Dog Walker Salary & Pay DataClosest available BLS figures: animal caretakers (includes groomers)
BLS OEWS May 2025 · Closest available occupation: SOC 39-2021 Animal Caretakers
Closest available: most dog walkers are self-employed or work through apps, and they are not in this figure.
This is animal caretakers (39-2021), which includes employed walkers along with groomers and kennel staff.
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 dog walker pay, and BLS cannot show how dog walkers 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, pet sitter, animal care attendant 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 dog walker-only wage.
What the figure means for dog walkers
There is no separate dog-walker occupation code: BLS counts walkers as animal caretakers.
Walkers who work through apps are usually independent contractors: Wag! says its caregivers are independent contractors, not Wag! employees, and are responsible for their own taxes.
Independent contractors are self-employed, so they are not in the OEWS wage figures, and the federal minimum wage and overtime rules cover employees only.
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 dog walkers alone; these rows are for the whole occupation, the closest available occupation.
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.