Pet sitting sits inside a large and changing pet-care economy. Reported figures from Pet Sitters International (PSI), Rover, and the American Pet Products Association (APPA) show how established the service is, what pet sitters charge, which animals they care for, and how household demand has developed. The figures cover different years, geographies, and populations, so each measurement period matters.
Contents
- Pet sitting business and revenue statistics
- Visit prices and service times
- Animals and services covered
- Pet sitting demand and booking activity
- Pet ownership and the wider market
- Who runs pet-sitting businesses
Pet sitting business and revenue statistics
PSI’s figures describe the performance and structure of member businesses, rather than every pet sitter in the United States or Canada. That distinction is important when using the numbers as a benchmark.
- PSI reported average U.S. gross revenue of $100,537 for member businesses in 2023, compared with $94,563 in 2022. These are gross-revenue figures, not profit figures. (PSI Industry Stats and Facts)
- In Canada, PSI reported average member gross revenue of 100,764 Canadian dollars in 2023, up from 91,909 Canadian dollars in 2022. (PSI Industry Stats and Facts)
- 70% of PSI members expected their revenue to increase in 2024. This is a member expectation, not a recorded industry-wide result. (PSI Industry Stats and Facts)
- PSI said 99% of its member pet-sitting businesses were independently owned rather than franchises. (PSI Industry Stats and Facts)
- PSI said it had more than 4,000 member pet-sitting and dog-walking businesses and had helped more than 40,000 people start and grow a profitable pet-sitting business since 1994. PSI was founded in 1994. (PSI fact sheet; PSI Industry Stats and Facts)
The reported revenue benchmark changed substantially across survey years. PSI’s 2022 State of the Industry Survey reported average U.S. gross revenue of $68,699 for 2021, while PSI’s later industry figures reported $100,537 for 2023. The two measurements should not be treated as a clean year-by-year trend without accounting for differences in survey timing, membership, and business conditions. (PSI 2022 State of the Industry Survey; PSI Industry Stats and Facts)
Visit prices and service times
PSI’s 2022 State of the Industry Survey provides useful U.S. benchmarks for common services. The amounts below describe average fees and durations reported for 2021, not a universal price list. Rates can vary by location, service scope, travel, number of pets, and scheduling.
| U.S. service reported by PSI | Average duration | Average fee |
|---|---|---|
| Basic pet-care visit | 29.6 minutes | $22.51 |
| Dog-walking visit | 30.6 minutes | $24.59 |
| Overnight sit | 13 hours | $72.33 |
The basic pet-care visit and dog-walking figures are close in duration, at roughly half an hour each, while the reported overnight sit spans 13 hours. The fee figures are averages from the same U.S. survey and should be read as historical benchmarks for 2021. (PSI 2022 State of the Industry Survey)
These measurements also illustrate why “pet sitting” can describe several different services. A short drop-in visit, a walk, and an overnight stay have different time commitments and cannot be compared by price alone. The survey’s labels and measurement period should stay attached when using these figures for planning or budgeting.
Animals and services covered
Pet sitting is not limited to dogs and cats. In PSI’s latest member survey overview, members offered services for cats at 97% of businesses and dogs at 93%. A separate PSI fact sheet reported cats at 97.1% of businesses and dogs at 94.7%. The small difference reflects different source presentations and should not be merged into a single percentage. (PSI Overview; PSI fact sheet)
PSI’s 2022 State of the Industry Survey reported the following service availability among members:
- 75% offered services for small animals.
- 73% offered services for birds.
- 70% offered services for freshwater fish.
- 59% offered services for reptiles and amphibians.
- 47% offered services for saltwater fish.
- 40% offered services for livestock.
- 25% offered services for horses.
- 6% offered services for exotic pets.
