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Animal Trainer Salary in U.S.

The salary statistics of animal trainers are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of animal trainers within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The animal trainers annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1. Animal Trainer Salary in U.S. (2022 survey)

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$27,050
25th Percentile Wage
$29,660
50th Percentile Wage
$35,620
75th Percentile Wage
$46,250
90th Percentile Wage
$66,850

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for animal trainers. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) animal trainers is $66,850. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $35,620. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $27,050. It is noted that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 147% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of animal trainers from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$35,620
12.18% 29.06%
2021
$31,280
-0.77% -
2020
$31,520
3.46% -
2019
$30,430
3.75% -
2018
$29,290
1.40% -
2017
$28,880
4.12% -
2016
$27,690
3.90% -
2015
$26,610
3.16% -
2014
$25,770
1.75% -
2013
$25,320
0.20% -
2012
$25,270
- -

Table 2. Animal Trainer Salary by Industry Sector (2022 survey)

The average salaries of animal trainers in 13 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for animal trainers occupations is the finance and insurance sector with an annual salary $85,950. The lowest paying sector is the retail trade sector (annual salary $30,960).

Industry Sector Median Annual Salary
Finance and Insurance
$85,950
Federal, State, and Local Government
$49,580
Educational Services
$44,520
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
$42,390
Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)
$39,050
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
$37,450
Health Care and Social Assistance
$36,990
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$35,450
Construction
$34,160
Accommodation and Food Services
$33,810
Management of Companies and Enterprises
$33,350
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$31,020
Retail Trade
$30,960

Table 3. Median Annual Wage of Animal Trainers by States (2022 survey)

From the above tables we note that not only animal trainers salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of animal trainers in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $23,530 to $72,650. The highest paying state for animal trainers is Hawaii with a median annual salary of $72,650. The lowest paying state is Puerto Rico with a median annual salary of $23,530. For more salary information of animal trainers profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.

State Name Median Annual Salary
Hawaii
$72,650
Iowa
$47,790
West Virginia
$46,800
New York
$46,250
South Dakota
$45,460
Connecticut
$44,980
Washington
$43,820
Kentucky
$42,390
Delaware
$41,080
California
$38,670
New Jersey
$38,260
Montana
$38,200
Georgia
$37,650
Massachusetts
$37,580
Arkansas
$36,730
Pennsylvania
$36,650
Maryland
$36,510
Virginia
$36,420
South Carolina
$36,250
Oregon
$35,980
Minnesota
$35,910
Colorado
$35,810
Arizona
$35,630
North Carolina
$35,470
Kansas
$35,450
Rhode Island
$34,690
Illinois
$33,820
Alabama
$33,260
Indiana
$33,220
Maine
$32,940
New Mexico
$32,800
Michigan
$32,510
North Dakota
$32,190
Oklahoma
$31,560
Missouri
$31,370
Florida
$30,900
New Hampshire
$30,110
Wisconsin
$29,920
Idaho
$29,570
Utah
$29,550
Alaska
$29,420
Ohio
$29,320
Nebraska
$29,170
Texas
$29,110
Louisiana
$28,760
Tennessee
$28,590
Mississippi
$27,250
Nevada
$26,360
Puerto Rico
$23,530