How Much Can Dog Walkers Make? How About $120,000/Year

Yesterday I wrote about this postcard I got in the mail from DogVacay that promised I could make “up to” $1,000 a month as a professional dog sitter.

I was all “No way. Even at $50 a night, you’d have to be taking care of dogs constantly to make $1,000 a month.”

And then a friend passed along an article from the Orange County Register that promised to reveal the earnings of Orange County dog walkers, Uber drivers, and more:

Symphony conductor. Sign spinner. University president. Apple Store Genius. How much money do these people make, anyway?

Off the top of my head, I’m guessing symphony conductor is around $90K (depending on the symphony), Apple Store Genius is $35K, Uber driver, dog walker, and sign spinner are all under $20K, and university president is in the six figures.

Here’s what the Orange County Register had to report:

Symphony conductor: $382,174/year (wait, what?)

Apple Store Genius: $45,000/year (that makes sense)

University president: $610,000 and $324,500/year (they list two presidents at two different universities)

Uber driver: $30/hour (that’s about what Uber promises, so it’s good to know)

Sign spinner: $10/hour (at least it’s above minimum wage?)

Dog walker: $120,000/year

No, seriously:

Dog walker and pet-sitter with 45 canine clients at $25-$35 per walk, Orange: $120,000 a year.

I don’t know if they found the one dog walker making it work, or if that’s a good example of what most dog walkers/sitters in Orange County earn.

Either way, I found this list fascinating. The full article includes many more jobs and salaries, so check it out and then let us know what surprised you.

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