How much do self-employed pet care businesses make?

Pet care services. Census data for 2024. Figures are revenue before costs, not income.

Dog walker holding the leads of several dogs on a paved street

Businesses

162,773

Revenue per firm

$24,658

Under $25,000

72.7%

Sole proprietors

96.2%

Census code 81291, "Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services", covers dog walkers, pet sitters, groomers, boarding kennels and trainers in one group. This page does not isolate dog walking from the other pet care services in this category.

In 2024, 162,773 US businesses with no paid employees were classified under this code. Between them they reported $4.0 billion in revenue, an average of $24,658 per firm, 58% below the $58,194 average for all businesses with no employees.

What stands out

Pet care is one of the smallest operations on this list. 47.8% of firms took in less than $10,000 in 2024, against 37.3% of all businesses with no employees, and only 4.2% reached $100,000, about a third of the all-industry share of 13.3%.

Pet care also has a high sole proprietor share: 96.2%, compared with 86.4% across all industries. The few that are partnerships or corporations averaged $91,815 in revenue, against $21,977 for sole proprietors.

By mailing address, the District of Columbia holds 3.2 times its national share of these firms, Washington 1.8 and Virginia 1.7. Among states with at least 500 pet care firms, Mississippi (0.56) and Louisiana (0.65) have the lowest relative concentrations.

What a typical firm brings in

The average hides a wide spread. 47.8% of firms reported under $10,000 (all industries: 37.3%), 72.7% under $25,000 (all: 60.4%) and 87.2% under $50,000. 4.2% reached $100,000 or more (all: 13.3%). The middle firm falls in the "$10,000 to $24,999" bracket.

Share of 162,773 US firms in each revenue bracket, 2024. Shares use the national firm total and are rounded to one decimal; a band shown as 0% can hold a small number of firms, and bands without a published count are left out. Source: Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics.

Under $5,00027.9%
$5,000 to $9,99919.9%
$10,000 to $24,99924.9%
$25,000 to $49,99914.6%
$50,000 to $99,9998.5%
$100,000 to $249,9993.6%
$250,000 to $499,9990.5%
$500,000 to $999,9990.1%
$1 million to $2.5 million0%

How much is left after costs

The IRS Table 1 row nearest this trade, "Personal and laundry services", does not match the scope of this Census category, so no matching profit figure is shown here.

How it varies by state

California has the most firms, at 17,773. Among the 44 states (including DC) with at least 500 firms, revenue per firm is highest in Connecticut ($30,047) and lowest in District of Columbia ($12,579). The Census assigns each business to a state by its mailing address, which may not be where the work is done. These data do not explain state differences or show take-home pay.


Alabama	1,574	$27,706	+12%
Alaska*	327	$27,746	+13%
Arizona	3,353	$25,034	+2%
Arkansas	1,118	$25,756	+4%
California	17,773	$28,243	+15%
Colorado	5,185	$20,632	-16%
Connecticut	1,915	$30,047	+22%
Delaware*	492	$30,756	+25%
District of Columbia	1,067	$12,579	-49%
Florida	13,315	$28,962	+17%
Georgia	5,121	$24,069	-2%
Hawaii*	473	$32,015	+30%
Idaho	994	$27,615	+12%
Illinois	6,366	$20,404	-17%
Indiana	2,511	$25,561	+4%
Iowa	1,122	$23,481	-5%
Kansas	971	$24,465	-1%
Kentucky	1,594	$27,239	+10%
Louisiana	1,448	$27,331	+11%
Maine	893	$26,829	+9%
Maryland	4,143	$19,815	-20%
Massachusetts	5,099	$23,510	-5%
Michigan	4,115	$24,609	-0%
Minnesota	2,613	$22,012	-11%
Mississippi	756	$24,474	-1%
Missouri	2,372	$24,428	-1%
Montana	768	$22,727	-8%
Nebraska	701	$25,638	+4%
Nevada	1,435	$26,470	+7%
New Hampshire	954	$27,857	+13%
New Jersey	4,614	$25,270	+2%
New Mexico	764	$20,368	-17%
New York	7,735	$25,375	+3%
North Carolina	7,092	$18,878	-23%
North Dakota*	239	$25,946	+5%
Ohio	4,809	$27,222	+10%
Oklahoma	1,445	$26,190	+6%
Oregon	2,766	$22,400	-9%
Pennsylvania	5,966	$23,066	-6%
Rhode Island*	495	$26,816	+9%
South Carolina	2,826	$25,810	+5%
South Dakota*	349	$25,739	+4%
Tennessee	3,265	$25,417	+3%
Texas	12,591	$24,662	+0%
Utah	1,697	$26,132	+6%
Vermont	523	$26,090	+6%
Virginia	6,509	$18,854	-24%
Washington	5,215	$23,413	-5%
West Virginia	539	$26,254	+6%
Wisconsin	2,459	$25,172	+2%
Wyoming*	307	$29,590	+20%

* Fewer than 500 firms, so the average is less stable. Click a column heading to sort. Receipts are modified by the Census Bureau to protect privacy.

What this can and cannot tell you

If you are weighing pet care as a side income, these figures count businesses by mailing address and show annual revenue bands. They cannot measure local demand or competition, and they cannot tell you what a walk or a stay pays, how many hours sit behind the revenue, or how a walking-only business compares with grooming or boarding, because the code mixes all of them.

Census Nonemployer Statistics covers businesses with no paid employees that are subject to federal income tax, including sole proprietors, partnerships and corporations. Receipts must be at least $1,000 ($1 in construction), and some industries are out of scope. It reports revenue, not profit or take-home pay.
The Census Bureau adds small random changes to receipts to protect privacy, and hides cells with fewer than three businesses.
Revenue is before business expenses and does not measure hours worked or personal take-home pay.

Frequently asked questions