Thinking of starting a dog daycare and boarding business? Wondering just how much a kennel owner makes?
According to Payscale.com, the average paid kennel owner brings in $50,868 per year ($20k on the low end to $122k on the high end – source). The average kennel manager makes $29,167 on the low end and up to $36,000 on the high end. According to our calculations, a kennel owner can make up to $157,000 (see calcs below).
In this article, we’ll break down these numbers so you can see exactly where they come from and what you can expect to earn as a kennel manager or owner.
Table of Contents
Salary for Dog Daycare Kennel Owners
According to Payscale.com, the average kennel owner brings in $50,868 per year (source). The range in salaries goes from $20,000 per year on the low end to $122,000 per year on the high end. This was based on data they had from 13 different kennel owners.
Owner experience level ranged from 5 years on the low end up to 19 years of experience on the high end.
Keep in mind that there are no “Kennel Owner” jobs. At best you could make around $30,000 as a Kennel Manager.
Owners take on more risk and thus make more money than the highest-paid managers.
Salary for Dog Kennel Managers
The average kennel manager makes $29,167 on the low end and up to $36,000 on the high end. These are average values based on current listings found on several job sites.
The highest salary listed was $50,000. The lowest was $20,000. Detailed information on each posting can be found in the table below.
| Job Title | Source | Location | Low Salary | High Salary |
| Kennel /Daycare Manager (Luxury Pet Resort) | Indeed.com | Prosper, TX | $35,000 | $40,000 |
| Kennel Manager | Indeed.com | Eighty-Four, PA | $28,000 | $34,000 |
| Kennel Tech Assistant Manager | Indeed.com | Moore, OK | $20,000 | $26,000 |
| Kennel Manager | SimplyHired.com | Chandler, AZ | $32,000 | $50,000 |
| Overnight Kennel Manager | SimplyHired.com | Mill Valley, CA | $36,000 | $36,000 |
| Kennel Manager | Ziprecruiter.com | Ramona, CA | $24,000 | $30,000 |
How Much Does A Dog Boarding Business Make?
The average dog boarding business can make over $90,000 in net profit before taxes per year running a small kennel with 3 staff members. This assumes an average of 20 dogs in daycare per workday and 10 dogs boarded overnight each night of the week.
The average kennel manager as an employee makes between $30,000 and $36,000 per year.
Full calculations, assumptions, and research for these numbers can be found in the detailed sections below.
Business Revenue
First up let’s start with typical revenues generated by dog daycare and boarding businesses.
Dog Daycare and Boarding Pricing
The prices below are real prices from dog daycare and boarding businesses in the Denver, Colorado area. Prices will vary around the country. We choose Denver as an example since it’s a mid-range city. Prices are neither the highest nor the lowest in the country so it gives an easy-to-research average.
| Dog Boarding Service Type | Low Cost | High Cost | Average Cost |
| Full Day | $29 | $35 | $32 |
| Half Day | $22 | $26 | $24 |
| Overnight Stay | $38 | $46 | $42 |
| 7 Night Stay | $273 | $322 | $297 |
| Monthly Stay | $350 | $1,290 | $820 |
Let’s assume you build up a client base of 20 dogs a day that needs daycare while their pet parents work plus 10 dogs a day that needs overnight care. Using the average values above that’s 20 times $32 ($640) for daycare and 10 times $42 ($420) for overnight boarding.
That comes to a total of $1,060 per day in revenue. That’s $22,083 per month ($1,060 * 5 days per week * 50 weeks with 2 weeks vacation divided by 12 months).
Of course, you can offer other services like grooming or training that could raise your daily revenue. For this example, let’s keep it simple and say you only run a daycare and boarding kennel.
Now on to expenses.
Business Expenses
The largest expense for a kennel is going to be commercial space rental and staffing. Let’s break everything down into ongoing costs. For one-time expenses like equipment, we’ll convert that into monthly repayments on a loan.
| One Time Costs | |
| Kennel Equipment | $10,000 |
| Computer, Printer, and Misc. Office Supplies | $3,000 |
| On-going Expenses | |
| Leasing Commercial Space ($15/sf * 400 square feet) | $6,000 (Annual)/ $500 per month |
| Health insurance monthly for you and three staff (4 total) | $1600 |
| 3 Staff at $15/hour * 35 hours per week each ($15 * 35 hrs * 3 staff * 50 weeks a year / 12) | $6,563 |
| General liability insurance monthly | $50 |
| Monthly Loan Payment for One-Time Expenses | $260 |
| Total Monthly Expenses | $8,973 |
This plan assumes you start small with just 400 square feet and some basic kennel equipment. Just the bare minimum cages you are to keep 10 dogs in separate cages during the day and board 10 dogs per night as per the assumptions above in revenue.
Daycare dogs are kept in common rooms and outdoor spaces during the day. The cages are used only for problem dogs during the day. Then they’re used as boarding spaces for the overnight dogs.
Kennel equipment also includes hoses, plumbing, and related equipment to make cleaning easier. You may be able to do it for more or less. For our purposes, let’s round it to $10,000 for the Kennel setup.
In addition, you’ll spend about $3,000 on an office computer and printer so you can take payments, print receipts, track dogs, and conduct basic kennel management.
According to Bankrate.com, you can get a small business loan for $13,000 with a payoff period of 5 years at 7% interest. That comes to a monthly payment of $257.42. Let’s round up to $260.
Based on the above your total monthly expenses come out to $8,973.
Net Profit
Your total net profit before taxes comes out to $22,083 in revenue minus $8,973 in monthly expenses equals $13,110 in profit. Over 12 months that’s $157,320 annually.
My name is Ken and I’m one of the staff writers at Petloverguy.com. I’ve cared for pets most of my life starting with hamsters, turtles, and snakes. Then moving up to parakeets, guinea pigs, and even ducks.
I currently live with two yorkies and a chihuahua mix.
