Will AI replace animal caretakers?

Not on current evidence. Less than 30 minutes of a typical shift goes to tasks that AI or robots are doing today. The other 7h 53m (99%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 12.1% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 1 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 7m of a typical shift. 6 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 9 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Adjust controls to regulate specified temperature and humidity of animal quarters, nurseries, or exhibit areas. (7m a shift; e.g. Zoo building automation systems (BAS) at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Minnesota Zoo, integrated by InsideIQ member firms (Control Services, Uhl Company), in use)

7h 53m of a typical shift, or 99%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles. (1h 48m a shift)
• Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions. (1h 14m a shift)
• Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health. (54m a shift)
• Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears. (34m a shift)
• Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury. (27m a shift)

Part of the answer is the setting, not just the tasks. Work that is in person, hands on or high stakes is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 93% talk face to face with others every day
• 82% spend more than half the day on their feet
• 77% are in constant contact with other people

On Indeed, job postings in the Personal Care & Home Health sector are at 151% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 2.1% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 63,000 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $35,360 a year ($17.00 an hour), 31% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $27,250 and $50,060 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 12.1% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 409,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 63,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 267,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.17% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 142nd largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 409,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 64% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Service Orientation, Coordination, Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 7h 53m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint

Yes. Occupational experts recently added these to the official task list, a sign of how the work itself is shifting. New tasks aren't rated for AI or robots yet:

• Scuba dive in aquariums to perform exhibit maintenance.
• Train volunteers and facility staff.

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Funeral Attendants (1h 5m touched, $36k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 1 with robots in real deployments, 21 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.