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How Much Do Dog Walkers Make? (2024 Salary Overview)

Written by: Ed Malaker

Last Updated on July 10, 2024 by Dogster Team

If you are thinking about a new career in dog walking, one of the first things that you are likely to wonder about is how much it pays. The average rate for dog walkers in the United States is about $31,000 per year, but it can vary significantly due to several factors. Keep reading as we look into what can affect how much dog walkers make and what a dog walker does in general.

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How Much Does a Dog Walker Make an Hour?

The 2024 average hourly rate for dog walkers is $14.85 per hour, which is about $30,893 yearly. Low-end jobs will pay as little as $9.80 per hour for a yearly amount of $20,384, while high-end jobs will pay as much as $21.15 per hour for an annual salary of $44,000.

Dog Walking Salary

Rate Hourly Rate Yearly Salary
Low End $9.80 $20,384
Average $14.85 $30,893
High End $21.15 $44,000

What Factors Affect How Much Dog Walkers Make?

money under thank you note with golden retriever dog in the background
Image Credit by: RacheeLynn, Shutterstock

Experience

As you might expect, the amount of experience you have walking dogs will significantly impact your rates. When you are a beginner, customers will likely worry that you won’t be able to control their dogs on a walk, so your rates will probably be at the low end. Customers will be more confident in someone with many years of experience and more willing to pay them more. As a result, entry-level walkers tend to make a salary closer to $26,000 per year, while someone with experience will often make $34,000 per year or more.

Experience Salary
0–2 years $26,000
3–6 years $30,000
7+ years $34,000

State

Location is one of the most significant factors that affect how much money you can make as a dog walker. For example, the District of Columbia, Oregon, and California pay their walkers particularly well. In contrast, the average in states like Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Ohio is much lower.

State Hourly Rate Yearly Salary
District of Columbia $18.24 $37,929
Oregon $18.06 $37,575
California $17.80 $37,018
Nevada $15.69 $32,643
Colorado $15.18 $31,573
New York $14.78 $30,743
Pennsylvania $11.60 $24,130
South Carolina $11.08 $23,053
Tennessee $10.88 $22,630
Ohio $10.62 $22,099

City

Dog walkers in the city tend to make more money than those in rural areas because there is more demand for their services. In fact, cities like Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, California, pay some of the highest rates in the country. Other great cities for dog walking include Minneapolis, Phoenix, and Denver.

City Hourly Rate Yearly Salary
Washington, D.C. $18.24 $37,941
San Francisco, California $18.20 $37,850
Minneapolis, Minnesota $15.65 $32,560
Phoenix, Arizona $15.38 $31,991
Denver, Colorado $15.19 $31,604

Type

Working for an established company like Care can be a great way to make a good salary as a dog walker, and you won’t need to find customers, which will enable you to get started immediately. However, you will lose the benefit of being your own boss.

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What Do Dog Walkers Do?

As the name suggests, a dog walker’s primary responsibility is to take the dog for a walk, usually for a specific distance or time. However, they might also need to perform other small tasks, like playing with the dog at home, checking to ensure that they have food and water, and even sending a video of the dogs to their owners.

A greyhound and a dog are walking with a man in the park
Image Credit: Rebecca Scholz, Pixabay

Tips for Increasing Your Salary

  • Research your competition thoroughly and set competitive rates. If you set them too high, no one will hire you, but if they are too low, people might worry about your experience or the quality of your walk.
  • Offer discounts for purchasing multiple walks to lead to repeat business.
  • Offer more services, like pet sitting, to get more customers.
  • Learn how to groom and train dogs properly so you can offer more services.
  • Hang fliers in appropriate areas to advertise your services. Grocery stores and banks are great locations, and they often have community billboards. Dog parks are also ideal, as long as you don’t litter.
  • Place an advertisement in a local newspaper or radio station to get more customers.
  • Get involved with community events to get your business noticed by the people who live there so you can get more customers.

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Summary

The average dog walker makes about $14.85 per hour and $30,893 annually, but that can vary significantly based on location and experience, with more experience bringing higher wages. Some places, like the District of Columbia and Oregon, pay incredibly well, while others, like Tennessee and Ohio, don’t pay as much. Working for an established company, like Care, can make it easier to get started and often pays well. Adding extra services, like dog sitting, can help improve wages. Adding to your skill set by learning dog grooming, training, and more can help you provide more services and, thus, acquire more customers.


Featured Image Credit: Photo Spirit, Shutterstock

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