Occupation Profile

Nonfarm Animal Caretakers

(SOC Code : 39-2021)

in California

Feed, water, groom, bathe, exercise, or otherwise care for pets and other nonfarm animals, such as dogs, cats, 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. Exclude "Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers" (31-9096).

Employers usually expect an employee in this occupation to be able to do the job after Short-term on-the-job training .

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Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$11.34	$8.98	$10.13	$12.21

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	19,600	25,700	6,100	31.1	1,050

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Within miles of Zip Code.

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Other Personal Services

12,451

26.8%

Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers

16,190

16.5%

Spectator Sports

732

11.2%

Museums, Parks and Historical Sites

3,878

5.6%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Dog/Pet/Animal Grooming

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About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.

Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species.

Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury.

Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment.

Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles.

Perform animal grooming duties such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears.

Answer telephones and schedule appointments.

Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals, such as behavior, habitat, breeding habits, or facility activities.

Order, unload, and store feed and supplies.

Collect and record animal information such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake.

More Tasks for Nonfarm Animal Caretakers

Top Skills used in this Job

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

Time Management - Managing one`s own time and the time of others.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

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Data for Tasks not available.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

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Alternate Titles

Animal Attendants; Animal Caretakers; Dog Daycare Workers; Groomers; Kennel Workers; Pet Sitters; Stable Attendants; Zoo Attendants