Animal Caretakers
Personal Care and Service Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 39-2021.00
Feed, water, groom, bathe, exercise, or otherwise provide care to promote and maintain the well-being of pets and other animals that are not raised for consumption, such as dogs, cats, race horses, 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.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.14
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Exposed tasks only22 rated tasks · 7 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (31.8%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 30.2) | Claude.aiRaw / share % | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|---|
Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals, such as behavior, habitat, breeding habits, or facility activities.39-2021.00 | 0.0100100.0 | 0.010050.0 |
Answer telephones and schedule appointments.39-2021.00 | 0.00000.0 | 0.010050.0 |
Discuss with clients their pets' grooming needs.39-2021.00 | 0.00000.0 | 0.00000.0 |
Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.39-2021.00 | 0.00000.0 | —0 |
| Not observed on any surface — 18 task(s) — These tasks have no row in the source for this release. The 0 in the share row is a display-stage composition ratio; absence is what the — in the raw row states. | ||
Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury. | —0 | —0 |
Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment. | —0 | —0 |
Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake. | —0 | —0 |
Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears. | —0 | —0 |
Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health. | —0 | —0 |
Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species. | —0 | —0 |
Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles. | —0 | —0 |
Advise pet owners on how to care for their pets' health. | —0 | —0 |
Order, unload, and store feed and supplies. | —0 | —0 |
Clean and disinfect surgical equipment. | —0 | —0 |
Observe and caution children petting and feeding animals in designated areas to ensure the safety of humans and animals. | —0 | —0 |
Find homes for stray or unwanted animals. | —0 | —0 |
Adjust controls to regulate specified temperature and humidity of animal quarters, nurseries, or exhibit areas. | —0 | —0 |
Anesthetize and inoculate animals, according to instructions. | —0 | —0 |
Transfer animals between enclosures to facilitate breeding, birthing, shipping, or rearrangement of exhibits. | —0 | —0 |
Install, maintain, and repair animal care facility equipment, such as infrared lights, feeding devices, and cages. | —0 | —0 |
Train animals to perform certain tasks. | —0 | —0 |
Sell pet food and supplies. | —0 | —0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Answer telephones and schedule appointments.O*NET Task ID 5074 | 1.0 |
Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals, such as behavior, habitat, breeding habits, or facility activities.O*NET Task ID 5076 | 1.0 |
Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake.O*NET Task ID 5078 | 1.0 |
Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury.O*NET Task ID 5075 | 0.5 |
Find homes for stray or unwanted animals.O*NET Task ID 5086 | 0.5 |
Sell pet food and supplies.O*NET Task ID 5093 | 0.5 |
Advise pet owners on how to care for their pets' health.O*NET Task ID 21150 | 0.5 |
Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.O*NET Task ID 5072 | 0.0 |
Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment.O*NET Task ID 5077 | 0.0 |
Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears.O*NET Task ID 5079 | 0.0 |
Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health.O*NET Task ID 5080 | 0.0 |
Order, unload, and store feed and supplies.O*NET Task ID 5081 | 0.0 |
Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species.O*NET Task ID 5082 | 0.0 |
Clean and disinfect surgical equipment.O*NET Task ID 5083 | 0.0 |
Discuss with clients their pets' grooming needs.O*NET Task ID 5084 | 0.0 |
Observe and caution children petting and feeding animals in designated areas to ensure the safety of humans and animals.O*NET Task ID 5085 | 0.0 |
Adjust controls to regulate specified temperature and humidity of animal quarters, nurseries, or exhibit areas.O*NET Task ID 5087 | 0.0 |
Anesthetize and inoculate animals, according to instructions.O*NET Task ID 5088 | 0.0 |
Transfer animals between enclosures to facilitate breeding, birthing, shipping, or rearrangement of exhibits.O*NET Task ID 5089 | 0.0 |
Install, maintain, and repair animal care facility equipment, such as infrared lights, feeding devices, and cages.O*NET Task ID 5090 | 0.0 |
Train animals to perform certain tasks.O*NET Task ID 5091 | 0.0 |
Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles.O*NET Task ID 20132 | 0.0 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (22)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions. | Core |
| Answer telephones and schedule appointments. | Core |
| Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury. | Core |
| Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals, such as behavior, habitat, breeding habits, or facility activities. | Core |
| Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment. | Core |
| Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake. | Core |
| Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears. | Core |
| Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health. | Core |
| Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species. | Core |
| Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles. | Core |
| Advise pet owners on how to care for their pets' health. | Core |
| Order, unload, and store feed and supplies. | Supplemental |
| Clean and disinfect surgical equipment. | Supplemental |
| Discuss with clients their pets' grooming needs. | Supplemental |
| Observe and caution children petting and feeding animals in designated areas to ensure the safety of humans and animals. | Supplemental |
| Find homes for stray or unwanted animals. | Supplemental |
| Adjust controls to regulate specified temperature and humidity of animal quarters, nurseries, or exhibit areas. | Supplemental |
| Anesthetize and inoculate animals, according to instructions. | Supplemental |
| Transfer animals between enclosures to facilitate breeding, birthing, shipping, or rearrangement of exhibits. | Supplemental |
| Install, maintain, and repair animal care facility equipment, such as infrared lights, feeding devices, and cages. | Supplemental |
| Train animals to perform certain tasks. | Supplemental |
| Sell pet food and supplies. | Supplemental |
0.59/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury. | E0 none |
| Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment. | E0 none |
| Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake. | E0 none |
| Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears. | E0 none |
| Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Order, unload, and store feed and supplies. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Clean and disinfect surgical equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Observe and caution children petting and feeding animals in designated areas to ensure the safety of humans and animals. | E0 none |
| Adjust controls to regulate specified temperature and humidity of animal quarters, nurseries, or exhibit areas. | E2 structured facilities |
| Anesthetize and inoculate animals, according to instructions. | E0 none |
| Transfer animals between enclosures to facilitate breeding, birthing, shipping, or rearrangement of exhibits. | E0 none |
| Install, maintain, and repair animal care facility equipment, such as infrared lights, feeding devices, and cages. | E0 none |
| Train animals to perform certain tasks. | E0 none |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 365K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 409K
- Change (2025–35)
- +12.1%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $35,360
- Typical education needed for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43331 | 반려동물 미용사 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 43339 | 그 외 반려동물 관리 종사원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 61395 | 동물원 사육사 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 61399 | 그 외 축산 및 사육 관련 종사원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 5164Pet Groomers and Animal Care Workers
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Pet groomers and animal care workers feed, handle, train and groom animals and assist veterinarians, animal health technologists and technicians in veterinary facilities, animal shelters, breeding and boarding kennels, zoos, laboratories, retail pet shops, riding schools, dog training schools pet grooming and similar establishments.
