lifting heavy supplies, such as bags of food.
Problem-solving skills. Animal trainers must be able to assess whether the animals are responding to teaching methods and identify which methods are most successful.
The median annual wage for animal trainers was $30,430 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,810, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $59,110.
The median annual wage for nonfarm animal caretakers was $24,780 in May 2019. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $18,630, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $38,630.
In May 2019, the median annual wages for animal trainers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Arts, entertainment, and recreation | $33,910 |
Retail trade | 24,730 |
In May 2019, the median annual wages for nonfarm animal caretakers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Other personal services | $24,780 |
Retail trade | 24,180 |
Social advocacy organizations | 24,100 |
Professional, scientific, and technical services | 23,670 |
Animals may need care around the clock in facilities that operate 24 hours a day, such as kennels, animal shelters, and stables. Caretakers often work irregular schedules, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Some nonfarm animal caretakers work part time.
Overall employment of animal care and service workers is projected to grow 16 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Many people consider their pets to be a part of their family and are willing to pay more for pet care than pet owners have in the past. As more households include companion pets, employment of animal care and service workers in the pet services industry will continue to grow. Employment of animal care and service workers in kennels, grooming shops, and pet stores is projected to increase in order to keep up with the growing demand for animal care.
Job Prospects
Overall job prospects should be good. Most job openings will result from the need to replace workers who leave the occupation.
For more information about pet groomers, visit
National Dog Groomers Association of America, Inc.
For more information about pet sitters, including information on certification, visit
National Association of Professional Pet Sitters
For more information about animal trainers, visit
The Association of Professional Dog Trainers
International Marine Animal Trainers’ Association
For more information about keepers, visit
Association of Zoos & Aquariums
American Association of Zoo Keepers
CareerOneStop
For a career video on animal trainers, visit