Many people employ a dog walker to exercise their pets.
More than 43 million households in the United States have at least one dog as a pet. Busy schedules often make it difficult for pet owners to provide adequate exercise for their dogs, so many owners employ a professional dog walker.
Official Data
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track income for dog walkers so no official data is available. The income of dog walkers varies greatly depending upon hours worked, number of dogs walked and amount charged per walk. A dog walker's earnings depend largely on the ability of the walker, the number of clients they have and the amount they charge.
Average Rates
Dog walking income varies based on several factors.
Rates vary depending on the number of walks per week, whether the walk is a private walk or a group walk and the length of the walk. The average price of a half-hour, private walk, based on a random sampling (in October 2010), is as follows: Chicago - $14, New York City - $18, Los Angeles - $18 and Louisville, Kentucky - $15.
Calculations
Given that there are no official earnings figures, an independent dog walker can calculate their future earnings in this way: Multiply the number of dogs walked times the number of walks per week times the rate charged per walk to determine that week's income. For instance, a person walking 11 dogs five times a week at $20 per walk would earn $1100 that week. (11 dogs x 5 walks each x $20 = $1100).
Tags: charged walk, dogs walked, exercise their, income walkers, number dogs