jobfacts

Animal care services occupations n.e.c.

SOC 2020 6129

Job holders in this unit group care for animals held in kennels, stables, zoos and similar establishments, provide specialised training, grooming, clipping and trimming services for animals, and searches for and captures stray or nuisance dogs in public areas and perform a variety of animal care tasks not elsewhere classified in minor group 612: Animal care and control services.

Also calledAnimal care workerAnimal care assistantAnimal technicianKennel workerAnimal boarding assistantDog groomerand 97 more titles
Typical full-time pay£25,1002025 Provisional
People in the job102,000across the UK
New adverts a month716↑ 6.3%on last year · 223rd of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time animal care services occupations n.e.c. earn between £22,800 and £27,900 a year.

What full-time animal care services occupations n.e.c. earn, 2025
£25,100 typical£19,200lowest 10%£22,80025%£27,90075%n/ptop 10%
Middle half (£22,800–£27,900)n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£19,200
Lowest 20% earn less than£21,700
25%£22,800
Median£25,100
75%£27,900
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
More than half (53%) of animal care services occupations n.e.c. work for themselves. These pay figures only cover employees, so they may not reflect what self-employed animal care services occupations n.e.c. earn.
Typical pay by regionUK median £25,100
London!£29,100
South East£26,500
East of England!£25,200
West Midlands!£24,400
Yorkshire and The Humber!£24,400
North West!£24,300
Scotland!£24,000
Wales!£22,900
North EastNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £25,100
London£29,100 (small sample)
South East£26,500
East of England£25,200 (small sample)
West Midlands£24,400 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£24,400 (small sample)
North West£24,300 (small sample)
Scotland£24,000 (small sample)
Wales£22,900 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £21,500
  • 2024 £23,600
  • 2025 Provisional£25,100
↑ 16% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 716 jobs for animal care services occupations n.e.c. are advertised each month.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026670
Jul 2026657
Jun 2026790
May 2026781
Apr 2026787
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026613
Jan 2026748
Dec 2025340
Nov 2025790
Oct 2025795
Sept 2025902
Aug 2025655
Jul 2025784
Jun 2025758
May 2025766
Apr 2025653
Mar 2025737
Feb 2025730
Jan 2025614
Dec 2024297
Nov 2024628
Oct 2024695
Sept 2024829
Aug 2024829
Jul 2024882
Jun 2024900
May 2024961
Apr 20241,031
Mar 2024897
Feb 2024933
Jan 2024968
Dec 2023690
Nov 2023484
Oct 2023517
Sept 2023514
Aug 2023985
Jul 2023780
Jun 20231,347
May 20231,251
Apr 2023963
Mar 20231,134
Feb 20231,046
Jan 20231,385
Dec 20221,288
Nov 20221,410
Oct 20221,050
Sept 20221,080
Aug 2022998
Jul 20221,097
Jun 20221,081
May 20221,306
Apr 20221,156
Mar 20221,149
Feb 20221,084
Jan 20221,138
Dec 2021823
Nov 2021999
Oct 20211,061
Sept 20211,076
Aug 2021858
Jul 2021946
Jun 2021892
May 20211,197
Apr 2021673
Mar 2021782
Feb 2021432
Jan 2021427
Dec 2020481
Nov 2020379
Oct 2020887
Sept 2020539
Aug 2020760
Jul 2020394
Jun 2020320
May 2020211
Apr 2020336
Mar 2020515
Feb 20201,447
Jan 2020785
Dec 2019531
Nov 2019629
Oct 2019592
Sept 2019651
Aug 2019651
Jul 2019673
Jun 2019735
May 2019710
Apr 2019459
Mar 2019444
Feb 20191,291
Jan 2019476
Dec 2018375
Nov 2018517
Oct 2018647
Sept 20181,051
Aug 2018891
Jul 20181,032
Jun 2018962
May 2018916
Apr 20181,018
Mar 2018988
Feb 20181,322
Jan 20181,429
Dec 2017776
Nov 2017597
Oct 2017743
Sept 20171,200
Aug 20171,593
Jul 20171,453
Jun 20171,664
May 20171,564
Apr 20171,508
Mar 20171,217
Feb 20171,357
Jan 20171,569
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
29%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for caring personal service occupations, which includes animal care services occupations n.e.c.. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London316
Manchester38
Buckinghamshire31
City of Edinburgh29
West Northamptonshire29
Bristol, City of28
Glasgow City26
Leeds24
North Yorkshire23
Birmingham23
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where animal care services occupations n.e.c. are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 243 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from India, Pakistan, Algeria, ranking it 64th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of animal care services occupations n.e.c.
24%!
22%
17%!
19%
14%!
4.1%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–2424% (small sample)
25–3422%
35–4417% (small sample)
45–5419%
55–6414% (small sample)
65+4.1% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent26%
Higher education below degree!6.1%
A levels or equivalent37%
GCSEs or equivalent23%
Other qualifications!4%
No qualifications!4%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent26%
Higher education below degree6.1% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent37%
GCSEs or equivalent23%
Other qualifications4% (small sample)
No qualifications4% (small sample)