Tasks
- (a) bathing and feeding animals;
- (b) leading or carrying animals to treatment room and holding them during treatment;
- (c) cleaning and sterilising veterinary surgical instruments;
- (d) labelling drugs, chemicals and other pharmaceutical preparations and replenishing stock;
- (e) sterilising bottles, beakers and other equipment;
- (f) cleaning, organizing, and disinfecting animal quarters such as pens, stables, cages and yards, and animal equipment such as saddles and bridles;
- (g) collecting and recording animal information such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given and food intake;
- (h) training animals to develop and maintain desired behaviours for competition, entertainment, obedience, security, riding and other activities;
- (i) grooming animals by performing tasks such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails and cleaning ears.
Example occupations
Animal attendant · Dog trainer · Horse breaker · Veterinary aide · Zoo keeper
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- animal care attendantESCO 5164.1This occupation is broader
Animal care attendants provide routine care for non-production animals, which may include feeding, watering, cleaning, exercise and enrichment, grooming, training and monitoring of the health and welfare, in accordance with national legislation.
- animal groomerESCO 5164.1.1This occupation is broader
Animal groomers are in charge of grooming a range of animals, using the correct equipment, materials and methods. It includes use of appropriate and safe handling techniques and the promotion of good hygiene, health and welfare of the animal.
- animal shelter workerESCO 5164.3This occupation is broader
Animal shelter workers provide animal care routine services at the animal shelter. They receive animals brought to the shelter, respond to calls about lost or injured animals, nurse animals, clean cages, handle papers for adoption of animals, transport animals to the veterinarian and maintain database with the animals present in the shelter.
- equine workerESCO 9212.2This occupation is broader
Equine workers provide caring activities for horses and ponies.
- farrierESCO 7221.1.1This occupation is broader
Farriers inspect, trim and shape the hooves of horses and make and fit horseshoes, in compliance with any regulatory requirements by the National legal authority.
- groomESCO 9212.3This occupation is broader
Grooms provide practical daily horse care to ensure the horses health, welfare and safety. They take part in exercising horses, cleaning and maintaining the stables, buildings and territory.
- kennel workerESCO 5164.1.2This occupation is broader
Kennel workers handle animals in kennels or catteries and provide care for pets. They feed the animals, clean their cages, look after ill or old animals, groom them and take them out for a walk.
- zookeeperESCO 5164.1.3This occupation is broader
Zookeepers manage animals that are kept in captivity for conservation, education, research and/or to be displayed to the public. They are usually responsible for the feeding and the daily care and welfare of the animals. As a part of their routine, zookeepers clean the exhibits and report possible health problems. They may also be involved in particular scientific research or public education, such as conducting guided tours and answering questions.
- pet sitterESCO 5164.9Overlapping, not the same
Pet sitters provide animal-sitting services including dog walking, home-boarding, pet/home sitting, day boarding and animal transportation services. They maintain records, use appropriate and safe handling techniques and do routine monitoring of the health and welfare of the animal.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| A1503 | Toiletteur / Toiletteuse d'animaux | This occupation is broader |
| A1506 | Soigneur animalier / Soigneuse animalière | This occupation is broader |
| A1511 | Gardien / Gardienne d'animaux | This occupation is broader |
| A1421 | Palefrenier soigneur / Palefrenière soigneuse | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| A1502 | Maréchal-ferrant / Maréchale-ferrante | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| A1510 | Préparateur / Préparatrice d'équidés | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| G1230 | Guide de tourisme équestre | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| N4117 | Conducteur / Conductrice d'attelage | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 5893 | Cuidadores de animales y adiestradores | Same scopeprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 11522 | Berufe in der Haus- und Zootierpflege - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Same scope |
| 11502 | Berufe in der Tierpflege (ohne Spezialisierung) - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| 11501 | Berufe in der Tierpflege (ohne Spezialisierung) - Helfer-/Anlerntätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
| 11302 | Berufe in der Pferdewirtschaft (ohne Spezialisierung) - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 429 | 他に分類されないサービス職業従事者 | Related, not a match |
| 462 | 養畜従事者 | Related, not a match |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources