Resilient
Last Update: 6/19/2026
AI Resilience Score for Animal Caretakers:
66.3%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
Med
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
High
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Med
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
There are a reasonable number of sources for this result, but there is some disagreement between them.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forAnimal Caretakers
$33,470 median salary•74,600 annual openings•SOC Code: 39-2021.00
Animal Caretakers are more resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 6 sources.
Animal caretaking is labeled "Resilient" because the heart of the job, which includes bathing, feeding, comforting, and hands-on care for animals, requires empathy, physical dexterity, and calm judgment that AI simply cannot replicate. While AI is stepping in to handle the routine stuff like scheduling, answering customer questions, and monitoring animals overnight on camera, those tools are helping caretakers do their jobs better rather than pushing them out.
Learn more about how you can thrive in this position
View analysis
Chat with Coach
Latest news
More career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreThis role is resilient
Animal caretaking is labeled "Resilient" because the heart of the job, which includes bathing, feeding, comforting, and hands-on care for animals, requires empathy, physical dexterity, and calm judgment that AI simply cannot replicate. While AI is stepping in to handle the routine stuff like scheduling, answering customer questions, and monitoring animals overnight on camera, those tools are helping caretakers do their jobs better rather than pushing them out.
Read full analysisLearn more about how you can thrive in this position
View analysisChat with CoachLatest newsMore career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Animal Caretakers
Updated Quarterly
How is AI changing Animal Caretakers jobs?
Right now, AI is mostly augmenting animal caretakers rather than replacing them — and the hands-on parts of the job (bathing, brushing, feeding by hand, comforting a scared dog) are still very much human work. Where AI is showing up most is in the "around-the-animal" tasks: scheduling, customer questions, and health monitoring. At CES 2026, Pet Age reported on an "AI Ecosystem for Everyday Pet Care" [1] featuring AI-camera litter boxes, water fountains with pet facial recognition, and robotic feeders that automatically track each animal's hydration, eating, and bathroom habits and flag early warning signs to owners and vets.
In shelters and field work, the National Animal Care & Control Association explains that AI tools handle data analysis, predictive deployment, and 24/7 chatbots [2] that answer common public questions about animals and policies — exactly the kind of phone-and-info tasks listed as highly automatable. A peer-reviewed review in Zoo Biology found AI is now widely used in zoos for individual animal ID, movement tracking, and behavior monitoring [3], helping keepers spot welfare problems sooner. For sick animals, the AVMA notes AI radiology software from eight vendors is already embedded in clinics [4], but every report carries a "Ready for review" watermark so a human stays in charge.
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Animal Caretakers?
Adoption is moving quickly on the software side but slowly on the physical care side. Cheap smart cameras, scheduling apps, and chatbots are commercially available and pay for themselves fast for small businesses. But the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics still projects animal care and service jobs to grow 11% from 2024 to 2034 — much faster than average — with about 81,700 openings each year [5], because grooming, walking, and comforting animals require empathy, dexterity, and judgment that robots can't match.
Public trust is another brake: the NACA warns that AI can carry hidden bias, raise privacy concerns, and needs careful training before officers rely on it [2], and the AVMA is building a Task Force on Emerging Technologies because clinics want clear ethical guidelines first. So if you love working with animals, the realistic picture is hopeful: AI will likely take over the boring stuff — answering calls, sorting paperwork, watching cameras overnight — while the kind, patient, observant human caring for the animal becomes even more valuable.
Sources
Will AI replace Animal Caretakers?
No. We don't think AI will replace Animal Caretakers, but the job will definitely shift as smarter tools become part of daily work.
Animal Caretakers earn a 66.3% AI Resilience Score from us, and the data backs up why. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects this field to grow much faster than average through 2034, with about 81,700 openings each year [5]. That kind of demand is hard to argue with.
AI is already showing up in the work, just not in the ways people fear. Smart cameras, robotic feeders, and pet facial recognition are handling overnight monitoring and hydration tracking [1]. Shelters are using AI chatbots to answer routine public questions and analyze data [2]. In zoos, AI helps keepers track individual animals and spot welfare problems sooner [3]. These tools handle the repetitive, information-heavy tasks so caretakers can focus on what matters most.
What stays human is the core of the job: bathing a nervous dog, comforting a sick cat, reading an animal's body language, earning its trust. No camera or algorithm does that well. If you love working with animals, the honest picture is that AI will likely take the paperwork and phone calls off your plate, making the hands-on care you provide even more central to the role.
Sources
Help us improve this report.
Tell us if this analysis feels accurate or we missed something.
Share your feedback
Latest AI news for Animal Caretakers
These articles highlight how AI is transforming animal care careers, offering both challenges and opportunities. For instance, AI could streamline feed formulation, reducing labor demands on caretakers, while advancements in identifying at-risk piglets can enhance care quality and outcomes. Additionally, the entertainment industry faces shifts due to AI, impacting animal actors and trainers. Understanding these trends can help future animal caretakers adapt and thrive in a changing landscape, emphasizing the importance of AI resilience in their career development.
AI Is Even Putting Animal Actors Out of Work
futurism.com • 10/26/2025
Artificial intelligence isn't just coming for human actors' jobs — even our furry companions are struggling to find work in Hollywood.
Uptrend of AI technology in veterinary medicine today
www.vettimes.com • 7/8/2025
Thomas Westley gives an overview of the use of artificial intelligence within the sector, including its pros and cons.
Hollywood’s animal actors and their trainers contend…
www.kcrw.com • 6/24/2025
Business for animals in the entertainment industry — and their trainers — is drying up, as jobs move away from California and onto...
Could AI be key to solving the piglet mortality problem?
www.nationalhogfarmer.com • 12/25/2024
Goal is to help train farmers, animal caretakers and students in identifying piglets at risk of pre-weaning mortality or poor growth.
How artificial intelligence will mesh with farms, feed
www.feedstrategy.com • 10/27/2022
Artificial intelligence could one day formulate and distribute animal feed, vastly reducing labor costs and needs. Here's how it works.
More Career Info
Career: Animal Caretakers
They look after animals by feeding them, keeping their living spaces clean, and ensuring they are healthy and happy.
Parent Careers
Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$33,470
Jobs (2024)
392,100
Growth (2024-34)
+12.1%
Annual Openings
74,600
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Sell pet food and supplies.
2
Clean and disinfect surgical equipment.
3
Order, unload, and store feed and supplies.
4
Perform animal grooming duties such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears.
5
Transfer animals between enclosures to facilitate breeding, birthing, shipping, or rearrangement of exhibits.
6
Find homes for stray or unwanted animals.
7
Install, maintain, and repair animal care facility equipment such as infrared lights, feeding devices, and cages.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
