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- Animal lovers get satisfaction in this occupation, but the work can be unpleasant and physically and emotionally demanding.
- Most workers are trained on the job, but advancement depends on experience, formal training, and continuing education.
- Good employment opportunities are expected for most positions; however, keen competition is expected for jobs as zookeepers.
- Starting salaries are significantly lower than those in many other fields.
- Others who work extensively with animals include farmers, ranchers, and agricultural managers; agricultural workers; veterinarians; veterinary technologists and technicians; veterinary assistants; biological scientists; and medical scientists.
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People who love animals get satisfaction from working with and helping them. However, some of the work may be unpleasant, physically and emotionally demanding, and sometimes dangerous. Most animal care and service workers have to clean animal cages and lift, hold, or restrain animals, risking exposure to bites or scratches. Their work often involves kneeling, crawling, repeated bending, and lifting heavy supplies like bales of hay or bags of feed. Animal caretakers must take precautions when treating animals with germicides or insecticides. The work setting can be noisy. Caretakers of show and sports animals travel to competitions.
Animal care and service workers who witness abused animals or who assist in the euthanizing of unwanted, aged, or hopelessly injured animals may experience emotional stress. Those working for private humane societies and municipal animal shelters often deal with the public, some of whom might react with hostility to any implication that the owners are neglecting or abusing their pets. Such workers must maintain a calm and professional demeanor while they enforce the laws regarding animal care.
Animal care and service workers may work outdoors in all kinds of weather. Hours are irregular. Animals must be fed every day, so caretakers often work weekend and holiday shifts. In some animal hospitals, research facilities, and animal shelters, an attendant is on duty 24 hours a day, which means night shifts.
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Median hourly earnings of nonfarm animal caretakers were $8.21 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $6.95 and $10.26. The bottom 10 percent earned less than $6.13, and the top 10 percent earned more than $13.39. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of nonfarm animal caretakers in 2002 were as follows:
Other personal services $8.39
Spectator sports 8.24
Social advocacy organizations 7.79
Other miscellaneous store retailers 7.62
Other professional, scientific, and technical services 7.55
Median hourly earnings of animal trainers were $11.03 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $8.21 and $15.96. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $6.87, and the top 10 percent earned more than $21.65.
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Animal care and service workers held 151,000 jobs in 2002. Over 80 percent worked as nonfarm animal caretakers; the remainder worked as animal trainers. Nonfarm animal caretakers worked primarily in boarding kennels, animal shelters, stables, grooming shops, animal hospitals, and veterinary offices. A significant number also worked for animal humane societies, racing stables, dog and horse racetrack operators, zoos, theme parks, circuses, and other amusement and recreations services. In 2002, 1 out of every 4 nonfarm animal caretakers was self-employed.
Employment of animal trainers was concentrated in animal services that specialize in training horses, pets, and other animal specialties; and in commercial sports, training racehorses and dogs. Over 2 in 5 animal trainers were self-employed.
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