The pattern shows a broad service mix, but the availability is uneven. Cats and dogs were offered by almost all surveyed businesses, while horse, livestock, and exotic-pet care appeared at a smaller share of businesses. These percentages describe what PSI members offered, not the share of pet owners who used each service. (PSI 2022 State of the Industry Survey)
Pet sitting demand and booking activity
PSI reported that its members performed more than 20 million pet-sitting visits in 2019. The PSI 2022 State of the Industry Survey reported more than 12 million visits in 2021. Because these are different reporting periods and source contexts, they should be treated as separate historical totals rather than a definitive measure of market growth or decline. (PSI fact sheet; PSI 2022 State of the Industry Survey)
Rover’s fact sheet reported more than 2 million pet owners had booked pet care through its platform and 40 million services had been booked in total. It also reported that more than 500,000 pet sitters and dog walkers had earned money caring for pets on Rover. These platform figures describe Rover activity and participants, not the entire pet-sitting market. (Rover Fact Sheet)
Rover reported that 70% of gross booking value came from overnight services, including dog boarding, house sitting, and drop-in services. The company also reported that 97% of reviewed bookings had a five-star rating. The rating statistic is based on reviewed Rover bookings and should not be generalized to all pet-sitting appointments. (Rover Fact Sheet)
Rover’s 2019 fact sheet reported that a service was booked every three seconds, that more than 20 million photos had been shared through Rover, and that close to 3.5 million Rover Cards had been sent and received. It also reported close to 5 million miles walked by Rover dog walkers. These are historical, platform-specific activity figures from 2019. (Rover Fact Sheet 2019)
The same 2019 Rover source said 92% of the population lived within a short drive of more than 300,000 listed pet sitters and dog walkers, and that over 95% of reviewed bookings received a perfect five-star rating. These older figures should remain labeled with their source year when used alongside newer platform statistics. (Rover Fact Sheet 2019)
Pet ownership and the wider market
Pet ownership creates the potential customer base for pet care, although ownership does not automatically mean a household buys sitting services. Rover’s fact sheet said 67% of households had a pet and another 20% had previously had a pet. It also reported that 11 million households got a new pet during the pandemic. (Rover Fact Sheet)
APPA reported $158 billion in U.S. pet spending in 2024. Its category breakdown was:
- $68.3 billion for pet food and treats.
- $34.4 billion for supplies, live animals, and over-the-counter medicine.
- $41.0 billion for veterinary care and product sales.
- $14.3 billion for other services, including pet sitting and pet walking.
APPA projected $165 billion in total U.S. pet sales for 2026. Its 2026 projections included $69.7 billion for food and treats, $35.6 billion for supplies, live animals, and over-the-counter medicine, $42.4 billion for veterinary care and product sales, and $14.9 billion for other services. These are forecasts, not recorded 2026 results. (APPA Industry Trends and Stats)
APPA said 95 million U.S. households owned a pet in 2025. Its 2026 State of the Industry Report said dog ownership rose from 51% of U.S. households in 2024 to 53% in 2025, equivalent to 71 million households, and that dog-owning households increased by about 4 million year over year. Cat ownership increased 5% year over year; 39% of U.S. households owned a cat in 2025, equivalent to 53 million households. (APPA Industry Trends and Stats; APPA 2026 State of the Industry Report)
The same APPA report said 22% of pet owners spent less on their pets in 2025, described as a 10% increase from 2024. It also reported year-over-year increases in ownership for birds (25%), reptiles (20%), and freshwater fish (17%). Among Gen X households, overall pet ownership expanded 12%, dog ownership increased 12%, and cat ownership increased 8%. (APPA 2026 State of the Industry Report)
APPA’s economic-impact figures show the scale of the broader sector: 2.78 million jobs supported nationwide, $260.5 billion contributed directly and indirectly to the U.S. economy, and $174 billion in annual GDP. Its 2024 impact model reported $36,616 million in pet spending, $302,641 million in annual transactions with multiplier effects, 1,273,464 jobs in pet-related goods and service industries, and 2,747,159 jobs linked directly or indirectly to the pet support sector. It also reported $140,117 million in earnings from pet-industry jobs and $21,680 million in pet-related tax revenue. (APPA Economic Impact)
Who runs pet-sitting businesses
PSI’s member profile provides context about the people operating these businesses. Its industry figures reported that 90% of members identified as women, the average member age was 54, the average age when members started their businesses was 44, and 92% had pursued post-secondary education. 66% had been in business for six or more years. (PSI Industry Stats and Facts)
The PSI 2022 State of the Industry Survey reported that 91% of member pet sitters identified as female, the average age was 53, more than 92% had completed at least some college, and the average age at business start was 42. These figures are close to, but not identical with, the later industry profile. (PSI 2022 State of the Industry Survey)
Earlier PSI research adds detail about career paths. Its 2016 State of the Industry Survey reported that 58% of members left another career to start a pet-sitting business, while only 3% pursued pet sitting as a first career immediately after high school or college. It reported that 16.9% started after retirement and 21.8% started after being laid off. (PSI 2016 State of the Industry Survey)
The 2016 survey also reported that 83% of member businesses were owned solely by women, 95% were insured, and 83% carried both liability insurance and bonding. In education measures from that survey, 90% had completed at least some college, 33.6% had bachelor’s degrees, and 13.8% were pursuing graduate-level studies. The average age when members opened their businesses was 43. (PSI 2016 State of the Industry Survey)
Finally, the 2016 PSI survey reported that 43% of client households were married couples without children and 33% were married couples with children. Clients under age 25 represented 5% of members’ clientele. These are historical descriptions of PSI members’ client households, not current national demographic estimates. (PSI 2016 State of the Industry Survey)