39 Series · SOC 39-2011
Animal Trainers Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $39,990
- Median / year
- $75,490
- Top 10% earn
- +5.1%
- Growth '23–'33
- 18,770
- US workers
Animal Trainers earn a median of $39,990 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $39,990, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $29,600 (10th percentile) to $75,490 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 18,770 US workers. Virginia pays the most ($62,960), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Animal Trainers earn a median of $39,990, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 12% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Personal Care and Service, it ranks #13 of 32 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 5.1% by 2033.
- $39,990
- Median annual wage
- Top 88%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #13 of 32
- in Personal Care and Service
- 2.6×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Virginia at $62,960. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Animal Trainers (SOC 39-2011) pays a national median of $39,990 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $29,600 at the 10th percentile to $75,490 at the 90th, with a mean of $47,020 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 18,770 Americans work in this occupation across 47 reporting states and 98 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +5.1% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as about average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 7,100 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 1.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 2 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Virginia pays the highest state median at $62,960, which is +57% above the national figure. The top metro is Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC at $99,190 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$39,990
per year
Median Hourly
$19.22/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$47,020
average
Employment
18,770
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Animal Trainers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$39,990 Bottom 12% higher than 12% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 39-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Animal Trainers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 24 39-series occupations with growth data, Animal Trainers sits on the faster-growing side at +5.1% growth and $39,990 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+5.1%
About average
Annual Openings
7,100
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
1.5/100K
Injury Rate
2/100
Danger Index
8.8/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Animal Trainers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Train horses or other equines for riding, harness, show, racing, or other work, using knowledge of breed characteristics, training methods, performance standards, and the peculiarities of each animal.
- ▸ Cue or signal animals during performances.
- ▸ Talk to or interact with animals to familiarize them to human voices or contact.
- ▸ Conduct training programs to develop or maintain desired animal behaviors for competition, entertainment, obedience, security, riding, or related purposes.
- ▸ Use oral, spur, rein, or hand commands to condition horses to carry riders or to pull horse-drawn equipment.
- ▸ Retrain horses to break bad habits, such as kicking, bolting, or resisting bridling or grooming.
- ▸ Feed or exercise animals or provide other general care, such as cleaning or maintaining holding or performance areas.
- ▸ Observe animals' physical conditions to detect illness or unhealthy conditions requiring medical care.
- ▸ Train dogs in human assistance or property protection duties.
- ▸ Evaluate animals to determine their temperaments, abilities, or aptitude for training.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$29,600
25th Percentile
$33,740
Median
$39,990
75th Percentile
$53,580
90th Percentile
$75,490
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 47 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $62,960 | +57% above national |
| 2 | Alabama | $55,700 | +39% above national |
| 3 | Oregon | $55,520 | +39% above national |
| 4 | California | $49,060 | +23% above national |
| 5 | New York | $48,790 | +22% above national |
| 6 | New Jersey | $46,690 | +17% above national |
| 7 | Washington | $46,420 | +16% above national |
| 8 | Illinois | $45,830 | +15% above national |
| 9 | Connecticut | $45,800 | +15% above national |
| 10 | Indiana | $45,270 | +13% above national |
| 11 | Georgia | $45,250 | +13% above national |
| 12 | Montana | $44,680 | +12% above national |
| 13 | Colorado | $44,290 | +11% above national |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $43,580 | +9% above national |
| 15 | Iowa | $43,020 | +8% above national |
| 16 | Minnesota | $41,690 | +4% above national |
| 17 | Idaho | $40,770 | +2% above national |
| 18 | Maine | $40,760 | +2% above national |
| 19 | Oklahoma | $40,310 | +1% above national |
| 20 | Arkansas | $39,400 | 1% below national |
| 21 | North Dakota | $38,970 | 3% below national |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $38,920 | 3% below national |
| 23 | Utah | $38,580 | 4% below national |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $38,200 | 4% below national |
| 25 | South Dakota | $38,120 | 5% below national |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $38,030 | 5% below national |
| 27 | North Carolina | $37,680 | 6% below national |
| 28 | Maryland | $37,430 | 6% below national |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $37,140 | 7% below national |
| 30 | West Virginia | $37,080 | 7% below national |
| 31 | Florida | $36,870 | 8% below national |
| 32 | Nevada | $36,760 | 8% below national |
| 33 | Texas | $36,370 | 9% below national |
| 34 | Tennessee | $35,320 | 12% below national |
| 35 | Mississippi | $35,130 | 12% below national |
| 36 | Alaska | $34,900 | 13% below national |
| 37 | Nebraska | $34,900 | 13% below national |
| 38 | New Mexico | $34,760 | 13% below national |
| 39 | Kansas | $34,720 | 13% below national |
| 40 | Kentucky | $34,030 | 15% below national |
| 41 | Missouri | $34,010 | 15% below national |
| 42 | Delaware | $33,810 | 15% below national |
| 43 | Arizona | $33,330 | 17% below national |
| 44 | Louisiana | $32,720 | 18% below national |
| 45 | Ohio | $32,700 | 18% below national |
| 46 | Michigan | $30,820 | 23% below national |
| 47 | South Carolina | $29,670 | 26% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 98 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $99,190 | +148% above national |
| 2 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $66,040 | +65% above national |
| 3 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $64,430 | +61% above national |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $61,490 | +54% above national |
| 5 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $59,710 | +49% above national |
| 6 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $58,160 | +45% above national |
| 7 | Colorado Springs, CO | $58,090 | +45% above national |
| 8 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $55,560 | +39% above national |
| 9 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $54,810 | +37% above national |
