Kennel Technician (Kennel Attendant) job description
1,013 verified openings in Veterinary Assistants & Animal Care
Feeding and watering on schedule rates highest among animal caretakers' tasks in O*NET, and in a kennel, where animals often stay overnight, that schedule does not stop at closing time. Kennel technicians clean runs and cages, exercise the animals, and watch for anything that needs a veterinarian. BLS files them under animal caretakers, a broad line that also covers groomers, pet sitters, and shelter workers. Inside veterinary services, 33,720 animal caretakers held jobs in May 2025, with a median of $32,150. The lowest tenth earned under $23,300 and the top tenth over $45,000.
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Next after feeding comes treatment, either giving it or calling a veterinarian, and then examining animals for signs of illness or injury. Kennel staff mix food, formulas, and medications to instructions, do the laundry, and disinfect pens and equipment. They exercise the animals and record weight, condition, medications given, and food eaten. Front-of-house work is part of the job too: answering phones, scheduling, answering owners' questions, and advising them on care. Bathing, brushing, nail trims, and ear cleaning round it out.
Common Skills and Technologies
Monitoring is O*NET's top-rated skill for this work, with reading comprehension, active listening, coordination, and judgment close together behind it. The Handbook adds patience, reliability, and physical stamina: kneeling, crawling, and lifting bags of food are routine. Postings name Microsoft Office tools, plus scheduling tools for the bookings.
Education, Training, and Career Path
Job Zone Two. About 64 percent of surveyed caretakers said a high school diploma is what the work requires, and smaller shares named an associate's or a bachelor's degree. Training happens on the job, and many employers prefer someone who has already worked with animals, which is why volunteering counts. Facilities that run around the clock need people for nights, weekends, and holidays, and part-time schedules are common. The Handbook projects 12 percent growth for animal caretakers from 2025 to 2035. Inside a clinic, the next step is usually veterinary assistant, and from there veterinary technician with an accredited program and a credentialing exam.
Sources: O*NET 30.0, 39-2021.00 Animal Caretakers, https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/39-2021.00. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, 39-2021, veterinary services (NAICS 541940), https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Animal Care and Service Workers, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/animal-care-and-service-workers.htm.