Animal Caretakers

Moderate Risk
43%

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Vote Comments (8)
AUTOMATION RISK
CALCULATED
56%
(Moderate Risk)
POLLING
30%
(Low Risk, Based on 153 votes)
Average: 43%
LABOR DEMAND
GROWTH
16.6%
by year 2033
WAGES
$31,200
or $15.00 per hour
Volume
268,830
as of 2023
SUMMARY
What does this snowflake show?
The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes.
JOB SCORE
5.6/10
What's this?
Job Score (higher is better):

We rate jobs using four factors. These are:

- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions

These are some key things to think about when job hunting.

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Calculated automation risk

56% (Moderate Risk)

Moderate Risk (41-60%): Occupations with a moderate risk of automation usually involve routine tasks but still require some human judgment and interaction.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Some quite important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Assisting and Caring for Others

User poll

30% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted there's a low chance this occupation will be automated. However, the automation risk level we have generated suggests a higher chance of automation: 56% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Animal Caretakers will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?

Sentiment

The following graph is shown where there are enough votes to produce meaningful data. It displays user poll results over time, providing a clear indication of sentiment trends.

Sentiment over time (yearly)

Growth

Very fast growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Animal Caretakers' job openings is expected to rise 16.6% by 2033

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2023 and 2033
Updated projections are due 09-2025.

Wages

Very low paid relative to other professions

In 2023, the median annual wage for 'Animal Caretakers' was $31,200, or $15 per hour

'Animal Caretakers' were paid 35.1% lower than the national median wage, which stood at $48,060

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Volume

Greater range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2023 there were 268,830 people employed as 'Animal Caretakers' within the United States.

This represents around 0.18% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 564 people are employed as 'Animal Caretakers'.

Job description

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.

SOC Code: 39-2021.00

Comments (8)

Leave a comment
Ell (Low)
21 May 2025 14:42
Because no one in their right mind would let a soulless robot take care of fragile creatures like kittens or puppies or any other animal. Besides, cats and dogs have already been domesticated really well by humans, so they won’t like weird, new, modern, robotic voices in a metal, uncanny-looking body
Lora S
19 Jul 2024 16:49
I have a dog daycare facility. There is no chance robots will take over this field. My lowest paid worker earns $20/hour.
Stryder Maravilla (Low)
01 Jul 2024 21:16
Well robots are being created by humens. humens love dogs and enjoy walking them therefor why would a dog owner buy or creat a robot to walk your dog
shan
13 Apr 2022 14:23
This is BS. Animals are unpredictable and not easy to work with. No robot is gonna be able to anticipate their constant changes in behaviour or stop them from wiggling around while bathing/brushing/cleaning them. I can see kennel cleaning or feeding being automated but a human is always gonna be needed to look out for animals and interact with them.
Ching Canada (Highly likely)
30 Aug 2021 03:29
I dont think robots can address the needs of an animal especially the beloved one. Regardless, the future's gonna make it possible tho
oscar (Low)
13 Aug 2021 23:06
because animals need humans to comfort them when they are not felling well or need human interaction.
Rebecca
19 Jan 2020 16:37
Can't see how the entire job could be automated?? For example no one is going to use a boarding kennel or cattery with no human workers.
trinity
17 Nov 2023 15:10
frb thares noi way for that to happen
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