What is an animal care provider and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
introduction image

The number one qualification for a job as an animal care provider is a love for animals. Somebody who is scared of anything with fur or feathers probably would not be very happy with this job! But for someone who loves their furry friends, spending their day taking care of animals would be a dream come true.

Animal care providers can work for veterinary clinics, doggy daycares, and even zoos to provide care for animals. They feed, groom, and even play with the animals. Playing with the animals is more important than just having fun. It provides the animals with enrichment and allows the animal care provider to notice any worrying changes in behavior.

The process of becoming an animal care provider depends on the type of animal care a person would like to work for someday. Working for a kennel or daycare usually doesn't require more than a high school diploma and some practical experience. However, someone who wants to work with wild animals in a zoo might need to pursue a degree in animal science.

ScoreAnimal Care ProviderUS Average
Salary
1.9

Avg. Salary $24,866

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
6.7

Growth Rate 28%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.48%

Asian 2.63%

Black or African American 4.29%

Hispanic or Latino 18.15%

Unknown 6.42%

White 68.02%

Gender

female 74.92%

male 25.08%

Age - 29
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 29
Stress Level
6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.0

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
8.1

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Animal Care Provider career paths

Key steps to become an animal care provider

  1. Explore animal care provider education requirements

    Most common animal care provider degrees

    Bachelor's

    44.3 %

    High School Diploma

    25.7 %

    Associate

    15.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific animal care provider skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    PET35.02%
    Administer Medications17.19%
    Husbandry8.74%
    Animal Housing7.39%
    Customer Service6.95%
  3. Complete relevant animal care provider training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New animal care providers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an animal care provider based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real animal care provider resumes.
  4. Research animal care provider duties and responsibilities

    • Maintain care on the horses, pigs, goats and sheep.
    • Work with turtles, snakes, frogs, skunk and owl.
    • Fed and water horses, chickens, goats, pigs, cows and dogs.
    • Locate pet product merchants willing to donate food/ toys/ litter to families struggling to financially provide for their pets.
  5. Prepare your animal care provider resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your animal care provider resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an animal care provider resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Animal Care Provider Resume templates

    Build a professional Animal Care Provider resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Animal Care Provider resume.
    Animal Care Provider Resume
    Animal Care Provider Resume
    Animal Care Provider Resume
    Animal Care Provider Resume
    Animal Care Provider Resume
    Animal Care Provider Resume
    Animal Care Provider Resume
    Animal Care Provider Resume
    Animal Care Provider Resume
  6. Apply for animal care provider jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an animal care provider job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Animal Care Provider Job

Zippi

Are you an Animal Care Provider?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average animal care provider salary

The average Animal Care Provider salary in the United States is $24,866 per year or $12 per hour. Animal care provider salaries range between $14,000 and $41,000 per year.

Average Animal Care Provider Salary
$24,866 Yearly
$11.95 hourly

What Am I Worth?

Loading...
salary-calculator

How do animal care providers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Animal Care Provider reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Cons

There nothing about this job I dont like .


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

That I'm with animals learn about the way a human mind can turn on such beautiful creators scares me for once day man will go to far

Cons

I don't think there is anything that I don't like about this job right now


Working as an Animal Care Provider? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse personal care and attendants jobs