OSCA 461432

Domestic Animal Attendant

Overview

  • Employed persons

    4,000

  • Employment status

    30.9% Full time

    69.2% Part time

  • Median age

    28 years

  • Employment by sex

    82.0% Female

    18.1% Male

    Highly female dominated

  • Indigenous employment share

    2.3%

  • Main employing industry

    Other Services

Indicator Domestic Animal Attendant Total employment
Employed persons 4,000 12,049,400
Median age 28 years 40 years
Full-time share 30.9% 64.2%
Part-time share 69.2% 35.8%
Female employment share 82.0% 48.5%
Male employment share 18.1% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Highly female dominated Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 2.3% 2.2%
Main employing industry Other Services Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Domestic Animal Attendants provide routine care for domestic animals, including feeding, exercising, monitoring their health and cleaning the shelter areas.

What the occupation involves

  • Feeds and waters animals according to their individual dietary requirements
  • Exercises animals regularly to ensure their physical and mental well being
  • Transfers animals between enclosures by leading or carrying them
  • Cleans and maintains kennels, cages and enclosures to ensure a safe environment for animals
  • Provides basic grooming for animals, such as brushing and bathing
  • Monitors the health of animals, treats minor injuries, and reports any health concerns
  • Administers medications or treatments to animals as directed by a Veterinarian
  • Ensures adherence to infection control procedures

Common occupation titles

  • Kennel Hand

Specialisations

No specialisations are listed for this occupation.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 4
equivalent to a lower‑level Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate II or III).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

No licensing or registration requirements are listed for this occupation.

OSCA structure

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Domestic Animal Attendant Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Other Services 59.4% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 14.8% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 6.6% Construction 8.9%
    Arts and Recreation Services 4.8% Education and Training 8.8%
    Health Care and Social Assistance 3.8% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Public Administration and Safety 2.5% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Education and Training 2.2% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Retail Trade 1.0% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Accommodation and Food Services 0.5% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Administrative and Support Services 0.4% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      29.5%

    • Victoria

      27.1%

    • Queensland

      19.8%

    • South Australia

      6.9%

    • Tasmania

      3.1%

    • Northern Territory

      0.9%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      2.1%

    Domestic Animal Attendant Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 1,200 29.5% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 1,100 27.1% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 790 19.8% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 280 6.9% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 420 10.5% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 130 3.1% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 40 0.9% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 90 2.1% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Domestic Animal Attendant

    Total employment

    Age group Domestic Animal Attendant Total employment
    15–24 years 38.2% 14.3%
    25–34 years 27.3% 22.7%
    35–44 years 12.4% 22.3%
    45–54 years 11.0% 20.4%
    55–64 years 7.8% 15.3%
    65–74 years 2.9% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.4% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Domestic Animal Attendant Total employment
    Female 82.0% 48.5%
    Male 18.1% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

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      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

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      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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