Animal Trainers Salary
Personal Care and Service Occupations · 19K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$39,990
Median hourly
$19
Average annual
$47,020
Typical range
$29,600–$75,490
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Animal Trainers is $39,990 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $19 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Train animals for riding, harness, security, performance, or obedience, or for assisting persons with disabilities. Accustom animals to human voice and contact, and condition animals to respond to commands.
Most earn between $29,600 and $75,490 a year. There are roughly 19K people employed as animal trainers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Animal Trainers.
- Hourly
- $19.23
- Daily
- $154
- Weekly
- $769
- Bi-weekly
- $1,538
- Monthly
- $3,333
- Annual
- $39,990
$39,990 a year is around the 50th percentile for Animal Trainerss. The median is $39,990.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Virginia$62,960
- 2Alabama$55,700
- 3Oregon$55,520
- 4California$49,060
- 5New York$48,790
- 6New Jersey$46,690
- 7Washington$46,420
- 8Illinois$45,830
- 9Connecticut$45,800
- 10Indiana$45,270
- 11Georgia$45,250
- 12Montana$44,680
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$99,190
- 2Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$66,040
- 3Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$64,430
- 4San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$61,490
- 5Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$59,710
- 6Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$58,160
- 7Colorado Springs, CO$58,090
- 8Raleigh-Cary, NC$55,560
- 9San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$54,810
- 10Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$51,230
- 11Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$50,460
- 12Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$50,420
Related job titles
Employers advertise Animal Trainers roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Animal Caretakers$35,360
- Animal Breeders$51,130
- Animal Control Workers$45,660
- Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers$38,150
- Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors$47,160
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals$36,670
- Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$47,380
- Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials$40,710
What a Animal Trainers does
- Talk to or interact with animals to familiarize them to human voices or contact.
- Observe animals' physical conditions to detect illness or unhealthy conditions requiring medical care.
- Evaluate animals for trainability and ability to perform.
- Cue or signal animals during performances.
- Feed or exercise animals or provide other general care, such as cleaning or maintaining holding or performance areas.
- Keep records documenting animal health, diet, or behavior.
- Advise animal owners regarding the purchase of specific animals.
- Conduct training programs to develop or maintain desired animal behaviors for competition, entertainment, obedience, security, riding, or related purposes.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Animal Trainers make?
- The median annual wage for Animal Trainers is $39,990 ($19 per hour). Pay ranges from about $29,600 at the 10th percentile to $75,490 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Animal Trainers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $47,020, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Animal Trainerss the most?
- Virginia has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $62,960.
- Is Animal Trainers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 19K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Animal Trainers do?
- Talk to or interact with animals to familiarize them to human voices or contact.; Observe animals' physical conditions to detect illness or unhealthy conditions requiring medical care.; Evaluate animals for trainability and ability to perform..