Animal Trainers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for animal trainerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Virginia$74,870
- New Jersey$62,460
- Oregon$57,330
- Alabama$55,600
- California$55,570
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$32,660
- South Carolina$33,580
- Michigan$33,640
- New Mexico$34,930
- Arizona$35,430
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $74,870 | $62,960 | $36 | +59.2% | 720 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $62,460 | $46,690 | $30 | +32.8% | 480 |
| 3 | Oregon | $57,330 | $55,520 | $28 | +21.9% | 140 |
| 4 | Alabama | $55,600 | $55,700 | $27 | +18.2% | 170 |
| 5 | California | $55,570 | $49,060 | $27 | +18.2% | 2,270 |
| 6 | Indiana | $54,810 | $45,270 | $26 | +16.6% | 380 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $52,340 | $45,800 | $25 | +11.3% | 290 |
| 8 | New York | $52,060 | $48,790 | $25 | +10.7% | 970 |
| 9 | Georgia | $51,470 | $45,250 | $25 | +9.5% | 800 |
| 10 | Iowa | $50,450 | $43,020 | $24 | +7.3% | 180 |
| 11 | Colorado | $50,010 | $44,290 | $24 | +6.4% | 330 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $49,390 | $43,580 | $24 | +5% | 510 |
| 13 | Washington | $48,960 | $46,420 | $24 | +4.1% | 360 |
| 14 | Illinois | $48,230 | $45,830 | $23 | +2.6% | 680 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $47,600 | $37,680 | $23 | +1.2% | 640 |
| 16 | Maryland | $47,310 | $37,430 | $23 | +0.6% | 890 |
| 17 | Oklahoma | $47,110 | $40,310 | $23 | +0.2% | 250 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $46,540 | $37,080 | $22 | -1% | 100 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $46,410 | $41,690 | $22 | -1.3% | 300 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $44,300 | $35,130 | $21 | -5.8% | 40 |
| 21 | Montana | $44,260 | $44,680 | $21 | -5.9% | 80 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $43,410 | $39,400 | $21 | -7.7% | 110 |
| 23 | District of Columbia | $43,290 | $38,200 | $21 | -7.9% | — |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $42,030 | $38,920 | $20 | -10.6% | 460 |
| 25 | Maine | $41,960 | $40,760 | $20 | -10.8% | 110 |
| 26 | Florida | $41,910 | $36,870 | $20 | -10.9% | 1,090 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $41,790 | $37,140 | $20 | -11.1% | 480 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $40,950 | $34,030 | $20 | -12.9% | 470 |
| 29 | Texas | $39,700 | $36,370 | $19 | -15.6% | 1,080 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $39,440 | $38,030 | $19 | -16.1% | 140 |
| 31 | Utah | $39,140 | $38,580 | $19 | -16.8% | 260 |
| 32 | Missouri | $38,910 | $34,010 | $19 | -17.2% | 250 |
| 33 | Ohio | $38,910 | $32,700 | $19 | -17.2% | 730 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $38,750 | $35,320 | $19 | -17.6% | 310 |
| 35 | Idaho | $38,720 | $40,770 | $19 | -17.7% | 180 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $38,100 | $38,120 | $18 | -19% | 30 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $37,700 | $38,970 | $18 | -19.8% | 30 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $37,660 | $34,900 | $18 | -19.9% | 60 |
| 39 | Kansas | $37,540 | $34,720 | $18 | -20.2% | 250 |
| 40 | Delaware | $37,060 | $33,810 | $18 | -21.2% | 90 |
| 41 | Alaska | $36,380 | $34,900 | $17 | -22.6% | 50 |
| 42 | Nevada | $36,230 | $36,760 | $17 | -22.9% | 170 |
| 43 | Arizona | $35,430 | $33,330 | $17 | -24.6% | — |
| 44 | New Mexico | $34,930 | $34,760 | $17 | -25.7% | 60 |
| 45 | Michigan | $33,640 | $30,820 | $16 | -28.5% | 800 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $33,580 | $29,670 | $16 | -28.6% | 200 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $32,660 | $32,720 | $16 | -30.5% | — |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 98 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $99,190 | $76,380 | — |
| 2 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $66,040 | $59,680 | 110 |
| 3 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $64,430 | $62,820 | — |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $61,490 | $65,520 | 300 |
| 5 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $59,710 | $62,380 | 60 |
| 6 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $58,160 | $59,370 | 60 |
| 7 | Colorado Springs, CO | $58,090 | $68,260 | 40 |
| 8 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $55,560 | $58,310 | 160 |
| 9 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $54,810 | $57,670 | 80 |
| 10 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $51,230 | $56,310 | 830 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing animal trainerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $64,240 | $69,000 | 70 |
| 2 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $64,240 | $69,000 | 70 |
| 3 | Civic and Social Organizations | $60,800 | $63,590 | — |
| 4 | Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $59,760 | $59,390 | 570 |
| 5 | Performing Arts Companies | $59,450 | $60,800 | 40 |
| 6 | Social Advocacy Organizations | $57,430 | $60,410 | 380 |
| 7 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $57,010 | $59,430 | 50 |
| 8 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $57,010 | $59,640 | 50 |
| 9 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $57,010 | $59,430 | 50 |
| 10 | Elementary and Secondary Schools | $56,600 | $55,280 | 60 |
| 11 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $55,750 | $60,320 | — |
| 12 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $55,750 | $60,320 | — |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do animal trainers make in the U.S.?
The median animal trainers salary in the United States is $39,990 per year (mean $47,020), and about 80% earn between $29,600 and $75,490.
How much do animal trainers make per hour?
Roughly $23 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $47,020 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays animal trainers the most?
Virginia has the highest average pay for animal trainers at $74,870 per year (median $62,960).
What is the job outlook for animal trainers?
Employment is projected to change +5.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 7,100 openings per year.