Main employers: other personal service activities nec (45%), veterinary activities (23%), other sports activities (7.9%), raising of horses and other equines (3.3%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
26%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 37%
Apprenticeships
8
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
1 to 2 years
typically
T Levels
1
college courses for 16 to 19 year olds
Self-employed
53%
of people in the job

Routes in

Animal care worker

You can get into this job through:

College

You could take a college course in animal care to get some of the skills and knowledge needed in this job, for example:

  • animal care
  • practical small animal care skills
  • animal management
  • pet care in retail
  • T Level in Animal Care and Management
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You could apply for a place on an apprenticeship, such as:

  • Animal Care and Welfare Assistant Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Animal Care and Welfare Manager Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

These take between 1 and 2 years to complete, and combine work-based training with classroom study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Other ways in

Volunteering

Volunteering is a good way to get experience of working with animals before you start looking for a job.

You can search for volunteering opportunities on sites like:

  • The National Council for Voluntary Organisations
  • Do IT

Some of the bigger national animal charities that take volunteers, include:

  • Blue Cross
  • RSPCA
  • PDSA
  • Dogs Trust
  • Cats Protection

You may be able to find more animal welfare charities in your local area by searching online.

Apply directly

You could apply directly for jobs. You may not need formal qualifications to start but it it will help if you've got some experience of working with animals.

For pet shop assistant roles, a background in retail or customer service could be useful.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Make sure to check online courses carefully. You may need to be working or volunteering with an organisation in order to complete the practical experience and assessment requirements of a course.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in animal care and land based industries from:

  • Lantra
  • National Land Based College UK

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for animal care worker. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Animal technician

You can get into this job through:

College

You could do a college course to learn some of the skills and knowledge needed to get a trainee position. Courses include:

  • animal care
  • applied science
  • animal science
  • biology
  • T Level in Animal Care and Management
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an Animal Care and Welfare Assistant Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship, or Animal Technologist Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

These can take between 1 and 2 years to complete. They combine training on the job with study off site.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Apply directly

You could apply directly for trainee animal technician jobs if you have GCSEs, for example, in maths, English and science.

Experience as an animal care assistant or veterinary nurse would be useful though not essential.

Once working, your employer would put you through training and give you the opportunity to get a qualification in laboratory animal science and technology.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Experience of lab techniques as well as handling and caring for animals, may improve your chances of finding a job or training.

You could get work experience:

  • on a farm
  • in kennels, an animal welfare centre or zoo
  • in a science laboratory
Further information

Find out more about a career as an animal technician and animal technologist from the Institute of Animal Technology.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for animal technician. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Kennel worker

You can get into this job through:

College

You could take a college course to get some of the skills and knowledge needed for this job.

Courses include:

  • animal care
  • animal management
  • dog grooming
  • T Level in Animal Care and Management
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You could apply for a place on an apprenticeship, such as:

  • Animal Care and Welfare Assistant Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Animal Care and Welfare Manager Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, if you're looking to become a supervisor or manager at a kennels or cattery

These take between 1 and 2 years to complete, and combine work-based training with classroom study.

Entry requirements

There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Other ways in

Volunteering

Volunteering is a useful way to get experience and shows employers that you are enthusiastic and interested in working with animals.

You can find out about opportunities for volunteering from:

  • Blue Cross
  • RSPCA
  • PDSA
  • Dogs Trust
  • Cats Protection

You can also search online for animal care charities in your local area.

Apply directly

There are no set qualifications for applying directly to become a kennel worker. Some employers may ask you for GCSE grades at 9 to 4 (A* to C), including maths and English.

Experience of working with animals will be helpful.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Some organisations may include a trial shift as part of their recruitment process.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in animal care and land based industries from Lantra and the National Land Based College UK.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for kennel worker. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Dog groomer

You can get into this job through:

College

Colleges offer a wide range of dog grooming courses from introductory level to advanced.

Introductory courses cover basic coat care and grooming methods and are suitable for beginners.

Higher level courses tend to be longer and teach more advanced subjects, for example:

  • canine behaviour
  • professional styling for different breeds
  • managing a grooming business
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to a dog grooming business for a place on an apprenticeship, like:

  • Dog Grooming Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Animal Care and Welfare Manager Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship - if you plan to become a supervisor or manager in a business
Entry requirements

There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could start as an assistant in a kennels or grooming business and learn on the job from a qualified and experienced dog groomer.

