Care.com Pet Sitting: How to Get Jobs, Sign Up, and More
Last Updated on 2024-04-14
Whether you’re interested in pet sitting as a new side job or already have experience and are looking for more opportunities, Care.com is a great way to connect with individuals or families who may be looking for pet sitters.
Before you can start looking for pet-sitting jobs on Care.com, you’ll need to sign up for an account and consent to a required background check. If you pass the background check, you'll be able to make a profile on the platform. The Care.com team often approves applicants within just a few days. Once you're approved, you'll be able to search and apply for pet-sitting jobs.
Can you see yourself as a pet sitter on Care.com? Apply now to a position near you.
Care.com pet sitter requirements
There are a few requirements you’ll need to meet to sign up as a pet sitter on Care.com. To create an account, you’ll have to be sure the following applies to you:
- You must be 18 years or older: All users must be 18 years or older to create a pet-sitting account on Care.com.
- You must be willing to complete a required background check: To help ensure the safety of the individuals and families you might provide services for, Care.com requires job seekers to complete its designated background check, called CareCheck. This background check is required annually to keep your Care.com profile active.
- You must be willing to include a photo of yourself in your profile: A clear and well-lit photo for your profile must be included on your profile.
Families or individuals searching for pet sitters on Care.com may also request an interview or ask you to complete additional background checks besides the CareCheck. If a potential employer requires additional background checks, they’ll typically cover the cost of the background check. You’ll have to give your consent before any additional checks are run — you’ll never be caught off guard by a surprise background check that you didn’t consent to.
Types of pet-sitting jobs on Care.com
There are two types of pet-sitting jobs that you’ll typically find on Care.com:
- Longer-term pet-sitting jobs: You may be asked to pet sit while a family is on vacation, which may be a couple of days or more. With this kind of request, an owner might ask you to stay in their home, but families can also request that you board their pet in your own home.
"This should include much higher pay as you will be taking the risk of damage/accidents happening in your home," advises Rose Peterson, who has been doing pet sitting jobs for over five years. "The pet should be brought to your home before the boarding so they aren't blindsided — this can help prevent fear and anxiety."
"If boarding in your own home, make sure the pet you are sitting is up to date on vaccinations. If not, it’s better to sit at the owner’s home," adds Natalie Dodd, a caregiver on Care.com for over three years.
Some long-term jobs are comprised of many short-term jobs — for example, pet sitting or dog walking once a week on an ongoing basis.
- Shorter-term pet-sitting jobs: Shorter-term or one-off petsitting jobs are also advertised on Care.com. For example, a pet owner may make a posting looking for someone to watch their dog for a few hours one day, or maybe a few hours a day for a week. The key difference here is that short-term jobs are one-offs, not recurring jobs.
Care seekers typically describe what they’re looking for in their job postings. Most of the time, care seekers looking for long-term engagements will make job postings, while those looking for short-term care will make booking requests (reach out to you directly).
How to start booking pet-sitting jobs on Care.com
Here’s what you need to get started on Care.com.
Step 1: Create an account
To begin the signup process, follow this link to apply.
You’ll need to provide your:
- First and last name
- Email address
- Gender
Then you’ll be able to specify what kind of care you can provide. Even though you’re signing up as a pet sitter, you'll be able to indicate whether you are interested in any of these other types of caretaking jobs as well:
You can pick as many as you like, but you'll have to create a separate profile for each. Keep in mind that a profile is not the same as an account — your profile is your public-facing page, like a social media profile. Your account is private, and you can have multiple profiles under the same account.
Next, the platform will ask what type of pets you're comfortable caring for (dogs and/or cats) and which of the following services you are willing to provide:
- Sitting
- Boarding
- Doggy daycare
- Dog Walking
From here, you can also set your hourly rate.
Choosing your membership
Care.com offers two membership options that you can choose from when you sign up: Basic and Premium.
