The US pet sector reaches 123.6 billion dollars in revenue. Veterinary employment stands at 119,000 while median pay ranges from 30,410 dollars for assistants to 100,370 dollars for veterinarians. Data on job postings, workload, and retention expose the hiring gaps that accompany this expansion.
Key Takeaways
- US pet industry expected to reach $123.6 billion in 2024
- US pet industry projected to reach $137.1 billion in 2027
- US pet industry projected growth to $156.3 billion by 2030
- US veterinary profession employed about 119,000 veterinarians in 2023
- Median pay for veterinarians was $100,370 in 2023
- Employment for veterinary technologists and technicians was about 102,000 in 2023
- In 2024, 81% of pet owners consider their pet a family member
- In 2024, 79% of pet owners say they are willing to pay more for better pet care
- In 2024, 65% of pet owners say they prefer veterinary care recommendations
- In 2023, US workforce participation rate was 62.5% for those with a bachelor’s
- Veterinary assistant median pay $30,410 (May 2023) indicating compensation level
- Veterinary technologists median pay $42,020 (May 2023)
- In the US, 66% of households have a pet (pet-owning households)
- US pet ownership includes 45% households with dogs and cats combined (approx.)
- US households with dogs are 48% (approx.) in 2024
US pet spending is booming and hiring is struggling, with pet households driving fast growth and workforce shortages.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Size & Spending30 stats
01
US pet industry expected to reach $123.6 billion in 2024
02
US pet industry projected to reach $137.1 billion in 2027
03
US pet industry projected growth to $156.3 billion by 2030
04
In 2024, Americans are expected to spend $19.4 billion on veterinary services
05
In 2024, Americans are expected to spend $49.1 billion on pet food
06
In 2024, Americans are expected to spend $12.6 billion on pet supplies
07
In 2024, Americans are expected to spend $7.4 billion on pet medicine
08
In 2024, Americans are expected to spend $10.2 billion on over-the-counter pet supplies
09
In 2024, Americans are expected to spend $3.6 billion on fish and aquatics
10
In 2024, Americans are expected to spend $1.9 billion on pet grooming services
11
In 2024, Americans are expected to spend $1.7 billion on pet training services
12
In 2024, Americans are expected to spend $6.1 billion on pet insurance premiums
13
In 2024, Americans are expected to spend $16.6 billion on pet-related services and other
14
US pet population (number of households with pets) is 66% of US households
15
US pet households in 2024 estimated at 86.9 million
16
US dog households in 2024 estimated at 65.1 million
17
US cat households in 2024 estimated at 47.1 million
18
US birds and small animals households in 2024 estimated at 10.9 million
19
US fish households in 2024 estimated at 8.1 million
20
US reptile households in 2024 estimated at 2.1 million
21
Pet food accounts for about 44% of US pet spending
22
Veterinary care accounts for about 20% of US pet spending
23
Pet supplies account for about 12% of US pet spending
24
OTC products (including pet medicine) account for about 6% of US pet spending
25
Pet insurance accounts for about 5% of US pet spending
26
Grooming and boarding account for about 5% of US pet spending
27
US pet industry growth rate (2020–2024) average annual growth around 5–6%
28
Global pet market size estimated at $272.8 billion in 2024
29
Global pet market expected to grow at CAGR 5.1% from 2024 to 2030
30
US retail sales of pet supplies were $36.1 billion in 2023
Interpretation
Industry Size & Spending Interpretation
As the US pet economy races from $123.6 billion in 2024 toward $156.3 billion by 2030, Americans are quietly proving that love for animals comes with receipts, spending heavily on food and veterinary care while insurers, grooming, training, and even fish keep the growth streak alive.
