How to hire animal caretakers

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake.
• Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles.
• Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury.
• Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health.
• 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.
• Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment.
• Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals, such as behavior, habitat, breeding habits, or facility activities.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent]
• Strong monitoring, active listening and reading comprehension skills
• Working knowledge of customer and personal service
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $17.00 an hour ($35,360 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for animal caretakers

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

1. Tell me about a time you had to collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
6. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
7. Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What animal caretakers do

• Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake.
• Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles.
• Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury.
• Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health.
• 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.
• Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment.
• Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals, such as behavior, habitat, breeding habits, or facility activities.

Skills that matter most

MonitoringActive ListeningReading ComprehensionCustomer and Personal Service

Education, experience and outlook for animal caretakers

• Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
• Related work experience most have: 1 to 3 months (O*NET)
• Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
• Job outlook: +12.1% over ten years, much faster than average · about 62,800 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay animal caretakers

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See animal caretakers pay in every state

Related hiring guides

• Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
• Animal Trainers
• Animal Breeders
• Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
• Animal Control Workers
• Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
• Childcare Workers
• Nursing Assistants

Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.