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Below we have included statistics from Pet Sitters International’s 2024 State of the Industry Survey results.

On this page we have also included answers to common questions about pet sitting and the industry, which you are welcome to share (with proper attribution).

For more information about PSI, visit the PSI Press Room.

Pet Sitters International (PSI), the world’s leading educational association for professional pet sitters, surveys its members every two years to gather the most up-to-date information on the professional pet-sitting industry. If you are looking for other data not included on this page, please contact PSI.

Please note: The 2024 survey was conducted online Jan. 28 through March 6, 2024. PSI’s next biennial survey will be conducted in 2026.

• 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.
• 70 percent of PSI members indicated they expected their revenues to increase in 2024.

• 99% of all PSI member pet-sitting businesses are independently owned (not part of a franchise).
• 90% of PSI members indicated they are women.
• The average age of PSI members is 54.
• 44 was the average age when members started their businesses.
• 92% have pursued post-secondary education.
• 66% of PSI members have been in business for six or more years.

The majority of PSI members offer services for multiple pet types:

Below we have included responses to common questions we receive from both journalists and members of the public. Please feel free to quote this information, with attribution to Pet Sitters International or Beth Stultz-Hairston, president of Pet Sitters International (PSI).

To request additional quotes from PSI executives or members, please contact Meghann Evans at meghannevans@petsit.com.

What steps should pet parents take to hire a pet sitter they can trust?

Any pet lover can post their services online for a cheap price, but professional pet-care providers will have the training, credentials and insurance coverage needed to provide excellent pet care and protect clients and their homes.

PSI always recommends pet parents schedule an initial consultation or “meet and greet” at their home—with pets present—before booking pet-care services. This allows the pet parent to meet the pet sitter and see them interact with their pets; review the sitter’s services, credentials and business practices; and make sure they are the best fit for their family.

Pet parents can download a free pet-sitter interview checklist from PSI at www.petsit.com/locate. This checklist includes seven important questions you should ask any pet sitter or dog walker that you are considering hiring. You can also search by ZIP code for a PSI member business in your area.

What are the benefits of joining PSI?

Building a professional pet-sitting or dog-walking business on your own is hard. Whether it’s starting from scratch or scaling up after initial success, it can often feel like you’re on an island trying to figure out how to build your business on your own. At Pet Sitters International, we understand what it’s like to want to make a career out of something you love, and since 1994, we’ve helped over 40,000 people start and grow a profitable, professional pet-sitting business.

At PSI, we strive to provide current and aspiring pet sitters with access to the credentials, continuing education, and community they need to have success in the pet-sitting industry. PSI members gain access to group rate pet-sitter insurance (U.S. and Canada), discounts on background checks, free client handouts, and discounts on PSI products and courses, but not only that. They also receive a free monthly toolkit, subscription to Pet Sitter’s World magazine, and more, and they are invited to join a private, online network of other pet-sitting business owners across the world who are there to offer advice, cheer them on and help them reach their goals.

Is pet sitting a viable career choice?

Absolutely! Pet sitting isn't just a hobby or a way to earn extra money. The majority of PSI's membership is composed of sole proprietor businesses founded by entrepreneurial pet lovers who looked to pet sitting as a new career opportunity.

Many PSI members were formerly educators, business professionals, and medical and veterinary industry support personnel—people from all walks of life. 

We asked our members what made them choose to become a professional pet sitter and overwhelmingly, the responses were a love of animals, the opportunity to be one’s own boss and the desire to leave the corporate world.

For those interested in entering the professional pet-sitting industry, there's never been a better time! Pet ownership remains high in the United States and the popularity of pets continues to grow globally as well. Because of this, the demand for professional pet sitters continues to grow. In fact, 70 percent of PSI members who participated in PSI’s 2024 State of the Industry Survey indicated they expect their revenues to increase this year.

What does the term “pet sitting” encompass?

In 1997 Pet Sitters International (PSI) successfully campaigned to have “pet sitting” added to the Random House Dictionary. 

“Pet sitting” is defined as “the act of caring for a pet in its own home while the owner is away.” Dog walking is also a form of pet sitting since it involves coming to the pet’s home to provide exercise and companionship. 

While some pet sitters and dog walkers offer additional services, such as limited in-their-home boarding, these are separate services, and not considered "pet sitting."

Caring for pets in the clients’ homes is what separates pet sitters from boarders or doggie daycares.

What are the advantages of pet sitting over other pet-care options?

• Pets are happier and experience less stress at home in their familiar environment.
• Diet and exercise routines are uninterrupted.
• Travel trauma for both owner and pet is eliminated.
• Pet's exposure to illness is minimized.
• Untrained or unwilling friends/family/neighbors need not be called.
• In-home professional pet care provides added peace of mind.

Occasionally, extenuating circumstances (e.g., a pet with special health issues or severe separation anxiety or repairs taking place in the pet’s home) warrant a pet sitter caring for a client’s pet in their own home, and the group-rate pet-sitter insurance coverage available to PSI members does offer a limited "in the pet sitter’s home" pet-care coverage option.