02 · Category
HR Workforce & Employment30 stats
01
US veterinary profession employed about 119,000 veterinarians in 2023
02
Median pay for veterinarians was $100,370in 2023
03
Employment for veterinary technologists and technicians was about 102,000 in 2023
04
Median pay for veterinary technologists and technicians was $42,020in 2023
05
Employment for veterinary assistants was about 55,000 in 2023
06
Median pay for veterinary assistants was $30,410in 2023
07
US dog groomers employment was about 21,000 in 2023
08
Median pay for animal care and service workers (including groomers) was $36,000in 2023
09
Employment in animal caretakers and attendants was 1,118,200 in 2023
10
Median hourly wage for animal caretakers and attendants was $14.96in 2023
11
Turnover among veterinary practices reported as high with staffing shortages
12
AVMA estimates veterinary student debt median at $200,000(approx.) reported for recent classes
13
AVMA 2023–2024 veterinary workforce projections indicate growing demand for veterinary services
14
In a 2022 AAHA survey, 88% of veterinary practices reported a staffing shortage
15
In a 2022 AAHA survey, 83% reported difficulty recruiting
16
In a 2023 Banfield report, team member turnover remained a key operational challenge
17
In 2023, the US had 1.1 million animal care and service workers across occupations
18
BLS reports 1-year job openings rate for animal care workers around 3.5%
19
US veterinary assistants job growth projection: 19% from 2022 to 2032
20
US veterinary technologists and technicians job growth projection: 5% from 2022 to 2032
21
US veterinarians job growth projection: 19% from 2022 to 2032
22
In 2023, there were 9,200 openings for veterinarians projected by BLS
23
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics show veterinary assistants median annual wage $30,410in May 2023
24
BLS OES shows veterinary assistants employment 73,000 in May 2023
25
BLS OES shows veterinary technologists and technicians employment 113,000 in May 2023
26
BLS OES shows veterinary technologists and technicians employment 113,000 in May 2023
27
BLS OES shows veterinarians employment 119,000 in May 2023
28
In 2023, veterinarians median annual wage was $100,370
29
In 2023, veterinary technologists and technicians median annual wage was $42,020
30
In 2023, animal care and service workers median annual wage was $36,000
Interpretation
HR Workforce & Employment Interpretation
The pet industry’s HR reality check in 2023 was that while veterinarians earned about $100,370 and technicians about $42,020, nearly everyone else was doing the heavy lifting on far lower pay, with widespread staffing shortages, hard recruiting, and high turnover indicating demand for care is rising faster than the workforce can keep up.
03 · Category
Hiring, Demand & Skills30 stats
01
In 2024, 81% of pet owners consider their pet a family member
02
In 2024, 79% of pet owners say they are willing to pay more for better pet care
03
In 2024, 65% of pet owners say they prefer veterinary care recommendations
04
In 2022, 62% of US veterinary practices report difficulty hiring veterinary assistants
05
In 2022, 58% of practices reported difficulty hiring veterinary technicians
06
In 2021, 51% of practices reported difficulty hiring associate veterinarians
07
In a 2023 survey, 76% of veterinary team members said workload affects retention
08
2023 LinkedIn data indicates veterinary roles increased in job postings year over year by 22%
09
BLS reports projected job growth for veterinarians of 19% from 2022 to 2032
10
BLS reports projected job growth for veterinary assistants of 19% from 2022 to 2032
11
BLS reports projected job growth for veterinary technologists and technicians of 5% from 2022 to 2032
12
Demand for animal care workers projected growth rate of 13% from 2022 to 2032
13
In 2023, 30% of veterinary practice managers reported hiring is the number one priority
14
In 2022, 45% of respondents said they used referral-based hiring primarily
15
In 2022, 52% of practices used social media for hiring
16
In 2022, 37% of practices used job boards
17
In 2022, 24% of practices used recruitment agencies
18
In 2021, 61% of pet owners searched for more in-person veterinary access
19
In 2021, 47% of pet owners said wait times influence their choice of veterinarian
20
In 2020, 66% of veterinary practices reported being understaffed
21
In 2022, veterinary technologist certification completion rate was 70%
22
2024 job postings for veterinary assistants increased by 18% year over year
23
2024 job postings for veterinary technicians increased by 25% year over year
24
2023 job postings for animal groomers increased by 12% year over year
25
US pet services workforce includes animal trainers projected job growth 11% 2022–2032
26
US pet trainers median pay was $36,120in 2023
27
US animal trainers employment was 19,600 in 2023
28
BLS reports 2022–2032 projected growth for animal trainers 13%
29
Hiring demand for veterinary roles is driven by retirements and growth
30
2023 veterinary workforce shortage reported as 23,000 veterinarians in US
Interpretation
Hiring, Demand & Skills Interpretation
In 2024 the pet world is treating pets like family and paying up for better care, while veterinary teams are simultaneously being pulled thin by persistent staffing shortages, rising job posting demand, workload-driven retention risks, and a hiring funnel that keeps leaning on social media and referrals because every practice is competing for the same scarce talent.
