You’re thinking about opening a pet store. Or maybe you already own one and you’re wondering if other owners are doing better financially. Either way, you want the truth about how much pet store owners make.
To be direct, most pet store owners earn between $33,000 and $60,000 per year. That’s the reality for independent pet store owners across the country based on recent data. Some earn less in the early years while building a customer base. Others, especially those in prime locations with strong service offerings, can push into six figures.
This isn’t a get-rich-quick business. It’s a grind-it-out, build-relationships, manage-your-margins business. But it can be profitable and personally rewarding if you approach it strategically.
In this blog, we’ll break down what actually affects pet store owner income and share practical ways to improve your earnings.
Let’s dive in.
The hourly breakdown tells an interesting story. ZipRecruiter’s recent stats show pet shop owners earning an average of $23.56 per hour, which translates to roughly $49,000 annually for full-time work. But many owners work well beyond 40 hours per week, especially in the first few years.
First-year owners typically earn less while managing startup costs and building their clientele. By year three, most established stores see income stabilize. Owners who add high-margin services like grooming often exceed the national average within five years.
Franchise pet stores operate differently. Franchise owners pay ongoing fees but benefit from brand recognition and established systems. Independent store owners keep all profits but shoulder more risk and greater marketing responsibility.
Understanding profit margins helps you see where your income actually comes from. Every business operates on gross and net margins, but knowing the typical ranges for pet stores shows you what’s realistic to expect.
Gross margins represent what you keep after paying for products. Pet stores typically see gross margins between 30% and 50%. Premium pet food often delivers 35–40% margins, while accessories like toys and collars can reach 50–70%.
Net margins show what’s left after all expenses — rent, utilities, payroll, insurance, and marketing. For pet stores, net margins typically range from 5–20%. This is your true profit and the source of your personal income.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
A store generating $35,000 in monthly revenue with a 12% net margin earns about $4,200 per month, or roughly $50,000 annually for the owner. That $50,000 is what remains after inventory, employee wages, rent, and other operating costs are paid. It’s your actual take-home pay.
Related Read: Pet Store Profit Margins by Product Category: What Actually Makes Money
Product sales alone don’t make you wealthy. Grooming, training, daycare, and boarding dramatically improve profitability because they carry much higher margins than retail products.
Grooming, in particular, can generate 60–70% gross margins. Standard grooming packages typically range from $40–$90, depending on dog size. A skilled groomer can usually handle five to six dogs per day. At an average price of $60 per appointment, that’s $300–$360 daily, or roughly $6,000–$7,200 per month per groomer. Even after paying wages or commissions, you keep significantly more profit from services than from products.
Services also create recurring revenue. Many customers book grooming every four to eight weeks, which leads to more predictable income and repeated opportunities to sell products.
Pet boarding and daycare add another layer of steady revenue. These offerings work especially well in urban areas where pet owners travel frequently. While they require upfront investment in facilities and staffing, the margins often justify the effort.
Here’s something owners don’t talk about enough: Your income means nothing if you’re trapped in your store 70 hours per week.
Many pet store owners work themselves to exhaustion in the early years.
As a pet shop entrepreneur, you have to handle:
The store makes money, but it’s difficult to have a life outside of it.
Modern point of sale (POS) systems change this dynamic with:
When systems handle repetitive work, you reclaim time. You can then focus on growth strategies instead of daily operations — and even take a day off without worrying about everything falling apart.
Time freedom and income growth aren’t opposites. Smart systems give you both.
Related Read: Pet Store Employee Training: 6 Critical Topics
Operating costs directly impact how much you take home. Understanding these costs helps you manage them more effectively. Here’s a breakdown of the most important expenses to track:
The math is simple: Control costs without sacrificing quality, and you keep more profit.
Earning more as a pet store owner comes down to increasing revenue, improving margins, and controlling costs. Here are practical strategies that work:
Pet store ownership can be financially rewarding, but success requires smart systems and strategic decisions. You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and you can’t grow if you’re buried in manual processes.
eTailPet gives you tools designed specifically for your business. Track inventory in real time so you never run out of bestsellers or overstock slow-moving products. Manage multiple revenue streams — retail, services, e-commerce — all from one system.
With our cloud-based platform, you can generate reports that show exactly where your revenue comes from and where you’re losing money. From there, schedule staff around traffic patterns and let automated reordering keep your inventory stocked without constant manual checks.
These aren’t just features — they’re ways to reclaim your time while boosting your earnings.
Ready to see how eTailPet helps you increase profitability and reduce daily stress? Schedule a demo today.