Animal Trainers
Agriculture, Food and Natural ResourcesO*NET 39-2011.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $36,914
- Projected change
- +7.9%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 43.63K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
67% of the workforce
Growing to 47.05K by 2035
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The work
What animal trainers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Observe animals' physical conditions to detect illness or unhealthy conditions requiring medical care.
- Feed or exercise animals or provide other general care, such as cleaning or maintaining holding or performance areas.
- Evaluate animals to determine their temperaments, abilities, or aptitude for training.
- Administer prescribed medications to animals.
- Keep records documenting animal health, diet, or behavior.
- Evaluate animals for trainability and ability to perform.
- Advise animal owners regarding the purchase of specific animals.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $18,975
- 25th percentile
- $25,718
- 50th percentile
- $36,914
- 75th percentile
- $57,668
- 90th percentile
- $94,773
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $36,914 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+7.9%faster than average
202543,625 jobs
2035 projected47,050 jobs
3,425 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 67%
- Some college
- 16.6%
- Certificate
- 7.9%
- Associate degree
- 6.8%
- Bachelor's degree
- 1.8%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Dog Trainers1,942 postings
- 02Dog Handlers588 postings
- 03Kennel Technicians507 postings
- 04Groomers390 postings
- 05Pet Trainers278 postings
- 06Dog Daycare Attendants274 postings
- 07Certified Professional Dog Trainers236 postings
- 08Kennel Attendants220 postings
- 09Canine Handlers190 postings
- 10Daycare Attendants189 postings
- 11Bather/Groomer Trainees157 postings
- 12Dog Groomers150 postings
- 13Kennel Assistants146 postings
- 14Pet Sitters104 postings
- 15Grooms98 postings
- 16Dog Walkers92 postings
- 17Pet Playtime Coordinators91 postings
- 18Resort Associates84 postings
- 19Animal Caretakers79 postings
- 20Dog Trainers/Apprentices63 postings
Top employers
- 01PetCo857 postings
- 02Pet Supplies Plus547 postings
- 03PetSmart234 postings
- 04Pet Paradise Resort217 postings
- 05Off Leash K9 Training131 postings
- 06Barkbus105 postings
- 07Ace Of Hearts Dog Rescue96 postings
- 08Pet Dairy91 postings
- 09Best Friends Pet Care83 postings
- 10Karma Dog Constructionm68 postings
- 11Rover63 postings
- 12Ace Of Hearts61 postings
- 13Tractor Supply52 postings
- 14Petsuites49 postings
- 15JBS Foods42 postings
- 16Dogtopia30 postings
- 17Wag Hotels22 postings
- 18Destination Pet18 postings
- 19George Desort Staffing18 postings
- 20Wag N Wash17 postings
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