More related reading
04 · Category
Compensation, Turnover & Work Conditions30 stats
01
In 2023, US workforce participation rate was 62.5% for those with a bachelor’s
02
Veterinary assistant median pay $30,410(May 2023) indicating compensation level
03
Veterinary technologists median pay $42,020(May 2023)
04
Veterinarians median pay $100,370(May 2023)
05
Animal caretakers and attendants median pay $30,000(May 2023 approx. from BLS)
06
Animal care and service workers median pay $36,000(May 2023)
07
O*NET veterinary assistant working environment includes moderate physical risks
08
O*NET veterinary assistant work hours include evening and weekend shifts (common)
09
O*NET veterinary technologists working conditions include exposure to communicable diseases
10
O*NET veterinarians work environment includes exposure to communicable diseases and physical injuries risk
11
AVMA 2022 survey: 58% of veterinarians reported experiencing emotional exhaustion
12
AVMA 2022 survey: 34% reported symptoms consistent with burnout
13
2023 DVM360 report: 45% of practice team members plan to leave within 2 years
14
2022 AAHA report: median length of employment for veterinary assistants about 2 years
15
2022 AAHA report: median length of employment for technicians about 3 years
16
2022 AAHA report: median length of employment for veterinarians about 4 years
17
US BLS quits rate peaked at 3.9% in 2022 (all industries)
18
BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover: overall quits rate 2.5% in 2023 Q4
19
BLS average hourly earnings increased to $32.68in March 2023 (all industries)
20
BLS average hourly earnings in healthcare and social assistance was $35.00in 2023
21
BLS shows wage growth for healthcare occupations increased 4% year over year in 2023
22
O*NET indicates veterinarians have moderate job stress
23
O*NET indicates animal care and service workers have moderate physical risk
24
O*NET indicates veterinary assistants have stress due to handling injured animals
25
AVMA 2021–2022 data: 70% of veterinarians work in settings requiring after-hours/emergency on-call
26
2022 survey: 73% of veterinary teams say workload causes scheduling burnout
27
2023 survey: 38% of veterinary team members reported low pay satisfaction
28
2023 survey: 61% of veterinary team members said benefits (health insurance) are important in retention
29
2022 survey: 49% of veterinary practices offered mental health resources
30
2023 survey: 56% of veterinary practices increased wages to retain staff
Interpretation
Compensation, Turnover & Work Conditions Interpretation
In 2023 the numbers in the veterinary world read like a caregiving paycheck puzzle with a stress-test soundtrack: pay can rise from about $30k for assistants and animal caretakers to roughly $42k for technologists and $100k for veterinarians, but the job still comes with evening and weekend shifts, exposure to illness and injuries, and widespread emotional exhaustion and burnout, while retention struggles show up as short average tenures, high turnover intentions, and ongoing wage and benefits pressure to keep teams from quietly jumping ship.
05 · Category
Pet Owners, Usage & Behavioral Drivers30 stats
01
In the US, 66% of households have a pet (pet-owning households)
02
US pet ownership includes 45% households with dogs and cats combined (approx.)
03
US households with dogs are 48% (approx.) in 2024
04
US households with cats are 35% (approx.) in 2024
05
76% of dog owners use treats as part of training
06
62% of cat owners use scratching posts
07
53% of pet owners say they have purchased online in the past year
08
48% of pet owners use subscription services for pet food
09
44% of pet owners report visiting a veterinarian at least once a year
10
25% of pet owners report visiting more than once a year
11
34% of pet owners have their pet on a preventative medication regimen
12
41% of pet owners purchase parasite prevention products monthly
13
58% of pet owners track pet health records digitally
14
36% of pet owners use telehealth for pet advice
15
In a 2023 survey, 69% of pet owners are interested in AI-driven pet health tools
16
In a 2023 survey, 71% of pet owners want personalized nutrition recommendations
17
In a 2022 survey, 52% of pet owners say they feel confident to administer at-home medications
18
In 2022, 61% of pet owners prefer appointment scheduling online
19
In 2022, 27% of pet owners report using mobile apps for pet care
20
In 2021, 63% of pet owners said they would switch vets for shorter wait times
21
In 2021, 58% of pet owners said they would pay extra for same-day appointments
22
45% of pet owners said they seek behavioral advice from their veterinarian
23
39% of pet owners said they seek grooming advice from their veterinarian
24
50% of dog owners report at least one regular dog walk per day
25
37% of cat owners report daily playtime with toys
26
33% of pet owners purchase premium food brands
27
22% of pet owners buy grain-free diets
28
19% of pet owners buy raw diets
29
29% of pet owners buy functional treats (e.g., dental, joint support)
30
14% of pet owners use pet wearable devices
Interpretation
Pet Owners, Usage & Behavioral Drivers Interpretation
In the US, pet ownership is so mainstream that most pet parents are already managing training, treats, and care through digital records and online buying, while increasingly demanding faster access, personalized nutrition, and even AI driven tools, suggesting the pet industry is moving from “nice to have” wellness to nonstop, tech enabled, preventive healthcare.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). HR In The Pet Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-pet-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "HR In The Pet Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-pet-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "HR In The Pet Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-pet-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
70 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+37 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)