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Review Summary

We give PetSmart a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Editor's Rating: 3.5/5

Pay: 3/5

Benefits: 3.5/5

Employee Satisfaction: 3.5/5

Room for Advancement: 4/5

What Is PetSmart? How Does It Work?

PetSmart is a pet supply industry chain in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. They offer a variety of products for a majority of household pets—from dogs to reptiles.

If you’re an animal lover but lack a highly-specific degree, it can be very difficult to land an interactive job working with animals. However, there are more options than you think, with PetSmart being among the possibilities.

PetSmart offers lots of services to paying customers and their pets, including grooming, supplies, training, PetsHotel, and Doggie Day Camp (which we will discuss in detail later in the article).

Employees get to fulfill a list of duties, including restocking, taking inventory, checking out customers, grooming pets, and selling correct species and products to future owners.

PetSmart – A Quick Look

• One-on-one animal husbandry
• On-the-job training
• Growth opportunities
• Meaningful work
• Certification potential
• Tuition reimbursement
• Terrific for college and high school students

• Low pay
• Workplace gossip
• Not for every personality
• Might not match long-term goals

PetSmart Employee Pay

PetSmart’s pay scale varies depending on experience and position at the time of hire. Also, the official dollar on the hour depends on where you live. Larger cities with higher living costs might pay higher wages than a rurally-located PetSmart in a lower-income area.

The general income generated by a PetSmart employee on a broad scale is $21,000 to $150,000 per year. That’s quite a drastic jump, right? That’s because the roles within the company are so vast. Once you get into the higher-paying jobs, you might work business only, losing the animal aspect.

What to Expect from Working At PetSmart

Because most positions at PetSmart require customer service and retail duties, you’ll find most positions are very fast-paced. In a single location, you generally have an employee handle each section of the pet shop to ensure all areas are getting individual attention.

Depending on your individual duties, you could work with the animals, public, a mixture of both, or handle back-office work.

• Personal Goals. Overall, employees seem pleased with personal goals they can set at work. The jobs offered at PetSmart appear to be pleasingly challenging and exciting, learning and spending time with animals every day.

• Sense of Purpose. Because of the nature of the job, many employees report a sense of purpose within their role. These positions involve a lot of patience and compassion toward animals and efficiency and adequate care knowledge.

• Learn Daily. Dealing with living creatures daily can pose some unique challenges sometimes. Dealing with living creatures daily can pose some unique challenges sometimes. Not only will you learn about business, cash handling, customer interaction, and proper procedure, you’ll also learn about many different species.

• Low Pay. Many PetSmart positions are entry-level pay. While this is fine for students and young workers, it can take longer to get to where you want to be in the company.

• Teamwork. Overall, there seem to be some complaints about fellow workers. Whether it’s an unequal distribution of responsibility or workplace gossip, there seems to be a few locations that don’t feel things are as fair with fellow workers as it could be.

• Sense of Belonging. This aspect of working depends very much on location, staff, management, and compatibility with the job itself.

PetSmart Benefits

Working With Animals

A real upside for all animal lovers is working with animals on the job. Whether you’re starting a career or working on your degree, working in pet retail can give you an interesting look into the market.

Career Advancement

With this franchise, it is possible to move up from current positions. Different PetSmart locations might have slightly different rules as to the length of employment before advancement, but there are places to move up the ladder.

Benefits

• Retirement plan
• Signing bonus
• Paid time off
• Health insurance
• Employee discounts

Certification

In some positions, such as grooming, you can actually get certified—and PetSmart will pay for it. Even after leaving employment with PetSmart, you can maintain that certification if you so choose.

Cash Handling Experience

It always helps in almost any job to know how to count basic cash. It’s a skill you will take with you through nearly any career you explore. Also, the more well-versed you are in this skill, the more responsibility you can take on at work if you seek growth within the company.

Tuition Assistance

PetSmart offers tuition reimbursement through some college programs under applicable terms and conditions. To see eligible schools, check the website for your exact institution.

PetSmart offers part-time, full-time, and salary positions. Initially, you come into your role and must complete a probationary period upon hire. You must also complete a background check, drug screen, and consent to random drug tests throughout your course of employment.

PetSmart offers advancement for employees, depending on the direction you want to take your career. Most of the advancement moves away from working directly with the animals, which can be a deterrent for some people.

Schedules seem to be remotely flexible, though usually ever-changing. Many positions require filling in or schedule changes depending on other employees’ attendance and performance—or overall business need.

Generally, the company is accommodating to the outside-the-workplace lifestyle, within reason.

Types of Job Titles at PetSmart

• Pet Groomer
• Retail Sales Associate
• Cashier
• Lead Associate
• Pet Sitter
• Pet Bather
• Engagement Manager
• Brand Ambassador

Is PetSmart a Good Place to Work?

PetSmart can be a very good place to work for the right person. Often, pet lovers apply for these jobs so they can work one on one with animals. However, this might happen less as you climb the corporate ladder.

PetSmart offers a decent work-life balance, but it is a very sporadic schedule for lower-level employees. Depending on position availability, advancement time in career roles can vary by location.

FAQ

Does PetSmart Offer Health Insurance to Employees?

PetSmart does not offer insurance to part-time employees but does for full-time and salaried positions.

Is Working At PetSmart Dangerous?

Even though working with animals can be exciting, it isn’t something to be taken lightly. Every day, you have a responsibility to ensure the safety of pets, employees, and customers. If certain rules are not upheld, accidents could happen.

Do You Have to Have a Degree to Work at PetSmart?

You do not have to have a college education to work at PetSmart, but many locations require at least a high school diploma or GED. Certain positions might require further schooling or particular education in related subject expertise as you move up.

What Current and Previous Employees Say

In our research, many aspects of working at PetSmart were a hit and miss for people. While one person might very much love changing reptile bedding and feeding the fish, they might really hate back-office paperwork.

We see that compatibility with the position one works in is crucial to their overall experience. If someone was passionate about animals, they may love animal care or grooming. If someone is a people person, they may want to be upfront with customers.

Overall, there is a steady consensus that the work is fulfilling, educating, and even fun at times. However, advancement can be challenging, and achieving specific work-related goals might take some time.

Conclusion

PetSmart has some mixed reviews regarding employee satisfaction. If you are unhappy with your work, your performance will likely suffer. Ultimately, the company and employee must be compatible with forming a strong working relationship.

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