Jobs in the pet industry are raining cats and dogs

Are you unable to resist the urge to stop and pet every dog on your commute? Or do you find yourself distracted by funny cat memes when you’re supposed to be hard at work?

Regardless of whether you’re a dog or a cat person (or just an animal-lover in general), a little bird told us now is a great time to find a job in the pet industry.

U.S. pet owners spent a record $147 billion on the pet industry in 2023, and spending is projected to increase to nearly $150.6 billion in 2024, according to the American Pet Products Association’s (APPA) national pet owners survey.

And the more revenue the pet industry continues to generate, the more jobs there are for the taking. Jobs in the pet industry are expected to grow by 11% through 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

So if you want a job more than a dog wants your dinner, you can find a number of career options for animal lovers below.

Pet retail jobs

Leashes, chew toys, and catnip aside, every pet owner knows the one thing pets love most is their food—and the numbers prove it. The majority of the money pet owners spent on their furry friends in 2023 went toward food, accounting for $64.4 billion of total pet sales, according to the APPA survey.

Kibble equals cash money. You can find jobs as product specialists, sales representatives, and more at pet food companies, such as Blue Buffalo and Purina.

Additionally, pet retail chains like Pet Supplies Plus, PetSmart, and PetCo are hiring for retail associates.

Veterinary jobs

If you see yourself as more the Dr. Dolittle type, diagnosing and treating medical conditions and diseases of pets and livestock, jobs for veterinarians and veterinary technicians bode well for the future. In 2023, pet owners spent a combined $38.3 billion on vet care and medical supplies, according to the APPA survey.

To be a veterinarian, you’ll need a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DCM) degree and a state license first, but then you shouldn’t have much trouble finding work, as jobs for vets are projected to grow 19% through 2033, per BLS data. And the pay is pretty swell, too, with the yearly average take-home at $119,100.

Meanwhile, the path to become a veterinary technician—or technologist—is a bit faster, as technologists need a four-year bachelor’s degree, and technicians only need a two-year associate degree. Jobs are expected to grow at a very fast rate, too—19% through 2024, according to BLS data—and the average yearly pay is $43,740.

Animal care jobs

Taking care of your pet can be hard work—they’re basically your children, after all—and sometimes pet parents need assistance. In 2023, pet owners spent $12.3 billion on pet services like grooming and boarding, according to the APPA survey. No surprise, then, that jobs in the pet service industry are on the rise, projected to grow by 15% through 2024, according to BLS data.

People who work in these service roles as groomers, walkers, animal caregivers, or daycare workers typically make an average of $31,830 a year, according to BLS data.

So snuggle up with your favorite furry friend and find all pet jobs on Monster.