Animal care services occupations n.e.c: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time animal care services occupations n.e.c in the UK earned a median £25,067 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 36% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (24th from the bottom).
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £22,826 and £27,865.
Median full-time pay: women £24,516 a year, men £26,613 a year.
About 63% of the roughly 35,000 employee jobs are full-time.
From £19,862 in 2021, the median is up 26.2%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 102,200 people in this line of work, 15% of them in East of England.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £19,158* | £434.50 | £12.15 | £9,962* | – | £11.63 |
| 20th percentile | £21,673 | £457.90 | £12.21 | £12,206* | £217.50* | – |
| 25th percentile | £22,826 | £465.00 | £12.21 | £13,556* | £244.50* | – |
| 30th percentile | £23,450 | £475.90 | £12.29 | £16,508* | £289.40* | £12.21 |
| 40th percentile | £24,287 | £488.50 | £12.50 | £20,779 | £388.90* | £12.40 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £25,067 | £502.50 | £12.84 | £23,345 | £457.50 | £12.72 |
| 60th percentile | £26,044 | £529.50 | £13.16 | £24,336 | £480.40 | £13.08 |
| 70th percentile | £27,157 | £559.40 | £13.68 | £25,446 | £504.10 | £13.53 |
| 75th percentile | £27,865* | £586.20 | £14.05 | £26,372 | £526.00 | £13.76 |
| 80th percentile | – | £605.30 | £15.30 | £27,169* | £550.00 | £14.08 |
| Mean | £25,631 | £556.20 | £14.11 | £21,340 | £422.00 | £13.83 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £19,862 | £400.50 | £10.00 | £16,860 | £352.00 | 28 |
| 2022 revised | £21,336 | £431.30 | £10.37 | £18,666* | £354.80 | 35 |
| 2023 revised | £21,537 | £456.10 | £11.14 | £19,525 | £404.50 | 33 |
| 2024 revised | £23,590 | £478.60 | £12.00 | £21,465* | £421.10 | 31 |
| 2025 provisional | £25,067 | £502.50 | £12.84 | £23,345 | £457.50 | 35 |
Animal care services occupations n.e.c by region
UK: 102,200 (± 12,400), April 2025 to March 2026. 7 of the 12 regions and nations have samples too small to publish.
| Region or nation | People in employment | 95% confidence interval |
|---|---|---|
| East of England | 15,800* | ± 5,400 |
| South East | 13,800* | ± 4,700 |
| Scotland | 10,700* | ± 3,700 |
| South West | 9,600* | ± 3,500 |
| North East | 6,900* | ± 2,600 |
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What animal care services occupations n.e.c do
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. (ONS SOC 2020, 6129)
Also covers: animal technician, canine beautician, dog walker, groom, kennel assistant, stable hand, veterinary nursing assistant, animal attendant, animal carer, animal careworker, animal handler, animal keeper, animal minder, breeder (bloodstock), breeder (cat), breeder (dog), breeder (horse) and canine carer (94 titles in the ONS coding index).
- 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
Entry is possible without formal academic qualifications, although some employers may ask for GCSEs/S grades. There is a variety of vocational qualifications available, including NVQs/SVQs in Animal Care at levels 1 and 2, in Dog Grooming at levels 2 and 3, and BTEC qualifications and apprenticeships relating to Horse Care.
Related
Animal care and control services (median £25,387) · Pest controllers · Nursing auxiliaries and assistants · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026