The Care.com Basic Membership allows you to:
- Offer multiple services (such as babysitting and pet sitting)
- Create a custom profile
- Search for and apply for jobs
- Receive and accept booking requests
- Answer messages from families interested in hiring you
- Take advantage of Care.com resources, including hiring guides and rate calculators
The Basic plan technically doesn't have any membership fees, but the mandatory background check is not included, so it’s not completely free.
The Care.com Premium Membership provides everything included in the Basic plan as well as the following additional perks:
- You'll be ranked higher in search results
- A premium badge will show up on your profile when it appears in a search
- You'll receive priority job alerts
- Access to LifeMart Discount Program
- CareCheck included
The cost of a Premium membership varies depending on how long you sign up for. If you choose to start with the Basic membership, you can always upgrade to Premium on the Care.com app or website whenever you'd like.
Making your profile
Once you choose between Basic and Premium membership, you'll be prompted to create a profile. Your profile is the first thing that people will see when you apply for a role and when you show up in searches.
The following should be included in your profile:
- A well-lit photo of you
- A headline and short bio
- Any additional skills you might have
Your profile is meant to showcase your personality and pet-sitting skills and experience, so take some time to work on it and make sure it accurately reflects what you can offer.
Once you fill out your initial profile, you'll be able to see the types of jobs that are available in your area, including where they're located and how much they're paying.
Don't be concerned if your profile doesn't go live for a few days — Care.com manually reviews every profile, so it won't be approved instantaneously. Potential employers cannot see your profile until it’s approved by the Care.com team. Any messages or applications you send won’t be delivered until your profile is approved.
Booking your first job
Once your background check and profile are complete, you'll be able to search and apply for jobs. You can start applying for jobs before your profile is approved (though employers won’t see your application until your profile is approved).
You can find work on Care.com by:
- Actively applying to job postings from people seeking pet sitters
- Waiting for people looking for pet sitters to contact you after you appear in their searches
The best strategy is generally to combine these methods.
As mentioned before, some individuals might require extra background checks or an interview before they hire you. If someone requests an additional background check, you'll be asked to consent to it. Interviews may take place through the Care.com messaging platform, by phone call, or by email. Rest assured that you'll need to be the one to share your contact details with potential employers (other than your first name and last initial) — they cannot view this information on your profile.
Reviews
Once you complete a job, you'll be able to fill out a Care Summary to provide a summary of how the job went. This is also a great way to get more reviews from those who hire you as a pet sitter, which increases the likelihood of getting hired or booked again.
Reviews are also important as they can make your profile more competitive and allow people looking for pet sitters to see how you have performed as a pet sitter in the past.
Pay and benefits as a pet sitter on Care.com
When you enter your ZIP code, the Care.com platform will show the average rate for pet sitting in your area, which will depend on state minimum wages and local demand. However, you're free to set your rate to whatever you want.
Families looking for pet sitters can also advertise how much they're looking to pay in their bookings and job postings. You can also discuss pay rates ahead of time with potential employers. "If bringing the pet into your car or home, make sure to discuss what will be done should they cause damage," adds Rose.
Getting paid as a pet sitter on Care.com
Care.com pays via Stripe, an online payment processing platform. Stripe typically transfers payments using your debit card. Currently, this is the only form of payment Care.com supports, so you’ll need to link your debit card to your account to receive payment as a pet sitter.
How often you’ll be paid depends on the nature of the job you’re hired for — you’ll work that out with the person who is hiring you. Once the care seeker sends payment, Care.com will process it, and you should receive it within one to three business days.
Care.com charges a fee for bookings you accept through the platform.
Employment classification
When you’re hired for a job on Care.com, you’re typically considered an employee of the person who hired you. As a pet sitter, you may be considered an independent contractor in some cases.
However, you are never considered a Care.com employee — Care.com's role is only to connect you with potential employers. Depending on how much pay you receive via Stripe transactions, the platform may send you a 1099-K.
If you're unsure about how you should be classified or how your taxes will work, it's best to speak with a tax professional.
You typically should not expect to receive health insurance or other benefits from pet-sitting jobs on Care.com.
Get Started
Can you see yourself as a pet sitter on Care.com? Apply now to a position near you.