Animal Caretakers
Also called: Aquarist, Dog Groomer, Groomer, Kennel Technician (Kennel Tech)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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 4 of its 22 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 12.1% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 5.5% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.7 hires for every 10 job openings in other services, which employs about 59% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.7 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $28,330 | $23,920 to $34,280 | 4,100 |
| Alaska | $36,640 | $32,150 to $47,560 | 550 |
| Arizona | $38,180 | $35,890 to $47,080 | 6,330 |
| Arkansas | $30,230 | $28,580 to $35,210 | 2,040 |
| California | $38,700 | $36,810 to $45,160 | 25,710 |
| Colorado | $37,430 | $35,670 to $43,850 | 6,290 |
| Connecticut | $37,310 | $35,860 to $45,980 | 3,000 |
| Delaware | $33,910 | $31,200 to $36,360 | 1,230 |
| District of Columbia | $44,210 | $38,290 to $47,730 | 460 |
| Florida | $34,150 | $29,760 to $37,460 | 17,210 |
| Georgia | $29,860 | $28,040 to $34,950 | 9,110 |
| Hawaii | $40,130 | $32,910 to $51,810 | 570 |
| Idaho | $32,170 | $28,990 to $35,850 | 1,760 |
| Illinois | $35,570 | $32,080 to $37,840 | 11,070 |
| Indiana | $29,990 | $26,540 to $35,420 | 6,420 |
| Iowa | $30,080 | $27,240 to $35,140 | 3,480 |
| Kansas | $29,830 | $24,440 to $38,280 | 3,000 |
| Kentucky | $30,720 | $27,860 to $37,890 | 6,140 |
| Louisiana | $27,910 | $22,840 to $33,370 | 2,660 |
| Maine | $37,230 | $35,250 to $44,000 | 1,430 |
| Maryland | $36,780 | $34,450 to $46,790 | 5,570 |
| Massachusetts | $39,650 | $36,820 to $47,750 | 6,900 |
| Michigan | $30,320 | $28,960 to $36,390 | 6,290 |
| Minnesota | $36,430 | $31,710 to $41,600 | 4,250 |
| Mississippi | $26,970 | $22,190 to $29,890 | 1,900 |
| Missouri | $31,230 | $29,300 to $35,500 | 5,820 |
| Montana | $34,210 | $29,600 to $39,130 | 1,200 |
| Nebraska | $31,680 | $29,160 to $39,490 | 2,100 |
| Nevada | $30,320 | $28,950 to $36,240 | 2,470 |
| New Hampshire | $34,790 | $29,290 to $42,720 | 1,810 |
| New Jersey | $35,850 | $34,110 to $42,340 | 5,890 |
| New Mexico | $33,570 | $29,070 to $37,300 | 1,710 |
| New York | $37,840 | $35,640 to $43,780 | 12,470 |
| North Carolina | $30,870 | $28,540 to $35,990 | 9,730 |
| North Dakota | $34,040 | $31,050 to $38,640 | 770 |
| Ohio | $30,310 | $28,490 to $36,310 | 9,350 |
| Oklahoma | $28,940 | $23,920 to $35,350 | 3,170 |
| Oregon | $36,580 | $35,150 to $43,780 | 3,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $31,360 | $28,400 to $36,450 | 9,910 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,600 | $22,520 to $30,400 | 520 |
| Rhode Island | $37,120 | $34,860 to $43,930 | 1,020 |
| South Carolina | $31,280 | $28,100 to $36,570 | 4,090 |
| South Dakota | $30,390 | $28,710 to $35,370 | 1,110 |
| Tennessee | $30,550 | $28,110 to $36,170 | 6,110 |
| Texas | $32,730 | $28,460 to $41,930 | 20,450 |
| Utah | $34,750 | $29,320 to $42,010 | 2,350 |
| Vermont | $36,090 | $33,870 to $42,840 | 430 |
| Virgin Islands | $35,570 | $35,560 to $43,400 | 50 |
| Virginia | $34,380 | $29,490 to $38,120 | 10,070 |
| Washington | $40,570 | $37,140 to $48,030 | 6,620 |
| West Virginia | $28,550 | $25,220 to $34,400 | 1,160 |
| Wisconsin | $30,160 | $28,170 to $36,850 | 5,720 |
| Wyoming | $29,080 | $25,480 to $36,570 | 460 |
Nationally: $35,360. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 4 of its 22 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury. | Not published |
| Not much | Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles. | Not published |
| AI alone | Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals, such as behavior, habitat, breeding habits, or facility activities. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment. | Not published |
| Not much | Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species. | Not published |
See all 22 tasks
| AI alone | Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake. | Not published |
| Not much | Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears. | Not published |
| Not much | Advise pet owners on how to care for their pets' health. | Not published |
| AI + software | Answer telephones and schedule appointments. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Transfer animals between enclosures to facilitate breeding, birthing, shipping, or rearrangement of exhibits. | Not published |
| Not much | Order, unload, and store feed and supplies. | Not published |
| Not much | Discuss with clients their pets' grooming needs. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Adjust controls to regulate specified temperature and humidity of animal quarters, nurseries, or exhibit areas. | Not published |
| AI alone | Find homes for stray or unwanted animals. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe and caution children petting and feeding animals in designated areas to ensure the safety of humans and animals. | Not published |
| Not much | Train animals to perform certain tasks. | Not published |
| Not much | Install, maintain, and repair animal care facility equipment, such as infrared lights, feeding devices, and cages. | Not published |
| Not much | Anesthetize and inoculate animals, according to instructions. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean and disinfect surgical equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Sell pet food and supplies. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 4 of the 22 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 22 tasks fall under 19 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #3 Respond to customer problems or inquiries
- #12 Explain regulations, policies, or procedures
- #30 Perform administrative or clerical activities
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Care for plants or animals | |||
| Maintain facilities or equipment | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Administer basic health care or medical treatments | |||
| Respond to customer problems or inquiries | |||
| Explain regulations, policies, or procedures | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities | |||
| Purchase goods or services |
Show all 19 activities
| Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications | |||
| Explain medical information to patients or family members | |||
| Prepare foods or beverages | |||
| Monitor individual behavior or performance | |||
| Advise patients or clients on medical issues | |||
| Schedule appointments | |||
| Monitor health conditions of humans or animals | |||
| Sell products or services | |||
| Prepare health or medical documents | |||
| Train animals | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation46%
- An explanation or answer41%
- A plan or strategy2%
- An email or message1%
- An analysis or summary1%
How they worked with Claude
4% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for animal caretakers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 32,251 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 2 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 4%
- 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
- 4 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%
- 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 2%
Where people moved in from
of 22,503 moves in
- 1 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 5%
- 2 Cashiers High -6.5% 5%
- 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 4 Waiters and Waitresses Moderate +2.0% 4%
- 5 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 10% less than high school
- 64% high school
- 14% associate's
- 13% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 36 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 11% less than high school
- 32% high school
- 27% some college
- 9% associate's
- 17% bachelor's
- 3% master's
- 1% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 3,800 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
3 programs: Dog/Pet/Animal Grooming, Farrier Science and Anthrozoology.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
13.9% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a certification | 0.5% | 5.8% |
| a license | not published | |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (HORSESHOER; Pet Groomer). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Animal Caretakers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/39-2021.00