# Animal Caretakers

> Feed, water, groom, bathe, exercise, or otherwise provide care to promote and maintain the well-being of pets and other animals that are not raised for consumption, such as dogs, cats, race horses, ornamental fish or birds, zoo animals, and mice. Work in settings such as kennels, animal shelters, zoos, circuses, and aquariums. May keep records of feedings, treatments, and animals received or discharged. May clean, disinfect, and repair cages, pens, or fish tanks.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/animal-caretakers
- SOC code: 39-2021.00
- Career family: Personal care and service
- Median annual pay: $35,360 (10th percentile $27,250, 90th percentile $50,060)
- Projected growth: Much faster than average, +12.1%
- Openings a year: 62,800
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RSC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 86 |
| Investigative (I) | 29 |
| Artistic (A) | 10 |
| Social (S) | 46 |
| Enterprising (E) | 9 |
| Conventional (C) | 38 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 85/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 81/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 80/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 75/100)
- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 71/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 70/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 68/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 65/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 65/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 64/100)

## Skills

Monitoring, Active Listening, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Service Orientation, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Writing

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, Administrative, English Language, Education and Training, Administration and Management, Psychology, Mathematics, Public Safety and Security, Chemistry, Biology

## Also called

Animal Care Attendant, Animal Care Giver (ACG), Animal Care Service Worker, Animal Care Specialist, Animal Care Taker, Animal Care Technician, Animal Caregiver, Animal Caretaker, Animal Daycare Provider, Animal Feeder

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0105) (CIP 0105, 76 colleges)
- Anthrozoology (CIP 3034, 5 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Johnson & Wales University-Providence](https://www.collegesref.com/college/johnson-wales-university-providence-1346) | Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services | not reported | $47,871 | not reported |
| [The University of Findlay](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-university-of-findlay-2754) | Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services | $31,521 | $46,301 | $26,777 |
| [Midway University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/midway-university-1697) | Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services | not reported | $45,192 | $22,500 |
| [Centenary University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/centenary-university-450) | Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services | $31,067 | $40,047 | not reported |
| [Colorado State University-Fort Collins](https://www.collegesref.com/college/colorado-state-university-fort-collins-644) | Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services | $37,077 | $39,595 | $13,000 |
| [West Texas A & M University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/west-texas-a-m-university-3212) | Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services | $24,185 | $37,996 | not reported |
| [William Woods University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/william-woods-university-3279) | Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services | not reported | $33,757 | $25,000 |

## Related careers

- [Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/veterinary-assistants-and-laboratory-animal-caretakers): $38,150 median pay
- [Animal Trainers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/animal-trainers): $39,990 median pay
- [Animal Breeders](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/animal-breeders): $51,130 median pay
- [Veterinary Technologists and Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/veterinary-technologists-and-technicians): $47,380 median pay
- [Animal Control Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/animal-control-workers): $45,660 median pay
- [Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/farmworkers-farm-ranch-and-aquacultural-animals): $36,670 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.