| 10 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $51,230 | +28% above national |
| 11 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $50,460 | +26% above national |
| 12 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $50,420 | +26% above national |
| 13 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $50,260 | +26% above national |
| 14 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,020 | +25% above national |
| 15 | Tulsa, OK | $49,320 | +23% above national |
| 16 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $49,170 | +23% above national |
| 17 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $49,150 | +23% above national |
| 18 | Ocala, FL | $48,030 | +20% above national |
| 19 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $46,890 | +17% above national |
| 20 | Richmond, VA | $46,820 | +17% above national |
| 21 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $46,810 | +17% above national |
| 22 | Boulder, CO | $46,510 | +16% above national |
| 23 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $46,020 | +15% above national |
| 24 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $44,950 | +12% above national |
| 25 | Rochester, NY | $44,760 | +12% above national |
| 26 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $44,170 | +10% above national |
| 27 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $44,160 | +10% above national |
| 28 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $43,680 | +9% above national |
| 29 | Fresno, CA | $43,620 | +9% above national |
| 30 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $43,070 | +8% above national |
| 31 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $43,010 | +8% above national |
| 32 | Boise City, ID | $42,870 | +7% above national |
| 33 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $42,860 | +7% above national |
| 34 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $42,180 | +5% above national |
| 35 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $41,830 | +5% above national |
| 36 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $41,770 | +4% above national |
| 37 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | $41,300 | +3% above national |
| 38 | Madison, WI | $41,130 | +3% above national |
| 39 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $40,760 | +2% above national |
| 40 | Bloomington, IN | $40,600 | +2% above national |
| 41 | Bellingham, WA | $40,540 | +1% above national |
| 42 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $40,520 | +1% above national |
| 43 | Oklahoma City, OK | $39,830 | same as national |
| 44 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $39,560 | 1% below national |
| 45 | Lancaster, PA | $39,540 | 1% below national |
| 46 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $39,510 | 1% below national |
| 47 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $39,450 | 1% below national |
| 48 | Reno, NV | $39,000 | 2% below national |
| 49 | Ogden, UT | $38,580 | 4% below national |
| 50 | South Florida nonmetropolitan area | $38,570 | 4% below national |
| 51 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $38,540 | 4% below national |
| 52 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $38,420 | 4% below national |
| 53 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $38,370 | 4% below national |
| 54 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $37,980 | 5% below national |
| 55 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $37,720 | 6% below national |
| 56 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $37,700 | 6% below national |
| 57 | Jacksonville, FL | $37,290 | 7% below national |
| 58 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $37,240 | 7% below national |
| 59 | Wilmington, NC | $37,080 | 7% below national |
| 60 | Asheville, NC | $36,970 | 8% below national |
| 61 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $36,860 | 8% below national |
| 62 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $36,390 | 9% below national |
| 63 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $36,180 | 10% below national |
| 64 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $36,030 | 10% below national |
| 65 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $35,990 | 10% below national |
| 66 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $35,950 | 10% below national |
| 67 | Pittsburgh, PA | $35,940 | 10% below national |
| 68 | Toledo, OH | $35,840 | 10% below national |
| 69 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $35,740 | 11% below national |
| 70 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $35,680 | 11% below national |
| 71 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $35,520 | 11% below national |
| 72 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | $35,430 | 11% below national |
| 73 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $35,320 | 12% below national |
| 74 | Anchorage, AK | $34,900 | 13% below national |
| 75 | Omaha, NE-IA | $34,900 | 13% below national |
| 76 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $34,620 | 13% below national |
| 77 | Wichita, KS | $34,390 | 14% below national |
| 78 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $34,310 | 14% below national |
| 79 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $34,300 | 14% below national |
| 80 | Columbus, OH | $34,290 | 14% below national |
| 81 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $34,220 | 14% below national |
| 82 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $34,030 | 15% below national |
| 83 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $34,010 | 15% below national |
| 84 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $33,340 | 17% below national |
| 85 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | $33,280 | 17% below national |
| 86 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $33,200 | 17% below national |
| 87 | Sussex Delaware nonmetropolitan area | $33,080 | 17% below national |
| 88 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $32,760 | 18% below national |
| 89 | El Paso, TX | $32,590 | 19% below national |
| 90 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $32,040 | 20% below national |
| 91 | Cleveland, OH | $31,620 | 21% below national |
| 92 | Tucson, AZ | $31,410 | 21% below national |
| 93 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $31,310 | 22% below national |
| 94 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $30,940 | 23% below national |
| 95 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $30,920 | 23% below national |
| 96 | Knoxville, TN | $30,530 | 24% below national |
| 97 | Columbia, SC | $29,670 | 26% below national |
| 98 | Ann Arbor, MI | $28,970 | 28% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 39 (personal care and service) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Animal Trainers make? ▼
What state pays Animal Trainers the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Animal Trainers? ▼
How dangerous is being a Animal Trainers? ▼
Is Animal Trainers a good career? ▼
How does Animal Trainers pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Animal Trainers? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Animal Trainers pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $53,580/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Virginia leads at $62,960/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.