How Much Money Can I Make as a Pet Sitter?
July 2025 | Beth Stultz-Hairston, Pet Sitters International
If you're considering a career in professional pet sitting, one of the first questions you probably have is: How much money can I make as a pet sitter?
The good news is that pet sitting can be a rewarding and profitable career if you are willing to take the steps needed to establish a strong foundation for your business.
With more pet parents seeking dependable, in-home care for their pets, the demand for professional pet sitters continues to grow. In fact, the 2025 APPA National Pet Owners Survey indicates 94 million U.S. households own a pet and $152 billion was spent on pets in 2024 in the U.S. alone. $13.5 billion of that amount was spent in the “Other Services” category, which includes pet sitting and dog walking. You can learn more about pet spending and industry growth in the U.S., Canada and Australia in this previous PSI blog post.
While the potential is there, you are not guaranteed immediate success. Your income as a pet sitter will depend on several key factors.
Let’s look at the earning potential for pet sitters and how to set yourself up for financial success in this industry.
Potential Income: What Are Pet Sitters Earning Each Year?
Pet Sitters International conducts its State of the Industry Survey every two years and surveys the association’s member businesses to gather the most up-to-date information on the professional pet-sitting industry.
Consider this data from PSI’s 2024 State of the Industry Survey:
- The average gross revenue for PSI member businesses in the U.S. was $100,537 in 2023, up from $94,563 in 2022. The average 2023 gross revenue for Canadian pet sitters was $100,764 CAN, up from $91,909 CAN in 2022.
- On average, PSI pet sitters in the U.S. served 114 households and performed 3,442 visits in 2023. PSI pet sitters in Canada, on average, served 133 households and performed 2,283 visits in 2023.
- 70 percent of PSI members indicated they expected their revenues to increase in 2024.
Using the figures above, U.S. pet-sitting businesses gross an average of $8,378 USD/month, and Canadian pet-sitting businesses gross an average of $8,397 CAN/month. These are national averages and include responses from businesses of all sizes. 54 percent of the survey respondents were solo pet sitters or dog walkers, while 46 percent either operated their business with a business partner and/or used staff.
While revenue numbers can vary widely, the averages above show that pet sitting is more than a hobby and for those who pursue it as a career, there is real income potential.
What Affects Your Pet-Sitting Income?
Obviously, not all pet sitters earn the same amount, and annual earnings can vary dramatically. Your potential revenue as a pet-sitting business owner depends on a combination of business choices and external factors.
It’s important to understand these factors that can impact your earning potential:
1. Your Location and Pricing
Pet-care rates can vary significantly depending on your geographic location. As you might imagine, pet sitters in urban or high-cost-of-living areas can charge more per visit than those in rural regions. Where your business is located, as well as what other pet-care professionals are charging in your area, will affect how you price your services. This 2025 blog post from PSI can help you determine how to set your pet-sitting and dog-walking rates.
As you work to set (or re-evaluate) your pricing, remember that even a small increase can make a big difference in your earning potential. For example, if your business performs 2,000 pet-sitting visits per year, an increase of just $2 per visit would add $4,000 to your bottom line.
2. How Much You Can Work
Your availability plays a major role in your income. Full-time pet sitters who build up their clientele and perform multiple visits per day (sometimes as many as 6–10) can naturally earn more than those working part-time or only servicing a few clients.
Consider this example:
- 8 visits per day at $25 each = $200/day
- 5 days a week = $1,000/week
- 52 weeks a year = $52,000 gross revenue/year
This doesn’t include holiday surcharges or premium services like enrichment visits or overnight care that can add significantly to annual revenue.
3. Experience and Services You Offer
Your ideal pet-sitting clients will value experience and specialized skills. If you’re trained in pet first aid, caring for senior pets, or handling behavioral issues, for example, you can charge higher rates. Earning credentials like the CPPS-Certified Professional Pet Sitter® designation also increases your marketability and potential to charge more. PSI encourages members to focus on continuing education and certifications that help them build credibility and command higher fees.
