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Entry Level Animal Care Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Christensen Farms

GDU Animal Care Technician

Madison, MN · On-site

$20/hr

Christensen Farms is seeking both entry level and experienced Animal Care Technicians to join our full-time gilt development team. We look forward to matching your abilities with our company's goals!

Christensen Farms

GDU Animal Care Technician

Madison, MN · On-site

$20/hr

Christensen Farms is seeking both entry level and experienced Animal Care Technicians to join our full-time gilt development team. We look forward to matching your abilities with our company's goals!

Christensen Farms

GDU Animal Care Technician

Madison, MN · On-site

$20/hr

Christensen Farms is seeking both entry level and experienced Animal Care Technicians to join our full-time gilt development team. We look forward to matching your abilities with our company's goals!

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Entry Level Animal Care information

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How much do entry level animal care jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 15, 2026, the average hourly pay for entry level animal care in the United States is $18.30, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $15.14 and $20.43 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of an entry level animal care worker?

As an entry level animal care worker, your day-to-day tasks usually include feeding animals, cleaning enclosures, monitoring animal health and behavior, and assisting with basic grooming or exercise routines. You’ll likely work closely with senior staff, veterinarians, and sometimes interact with the public, especially if you’re in a shelter or zoo environment. Attention to detail and strong observation skills are important, as early detection of health issues is a key part of the role. The work can be physically demanding but highly rewarding for animal lovers.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an entry level animal care worker?

To thrive as an Entry Level Animal Care worker, you need basic animal handling skills, attention to detail, and a high school diploma or equivalent. Familiarity with cleaning protocols, animal restraint equipment, and record-keeping systems is typically required. Compassion, patience, and strong teamwork skills help you build trust with animals and collaborate effectively with colleagues. These skills ensure the well-being of animals, maintain facility standards, and support a safe, supportive environment for both animals and staff.

What is an entry level animal care job?

Entry level animal care jobs involve assisting in the daily care and well-being of animals in settings such as shelters, veterinary clinics, zoos, or pet boarding facilities. Responsibilities typically include feeding, cleaning enclosures, monitoring animal health, providing enrichment, and sometimes assisting with basic grooming or medical tasks. These positions often require a genuine love for animals, attention to detail, and the ability to work physically demanding shifts. Entry level roles serve as a foundation for those interested in pursuing advanced careers in animal care or veterinary medicine.

What is the difference between Entry Level Animal Care vs Veterinary Assistant?

AspectEntry Level Animal CareVeterinary Assistant
Required CredentialsHigh school diploma or equivalent; certifications optionalHigh school diploma; some certifications preferred
Work EnvironmentAnimal shelters, pet stores, kennelsVeterinary clinics, animal hospitals
Employer & Industry UsageAnimal care facilities, pet organizationsVeterinary practices, animal healthcare industry
Common Search & ComparisonEntry Level Animal Care vs Veterinary Assistant

Entry Level Animal Care roles focus on basic animal handling and care in shelters or pet stores, often requiring minimal certifications. Veterinary Assistants work in clinics, assisting veterinarians with medical tasks, and may need specific certifications. Both roles involve working closely with animals, but Veterinary Assistants typically have more medical responsibilities and work in clinical settings.

More about Entry Level Animal Care jobs

What cities are hiring for Entry Level Animal Care jobs?

Cities with the most Entry Level Animal Care job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Animal Care jobs?

The most popular types of Animal Care jobs are:

What states have the most Entry Level Animal Care jobs?

States with the most job openings for Entry Level Animal Care jobs include:

What job categories do people searching Entry Level Animal Care jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Entry Level Animal Care jobs are:

Entry Level Animal Care jobs near you
Infographic showing various Entry Level Animal Care job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% As Needed, 70% Full Time, 21% Part Time, and 7% Contract. Highlights an 94% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $38,056 per year, or $18.3 per hour.

GDU Animal Care Technician

Christensen Farms

Madison, MN • On-site

$20/hr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 16 days ago

Job description

Are you interested in working with pigs? Do you want to work for a company where excellence is recognized and advancement opportunities are earned? 

Christensen Farms is seeking both entry level and experienced Animal Care Technicians to join our full-time gilt development team. We look forward to matching your abilities with our company's goals!

As an Animal Care Technician working in a Gilt Development Unit with Christensen Farms, you'll be a member of one of the nation's top producing teams.  Every day you'll be a part of providing quality pork to help feed a growing world and doing hands on work that makes a difference for the pig herd and your team.

If selected for this job, you'll be responsible for upholding our high biosecurity and animal welfare standards.  As an Animal Care Technician in a Gilt Development Unit, you'll receive training to provide outstanding animal care and handling and maintain pig herd health and vaccination programs across multiple gilt development sites. You'll be responsible to care for growing pigs and maintain required gilt records while executing the heat induction process. In addition, you'll assist in gilt blood testing and ventilation adjustments.

PAY AND BENEFITS

Christensen Farms is offering a Sign-On & Retention Bonus of $2,500 for all eligible newly-hired Animal Care Technicians.

This Animal Care Technician position starts at $20.00/hr. We also offer a great benefits package including health, dental, vision, a flexible spending account (FSA), life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, a 401(k) plan, paid holidays, a paid time off bank, and an employee assistance program (EAP).

REQUIREMENTS

This Animal Care Technician position requires site to site travel using your own vehicle. If you are selected for the position, you will need to submit a copy of a valid driver's license and current proof of auto insurance.

ABOUT CHRISTENSEN FARMS

We are one of the largest family-owned pork producers in the United States, marketing approximately 3 million pigs per year. Headquartered in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, we operate throughout the Midwest with facilities in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, and South Dakota. We own three feed mills, manage 148,000 sows on 44 sow farms and oversee more than 350 nursery and grow-finish sites. We employ nearly 1,000 people and maintain 1,500 contract partnerships. The company is vertically integrated with a strong presence across the pork value chain from farm to fork.

At Christensen Farms, we bring passion and pride to our daily work. We know every task contributes to our noble purpose of providing safe, nutritious food to nearly 15 million people around the world. Our dedicated team encompasses people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, working together with the utmost care, safety and integrity to produce high quality pork. We also assist employees in achieving their career goals through personal and professional development. Employee innovation is key to our industry leadership. Our employees are an essential element in our success their passion drives our purpose.

 

WORK SCHEDULE

Although hours may vary, the typical work schedule for an Animal Care Technician position is Monday through Friday, 7:00 am 3:30 pm and every other weekend. Depending on the pig load schedule, you may be required to start earlier or stay later. This full-time job averages 40-45 hours a week.

If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, apply today!

Christensen Farms is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy to select the most qualified person for each position in the organization. No employee of CF will discriminate against any applicant for employment or a fellow employee because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, citizenship status, genetic information, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, veteran status or any other prohibited basis under applicable local, state, or federal law.

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