Animal Trainers pay in the U.S.
$47,020avg. a year
$22.61 an hour · 18,770 employed
Animal Trainers in the U.S. earn an average of $47,020 a year and a median of $39,990. Pay is highest in Virginia ($74,870) and lowest in Louisiana ($32,660).
$39,990Median pay
$22.61Average hourly
+24%Avg. pay since 2020
18,770Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for animal trainers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1720 jobs
Virginia
$74,870
$35.99 an hour
2480 jobs
New Jersey
$62,460
$30.03 an hour
3140 jobs
Oregon
$57,330
$27.56 an hour
4170 jobs
Alabama
$55,600
$26.73 an hour
52,270 jobs
California
$55,570
$26.71 an hour
6380 jobs
Indiana
$54,810
$26.35 an hour
7290 jobs
Connecticut
$52,340
$25.16 an hour
8970 jobs
New York
$52,060
$25.03 an hour
9800 jobs
Georgia
$51,470
$24.74 an hour
10180 jobs
Iowa
$50,450
$24.25 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Animal Trainers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $38k$38k–$42k$42k–$49k$49k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $68,840 | $33.10 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $65,520 | $31.50 |
| Richmond, VA | $60,200 | $28.94 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $59,680 | $28.69 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $58,400 | $28.08 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $58,350 | $28.05 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $58,310 | $28.04 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $56,310 | $27.07 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Animal Trainers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $55,600 | $55,700 | 170 |
| Alaska | $36,380 | $34,900 | 50 |
| Arizona | $35,430 | $33,330 | – |
| Arkansas | $43,410 | $39,400 | 110 |
| California | $55,570 | $49,060 | 2,270 |
| Colorado | $50,010 | $44,290 | 330 |
| Connecticut | $52,340 | $45,800 | 290 |
| Delaware | $37,060 | $33,810 | 90 |
| District of Columbia | $43,290 | $38,200 | – |
| Florida | $41,910 | $36,870 | 1,090 |
| Georgia | $51,470 | $45,250 | 800 |
| Idaho | $38,720 | $40,770 | 180 |
| Illinois | $48,230 | $45,830 | 680 |
| Indiana | $54,810 | $45,270 | 380 |
| Iowa | $50,450 | $43,020 | 180 |
| Kansas | $37,540 | $34,720 | 250 |
| Kentucky | $40,950 | $34,030 | 470 |
| Louisiana | $32,660 | $32,720 | – |
| Maine | $41,960 | $40,760 | 110 |
| Maryland | $47,310 | $37,430 | 890 |
| Massachusetts | $49,390 | $43,580 | 510 |
| Michigan | $33,640 | $30,820 | 800 |
| Minnesota | $46,410 | $41,690 | 300 |
| Mississippi | $44,300 | $35,130 | 40 |
| Missouri | $38,910 | $34,010 | 250 |
| Montana | $44,260 | $44,680 | 80 |
| Nebraska | $37,660 | $34,900 | 60 |
| Nevada | $36,230 | $36,760 | 170 |
| New Hampshire | $39,440 | $38,030 | 140 |
| New Jersey | $62,460 | $46,690 | 480 |
| New Mexico | $34,930 | $34,760 | 60 |
| New York | $52,060 | $48,790 | 970 |
| North Carolina | $47,600 | $37,680 | 640 |
| North Dakota | $37,700 | $38,970 | 30 |
| Ohio | $38,910 | $32,700 | 730 |
| Oklahoma | $47,110 | $40,310 | 250 |
| Oregon | $57,330 | $55,520 | 140 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,030 | $38,920 | 460 |
| South Carolina | $33,580 | $29,670 | 200 |
| South Dakota | $38,100 | $38,120 | 30 |
| Tennessee | $38,750 | $35,320 | 310 |
| Texas | $39,700 | $36,370 | 1,080 |
| Utah | $39,140 | $38,580 | 260 |
| Virginia | $74,870 | $62,960 | 720 |
| Washington | $48,960 | $46,420 | 360 |
| West Virginia | $46,540 | $37,080 | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $41,790 | $37,140 | 480 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$58,400
970 jobsLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$56,310
830 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$53,280
680 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$68,840
650 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$50,260
580 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$48,620
500 jobsBaltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
$43,920
460 jobsDetroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
$33,420
450 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do animal trainers make?
The average is $47,020 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $39,990 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $22.61, and the median is $19.22 an hour.
Which state pays animal trainers the most?
Virginia, with an average of $74,870 a year. The best-paying metro area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $68,840.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $29,600 a year, and the top 10% earn over $75,490.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 39-2011. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.