Additionally, offering a diverse range of services such as dog walking, pet taxi, and overnight stays (in addition to standard pet-sitting visits) may help meet more pet parents’ needs and increase your income. However, it’s important to note that many pet sitters choose to specialize or offer a niche service such as focusing on cats only and find that their businesses still have great revenue potential. It’s all about finding the business model that works best for you!
4. Whether You Stay Solo or Hire Staff
Many successful pet sitters start out solo, but as demand grows, hire staff and scale their businesses to dramatically increase their earnings. With a reliable team, you can accept more clients, expand your service area, and boost your revenue (and even be able to take a vacation!).
However, managing staff comes with additional responsibilities, including payroll and training, as well as extra paperwork and forms like employment applications, procedures manuals, and evaluation forms.
As your business grows, you’ll also have changing insurance needs, so it’s important to be prepared if you go this route. While the idea of bringing on team members can seem overwhelming, most PSI members who have grown their teams tell us the pros far outweigh the cons. Ultimately, if you choose to remain solo, it’s important to understand that you do limit your earning potential. You are only one person and can only safely perform so many pet-sitting visits each day!
Tips to Maximize Your Pet-Sitting Income
Whether you are just starting a new pet sitting business or working to grow your current business, there are steps you can take now to increase your pet-sitting earnings. Here are four strategies that can help:
1. Set Competitive and Profitable Pricing. Don’t undervalue your services. Your time, experience, and dedication to pet care deserve fair compensation. Use PSI’s pricing tools and research your local pet-care market to determine a benchmark for service fees in your area. Depending on your experience and qualifications, you may not be the most expensive pet-care provider in your area, but also remember that undercutting your competition with very low rates isn’t a sustainable business practice long term.
2. Minimize Overhead Costs. Keep a close eye on business expenses! You cannot decide what to charge for pet-sitting services if you don’t first know your numbers. As a business owner, you have direct costs (i.e., fuel, treats, etc.), as well as overhead costs (i.e., insurance, software, marketing, etc.). Then, you must also understand your labor costs—for yourself and your team, if applicable—and don’t forget taxes (self-employment or payroll tax). Need help with this? Be sure to check out the “Pricing Strategies for a Changing Landscape” session offered in PSI’s Thriving Through Change: Smart Strategies for Pet-Care Pros webinar series.
3. Build a Strong Reputation. Word-of-mouth referrals and positive online reviews can be game changers for your business. Always show up when scheduled, communicate clearly with clients, and provide exceptional pet care. Also be sure to avoid these mistakes that can damage your company’s reputation. Encourage satisfied clients to leave reviews on Google, NextDoor, and other platforms your business is listed on.
Becoming a PSI member also helps build trust. Membership signifies professionalism and a commitment to industry best practices, which can boost your credibility with prospective clients and generate more business.
4. Invest in Marketing Your Business. Earning a living as a professional pet sitter isn’t as simple as creating a website or Facebook page and announcing you’re open for business. Ongoing promotion of your business is needed to build your client base and keep your schedule full. This doesn’t mean you have to have a large marketing budget! While some important marketing tools, such as a modern, user-friendly website, will be a business expense, there are so many free (or almost free) ways to promote your services to local pet parents. Maintain active social media pages, create and update your Google business profile, and network in your community. PSI members, be sure to check out the Marketing section of PSI’s online Learning Library for free online trainings and articles to help you develop a successful marketing strategy for your business.
The Bottom Line
So, how much money can you make as a pet sitter? The answer depends on your goals, your schedule, and how strategically you run your pet-sitting business. Whether you’re simply aiming to supplement your income or want to build a six-figure business, pet sitting offers the opportunity to reach your revenue goals.
By setting competitive prices, offering excellent care, and marketing your services effectively, you can turn your passion for pets into a profitable business. Just ask PSI’s Founder and CEO Patti J. Moran…she literally wrote the book on it!
Want to learn more about launching or growing your pet-sitting business? Explore the resources, training, and support available through Pet Sitters International. You can avoid the burnout of building your pet-sitting business on your own and start building the profitable career you’ve dreamed of!
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