Animal Caretakers

Employers

There are approximately 199,850 nonfarm animal caretakers and 89,480 veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Many different types of facilities and businesses employ animal caretakers, including veterinary offices, kennels, stables, breeding farms, boarding facilities, rescue centers, shelters, sanctuaries, zoos, aquariums, and pet stores. The federal government is also a major employer of animal caretakers, specifically the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Both federal and state government jobs are available in parks. This field is growing, and increasing job opportunities will be available all over the country for animal caretakers. Since pet ownership and interest in animals continues to increase, more and more jobs will become available with all kinds of employers, resulting in work in environments ranging from nonprofit organizations to retail stores to laboratories.