Animal attendants provide cleaning and grooming services for pet owners.
Animal attendants provide basic animal care services for pets and other animals, such as those found in zoos. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over 135,000 animal attendants employed in the United States in 2010. The salaries of those working in this field depend upon various factors, such as where the animal attendant works and the type of animal care setting in which she works.
Pay Scale
The average salary of animal attendants nationwide was $22,070 per year in 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau indicates that the median salary for animal caretakers was $19,550, with those comprising the middle 50 percent of the pay scale earning between $17,490 and $24,290 per year. Those in the upper 10 percent of the pay scale made salaries of $31,880 or more per year, while those at the bottom end of the pay scale made $16,050 or less.
Employers
The salary for those working as animal attendants tends to vary by employer. For instance, those working in the personal care services field made an average salary of $22,200 per year in 2010. However, those employed by retail stores made a lower average salary at $19,660 per year, according to the BLS. The highest paid animal attendants worked for the federal government and made an average salary of $39,010 per year. Those employed by state governments made an average of $33,950.
Location
Where the animal attendant works, in terms of geographic location, also provides some indication as to how much she can expect to make. According to the BLS, the largest number of animal attendants worked in California and made an average salary of $23,850 per year in 2010. Those employed in the state of Texas made $20,770, while those in the state of New York made $24,010. Those employed in the District of Columbia were the highest paid animal attendants and made an average salary of $32,700 per year.
Job Outlook
The job outlook for those working as animal attendants is considered to be favorable based on the projections made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau indicates that the number of jobs in this field should grow by about 21 percent from 2008 to 2018. The bureau bases this projection on the fact that there will be an increased number of pet owners who rely upon the services of animal care workers.
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