Occupations/39-2021.00
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.
Usually a high school diploma, plus some experience or short training.
AI automation risk
20%
More resilient
Human characteristics
67%
Strong human-characteristic mix
Task orientation
36%
More resilient
A day in this job
- Mostly routine
Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.
- Mostly routine
Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles.
- Task
Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment.
The tasks we can read here lean routine. That sits next to the AI risk rank — it is not a forecast that the job disappears.
Core tasks
- 01Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.
- 02Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment.
- 03Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury.
- 04Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species.
- 05Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles.
- 06Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health.
Model drivers (O*NET 1–5)
- Repeating same tasks3.15
- Degree of automation1.12
- Time sitting1.54
- Originality (ability)2.00
- Conflict situations3.21
- Hands-on objects/tools3.46
- Outdoors / weather4.03
- Disease exposure3.57
- Decision freedom3.64
Top abilities
- Oral Comprehension3.25
- Static Strength3.12
- Problem Sensitivity3.12
- Oral Expression3.12
- Near Vision3.12
- Information Ordering3.12
- Trunk Strength3.00
- Speech Recognition3.00
Essential skills
- Reading Comprehension3.00
- Active Listening3.00
- Writing2.75
- Speaking2.88
- Mathematics2.00
- Science1.50
- Critical Thinking2.75
- Active Learning2.38
- Learning Strategies2.00
- Monitoring3.12
CIP matches
Schools offering related programs
6 shown
Earnings are College Scorecard medians for that program, 1 and 2 years after completion. A dash means the Department suppressed the cell or the campus is not in the field file.
| Institution | Program | Tuition | Admit | Grad 6-yr | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND · Public | Dog/Pet/Animal Grooming 01.0504 | $10,800 | 83% | 66% | 1 yr $33,993 2 yr — Bachelor's · CIP 01.05 |
Minnesota State University Moorhead Moorhead, MN · Public | Dog/Pet/Animal Grooming 01.0504 | $9,800 | 71% | 61% | 1 yr — 2 yr — Certificate · CIP 01.05 |
Ridgewater College Willmar, MN · Public | Dog/Pet/Animal Grooming 01.0504 | $6,100 | 100% | 36% | 1 yr — 2 yr — Not reported |
Minnesota West Community and Technical College Granite Falls, MN · Public | Dog/Pet/Animal Grooming 01.0504 | $6,000 | 100% | 37% | 1 yr — 2 yr — Not reported |
Iowa State University Ames, IA · Public | Dog/Pet/Animal Grooming 01.0504 | $10,400 | 90% | 77% | 1 yr — 2 yr — Not reported |
University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA · Public | Dog/Pet/Animal Grooming 01.0504 | $17,400 | 64% | 83% | 1 yr — 2 yr — Associate · CIP 01.05 |