Animal Care Attendant Salary & Pay DataShared BLS figures: animal caretakers (includes groomers)
BLS OEWS May 2025 · Broader BLS occupation: SOC 39-2021 Animal Caretakers
BLS counts shelter and rescue attendants inside animal caretakers (39-2021), which also includes groomers, kennel and daycare staff; attendants in vet clinics may be counted as veterinary assistants (31-9096) instead.
The figure on this page is the shared figure for animal caretakers (includes groomers, SOC 39-2021), all industries: $35,360 a year ($17.00 an hour) in May 2025.
It is not animal care attendant pay, and BLS cannot show how animal care attendants are paid compared with the rest of the group.
BLS publishes one series for SOC 39-2021, so the dog groomer, dog bather, kennel attendant, dog daycare attendant, dog walker, pet sitter salary pages show the same number.
Annual figures are BLS hourly wages × 2,080 hours. OEWS covers wage-and-salary workers only and leaves out the self-employed, overtime pay and most bonuses. BLS publishes no animal care attendant-only wage.
What the figure means for animal care attendants
BLS describes animal shelter attendants as working with cats and dogs in shelters or rescue leagues, handling basic care and sometimes record keeping, answering questions from the public and screening would-be adopters.
BLS says experienced shelter attendants may help a veterinarian vaccinate or euthanize animals.
BLS warns the work can be emotionally distressing: shelter workers may see abused, injured or sick animals.
Pay by employer
National figures for animal caretakers (includes groomers, SOC 39-2021): every employer, then other personal services, veterinary services and other miscellaneous retailers, BLS OEWS May 2025.
BLS publishes no figure for animal care attendants alone; these rows are for the whole occupation, the broader occupation that includes this role.
BLS publishes no wage figures for pet care services (NAICS 812910) or pet and pet supplies stores (459910) on their own, so no salon-only or pet-store-only figure exists.
Other personal services (812900) contains pet care services such as grooming, boarding and daycare, but also unrelated businesses such as parking lots and photofinishing.
Other miscellaneous retailers (459900) includes pet stores along with other retailers.
BLS industry estimates are national only.
| Employer | Median | Mean | Hourly median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All industries (every employer) | $35,360 | $37,300 | $17.00 | 266,910 |
| Other personal services (NAICS 812900, includes pet care services) | $35,190 | $36,600 | $16.92 | 146,190 |
| Veterinary services (NAICS 541940) | $32,150 | $33,610 | $15.46 | 33,720 |
| Other miscellaneous retailers (NAICS 459900, includes pet stores) | $35,280 | $39,270 | $16.96 | 32,480 |
All salary pages: pet care salaries by role.