Dog Walker / Pet Sitter
🦮Walks dogs while owners are at work, feeds and looks after pets at home boarding and takes them to the vet. Bookings come through apps.
Prospects & pay
What the work is like
💼 Job market
🇺🇸 $39.5k a year on average · +12.1% jobs by 2035 · 62,800 openings a year
Nonfarm animal caretakers — US: Census ACS 2020–24 (full-time), BLS projections 2025–35
🇬🇧 £25.1k median a year · 17,000 jobs
Animal care services occupations n.e.c. — UK: ONS ASHE 2025 (full-time)
🤖 AI & automation
Apps find clients and track walks by GPS, but walking, playing with and caring for a dog is human work.
Who it suits
Interests: 🐾 Animals, 🤝 Helping and caring, 🏃 Sport and movement.
Key strengths: strength and stamina, organisation.
Where to study
- Course Pet first aid and animal care courses; insurance and a council licence for home boarding (UK)
Key school subjects (A-level / IB / AP): Biology.
🧗 No qualifications needed; you need insurance, a pet first aid course, a background check and, for home boarding in the UK, a council licence. Bookings come through Rover and similar apps.
Things to know
🛢️ Dirt, noise, smells
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