Survey Finds Career Choice Linked to Choice of Pet

Between August 17th and September 22nd, CareerBuilder asked 2,300 workers with pets about their choice of pet, chosen profession, compensation and job satisfaction. The workers were employed full-time, not self-employed and were employed in both government and non-government professions. 

The survey found that there was little difference between the person's choice of pet and the relative importance of their profession. However, it was noted that workers with snakes or other reptiles were the most likely to report earning six-figure salaries, and that dog owners were more likely to report holding senior management positions (CEO, CFO, Senior Vice President, etc.). And of all the workers questioned, those that were most satisfied with their jobs were more likely to be bird owners.

In terms of career paths, owners of certain pets were more likely to report being drawn to certain professions. Dog owners were more likely to be professors, nurses, information technology professionals, military professionals and entertainers. Cat owners were more likely to be physicians, real estate agents, science/medical lab technicians, machine operators and personal caretakers. Fish owners were more likely to be human resources professionals, financial professionals, hotel and leisure professionals, farming/fishing/forestry professionals and transportation professionals. Bird owners were more likely to be advertising professionals, sales representatives, construction workers and administrative professionals. And reptile owners were more likely to be engineers, social workers, marketing/public relations professionals, editors/writers and police officers.