Animal Caretakers
Median $35,360
Occupation · SOC 39-2011
Animal Trainers: pay and where the jobs are
What animal trainers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$39,990 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $47,020
- Median hourly wage
- $19.22
- Mean hourly wage
- $22.61
- Employment
- 18,770
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 39-2011.
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See where your pay falls among animal trainers nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do animal trainers make?
The median annual wage for animal trainers was $39,990 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $29,600 and the highest-paid 10% more than $75,490. As an hourly rate, the median is $19.22. About 18,770 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Virginia ($62,960), Alabama ($55,700) and Oregon ($55,520). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in Alabama.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for animal trainers looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $29,600 | $14.23 | $2,467 | $2,164 |
| 25th percentile | $33,740 | $16.22 | $2,812 | $2,441 |
| Median | $39,990 | $19.22 | $3,333 | $2,859 |
| 75th percentile | $53,580 | $25.76 | $4,465 | $3,769 |
| 90th percentile | $75,490 | $36.29 | $6,291 | $5,161 |
Animal Trainers: pay by state
47 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$50,229 take-home in national prices
2
$49,417 take-home in national prices
3
$41,435 take-home in national prices
Where a median animal trainer paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 720 | $62,960 | $35,270 | $122,170 | $49,962 | $49,417 |
| Alabama | 170 | $55,700 | $33,950 | $70,520 | $44,615 | $50,229 |
| Oregon | 140 | $55,520 | $36,310 | $86,120 | $42,828 | $41,435 |
| California | 2,270 | $49,060 | $37,300 | $78,770 | $39,979 | $36,108 |
| New York | 970 | $48,790 | $35,400 | $71,510 | $39,103 | $36,233 |
| New Jersey | 480 | $46,690 | $35,860 | $103,370 | $38,277 | $35,179 |
| Washington | 360 | $46,420 | $37,490 | $58,780 | $38,835 | $36,290 |
| Illinois | 680 | $45,830 | $31,570 | $72,810 | $36,881 | $36,896 |
| Connecticut | 290 | $45,800 | $36,530 | $68,580 | $36,940 | $35,653 |
| Indiana | 380 | $45,270 | $32,100 | $86,840 | $37,248 | $39,911 |
| Georgia | 800 | $45,250 | $29,880 | $79,620 | $37,029 | $38,454 |
| Montana | 80 | $44,680 | $33,060 | $57,860 | $36,737 | $38,816 |
| Colorado | 330 | $44,290 | $36,420 | $67,330 | $36,332 | $35,256 |
| Massachusetts | 510 | $43,580 | $33,670 | $82,810 | $35,037 | $33,130 |
| Iowa | 180 | $43,020 | $31,070 | $83,860 | $35,764 | $40,751 |
| Minnesota | 300 | $41,690 | $34,190 | $62,820 | $34,083 | $34,559 |
| Idaho | 180 | $40,770 | $30,530 | $44,200 | $33,886 | $35,485 |
| Maine | 110 | $40,760 | $37,080 | $48,230 | $33,581 | $34,602 |
| Oklahoma | 250 | $40,310 | $28,360 | $79,990 | $33,301 | $37,909 |
| Arkansas | 110 | $39,400 | $31,280 | $59,260 | $32,868 | $37,806 |
| North Dakota | 30 | $38,970 | $30,060 | $42,040 | $33,492 | $37,649 |
| Pennsylvania | 460 | $38,920 | $31,410 | $58,670 | $32,230 | $33,032 |
| Utah | 260 | $38,580 | $24,580 | $49,870 | $32,163 | $32,533 |
| District of Columbia | Not published | $38,200 | $38,200 | $66,440 | $31,748 | $28,888 |
| South Dakota | 30 | $38,120 | $30,530 | $44,780 | $32,809 | $37,037 |
| New Hampshire | 140 | $38,030 | $21,430 | $57,840 | $32,737 | $31,428 |
| North Carolina | 640 | $37,680 | $24,680 | $84,750 | $31,461 | $33,354 |
| Maryland | 890 | $37,430 | $31,270 | $73,530 | $30,843 | $29,386 |
| Wisconsin | 480 | $37,140 | $29,420 | $62,810 | $31,079 | $33,029 |
| West Virginia | 100 | $37,080 | $29,510 | $76,750 | $31,023 | $34,663 |
| Florida | 1,090 | $36,870 | $30,350 | $61,860 | $31,805 | $30,755 |
| Nevada | 170 | $36,760 | $26,780 | $48,880 | $31,717 | $31,723 |
| Texas | 1,080 | $36,370 | $25,970 | $57,490 | $31,403 | $32,356 |
| Tennessee | 310 | $35,320 | $27,650 | $56,450 | $30,560 | $33,264 |
| Mississippi | 40 | $35,130 | $31,290 | $77,990 | $29,734 | $34,195 |
| Alaska | 50 | $34,900 | $34,900 | $43,870 | $30,048 | $29,355 |
| Nebraska | 60 | $34,900 | $33,220 | $49,070 | $29,514 | $32,756 |
| New Mexico | 60 | $34,760 | $29,710 | $41,350 | $29,582 | $32,081 |
| Kansas | 250 | $34,720 | $28,600 | $52,240 | $28,936 | $32,127 |
| Kentucky | 470 | $34,030 | $23,460 | $60,000 | $28,450 | $31,555 |
| Missouri | 250 | $34,010 | $30,390 | $53,580 | $28,846 | $31,763 |
| Delaware | 90 | $33,810 | $31,200 | $45,670 | $28,012 | $28,065 |
| Arizona | Not published | $33,330 | $31,250 | $41,620 | $28,521 | $28,329 |
| Louisiana | Not published | $32,720 | $20,840 | $44,160 | $27,875 | $31,602 |
| Ohio | 730 | $32,700 | $27,640 | $65,330 | $28,006 | $30,187 |
| Michigan | 800 | $30,820 | $27,370 | $43,360 | $25,885 | $26,902 |
| South Carolina | 200 | $29,670 | $27,040 | $43,280 | $25,728 | $27,443 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 39-2011. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.