Volunteering

You can get experience by doing voluntary work with dogs in kennels and rescue centres, which can help when applying for courses and jobs.

You can find opportunities with organisations like:

  • Dogs Trust
  • Blue Cross
  • RSPCA
  • PDSA
Other routes

You could take private training courses to learn some of the skills and knowledge needed for this job. The Pet Industry Federation has accredited a number of organisations to deliver professional training.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for dog groomer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Dog handler

You can get into this job through:

College

You could take a course to learn some of the skills and knowledge you'll need to work with dogs.

Courses include:

  • animal care
  • animal management
  • T Level in Animal Care and Management
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Detection and Protection Working Dog Specialist Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, or an Animal Training Instructor Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.

These take around 2 years to complete.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

Other ways in

Work your way up

You can train to be a dog handler if you work or have worked in the uniformed services.

Check the entry requirements for applying to be a dog handler in the:

  • police
  • British Army
  • Royal Air Force
  • Ministry of Defence Guard Service
Volunteering

You can gain confidence with dogs and develop your training skills through volunteering.

Organisations like the National Search and Rescue Dog Association and dog rescue charities can be useful places to search for opportunities.

Apply directly

You can apply to work with a private security firm, as a dog handler. You'll need a Security Industry Authority licence to do this.

You'll have an advantage when you apply for jobs if you've got experience of working with dogs.

What you’ll need

  • pass enhanced background checks
  • have a good level of fitness

Registration and professional bodies

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the National Association of Security Dog Users for professional development opportunities and industry news.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a dog handler from the College of Animal Welfare.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for dog handler. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Horse groom

You can get into this job through:

College

You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need for this job.

Courses include:

  • horse care
  • horse management
  • equine studies
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to a stables or racing yard to do an apprenticeship, for example:

  • Equine Groom Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Senior Equine Groom Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

These can take between 1 and 2 years to complete. You'll do on-the-job training and spend some time with a college or learning provider.

If you're aged 16 or over and interested in working in the racing industry, The British Racing School at Newmarket and the National Horseracing College at Doncaster offer pre-apprenticeship foundation courses.

Courses last between 6 and 18 weeks, depending on your experience, and can lead on to an apprenticeship in racehorse care and a career as a groom.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Other ways in

Volunteering

Volunteering or doing seasonal work in a stable is a good way to show employers that you're keen to work with horses and learn more about the industry. You can also make contacts that may be useful when you start to look for paid jobs.

Other routes

If you're working with horses, you may be able to take qualifications, like those offered by The British Horse Society (BHS). They have courses at different stages to match your experience.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Some employers provide on-site accommodation for their staff as part of a salary and benefits package.

Further information

You can find out more about training and working with horses from:

  • British Grooms Association
  • British Horse Society
  • careersinracing

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for horse groom. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

8 for this job
Level 4About 2 years

Animal training instructor

Employers may ask for
Any entry requirements will be set by individual employers but, typically, they may look for evidence of prior experience of working within the animal care…
Details on Skills England
Level 5About 2 years

Vet technician (livestock)

Employers may ask for
There are no specific entry requirements. However, vet tech candidates are likely to have some husbandry skills and livestock knowledge and may have worked in…
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Other qualifications

QualificationTypeLevel
Animal care and managementT Level3
FdSc Applied Animal Health and WelfareHigher technical5
Foundation Degree in Canine Behaviour and TrainingHigher technical5

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • feeds, washes, grooms, trims and exercises animals
  • cleans animals’ quarters and renews bedding as necessary
  • houses, feeds, exercises, trains, grooms horses, dogs and other animals in preparation for entry to shows, races and other events
  • checks animals for illness, treats minor ailments or calls for vet if further treatment is required
  • meets prospective owners and advises on animal selection and animal care
  • patrols public areas to search for and capture stray or nuisance dogs, and transports captured animals to kennels
  • work alongside veterinary surgeons and nurses to provide vital nursing care to ensure the wellbeing of animal patients

Skills

  • control animal movement
  • monitor the welfare of animals
  • maintain animal accommodation
  • manage animal biosecurity
  • manage animal hygiene
  • provide an enriching environment for animals
  • provide first aid to animals
  • assess animal behaviour
  • assess animal's condition
  • assist in transportation of animals
  • handle veterinary emergencies
  • implement exercise activities for animals
  • provide nutrition to animals
  • advise on animal welfare

Knowledge

  • animal welfare legislation
  • animal behaviour
  • anatomy of animals
  • animal welfare
  • physiology of animals
  • signs of animal illness
  • animal nutrition
  • biosecurity related to animals

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for caring personal service occupations, a group of 16 jobs that includes animal care services occupations n.e.c..
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 20%about 466,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20351.9 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the 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. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.