Clark Howard

How to make money as a pet sitter

If you’re a dog or cat person, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to monetize your affection for animals. There are a lot of people out there right now actually making money as pet sitters!

Believe it or not, there’s been quite a bit of market research around the pet-sitting industry. More than 80 million households in the United States have pets,

by Acosta, a sales and marketing firm. That means that the market is there for you animal lovers to turn your hobby into a full-scale business.

Thinking of working from home? Here’s how to make money pet sitting

Obviously, you must love pets, but more than that, you’ve got to see them as your potential clients do: as family members. A pet sitter’s responsibility isn’t just to watch Fido; they’re expected to provide and maintain a healthy, safe environment at all times. That goes for what the animal eats, where they play and where they go you-know-what.

How much money do pet sitters make?

Is pet sitting for you? The going rate for a pet sitter depends on a lot of factors.

has pet sitting pay as low as $7 an hour and up to $2,000 a month. Obviously what you take home will be based on the amount of time you put into it. One question you’ll have to decide is whether you want to get paid hourly, by the day or even a weekly rate.

It’s a good idea to focus on the scope of your work as well. Are you going to run what is essentially a dog-walking service or will you offer full pet-concierge amenities? Logically, the more you can offer, the more you can charge.

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In addition to liking animals, you’re going to have to be a people person— someone who can win a family’s trust in a short period of time. A confident smile, capable resume and solid references will go a long way.

It may make sense to test the waters first by signing up to work with an online service. That way, you can get a feel for the rigors of “industrial” pet-sitting as well as learn some market trends first-hand.

Here are some online pet-sitting resources

  • Rover.com is a popular pet-sitting service that boasts pay rates of up to $1,000 a month. The site offers daytime and overnight jobs. The site offers pet insurance for every reservation.
  • TrustedHouseSitters.com matches people looking to have someone stay in their home with their pets while they travel for extended periods. The site sells a yearly membership for $119 that lets you register to join a network of verified sitters
  • Petsit.com is an international site that lets you create a searchable profile for people looking for local pet sitters.
  • Care.com is also very popular with pet sitters and their clients. The average hourly pay is $11.25.
  • Sittercity.com lets you create an account to peruse hundreds of pet care jobs.

Here are some more pet-related articles from Clark.com: