SOC 39-2011 · Personal Care and Service Occupations

Animal Trainers wages by metro

National median annual wage

$39,990

10th percentile: $29,600
25th percentile: $33,740
Median: $39,990
75th percentile: $53,580
90th percentile: $75,490
Mean: $47,020

Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.

National employment in May 2025: 18,770.

That median is 21.6% lower than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.

The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.

A scientist working at a laboratory bench — A scientist in a laboratory. Photograph by Mark Shwartz, Stanford ENERGY. Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5

Highest published medians

Metros with the highest published annual medians for Animal Trainers.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	Not available	$31,660	$99,190	$99,280
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	110	$39,660	$66,040	$86,120
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	Not available	$42,830	$64,430	$68,060
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	300	$40,840	$61,490	$93,600
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	60	$38,400	$59,710	$123,240
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	60	$38,990	$58,160	$78,770
Colorado Springs, CO	40	$36,020	$58,090	$109,050
Raleigh-Cary, NC	160	$32,030	$55,560	$84,750
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	80	$43,440	$54,810	$79,550
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	830	$37,290	$51,230	$76,790
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	650	$33,680	$50,460	$122,170
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	70	$35,820	$50,420	$79,910
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	170	$39,720	$50,260	$59,810
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	970	$38,090	$50,020	$82,630
Tulsa, OK	80	$31,160	$49,320	$88,040
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	110	$36,530	$49,170	$66,160
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	230	$37,690	$49,150	$70,590
Ocala, FL	50	$30,450	$48,030	$112,450
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	580	$31,730	$46,890	$80,990
Richmond, VA	110	$34,690	$46,820	$102,020

Where employment is largest

Metros with the most Animal Trainers jobs in the May 2025 tables.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	970	$38,090	$50,020	$82,630
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	830	$37,290	$51,230	$76,790
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	680	$30,200	$46,810	$93,090
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	650	$33,680	$50,460	$122,170
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	580	$31,730	$46,890	$80,990
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	500	$33,670	$42,180	$82,810
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	460	$31,270	$34,620	$66,980
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	450	$27,420	$30,920	$39,530
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	340	$28,400	$35,990	$56,670
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	310	$33,800	$42,860	$65,430
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	300	$40,840	$61,490	$93,600
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	270	$34,190	$41,830	$62,820
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	240	$24,540	$36,390	$57,780
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	230	$37,690	$49,150	$70,590
Lexington-Fayette, KY	200	$26,070	$34,310	$60,000
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	200	$35,960	$43,070	$59,270
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI	190	$30,390	$40,520	$49,530
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	180	$24,000	$34,220	$62,810
Cleveland, OH	170	$27,660	$31,620	$50,590
Columbus, OH	170	$28,230	$34,290	$72,120

States and territories

State estimates for Animal Trainers, May 2025.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
Virginia	720	$35,270	$62,960	$122,170
Alabama	170	$33,950	$55,700	$70,520
Oregon	140	$36,310	$55,520	$86,120
California	2,270	$37,300	$49,060	$78,770
New York	970	$35,400	$48,790	$71,510
New Jersey	480	$35,860	$46,690	$103,370
Washington	360	$37,490	$46,420	$58,780
Illinois	680	$31,570	$45,830	$72,810
Connecticut	290	$36,530	$45,800	$68,580
Indiana	380	$32,100	$45,270	$86,840
Georgia	800	$29,880	$45,250	$79,620
Montana	80	$33,060	$44,680	$57,860
Colorado	330	$36,420	$44,290	$67,330
Massachusetts	510	$33,670	$43,580	$82,810
Iowa	180	$31,070	$43,020	$83,860
Minnesota	300	$34,190	$41,690	$62,820
Idaho	180	$30,530	$40,770	$44,200
Maine	110	$37,080	$40,760	$48,230
Oklahoma	250	$28,360	$40,310	$79,990
Arkansas	110	$31,280	$39,400	$59,260
North Dakota	30	$30,060	$38,970	$42,040
Pennsylvania	460	$31,410	$38,920	$58,670
Utah	260	$24,580	$38,580	$49,870
District of Columbia	Not available	$38,200	$38,200	$66,440
South Dakota	30	$30,530	$38,120	$44,780
New Hampshire	140	$21,430	$38,030	$57,840
North Carolina	640	$24,680	$37,680	$84,750
Maryland	890	$31,270	$37,430	$73,530
Wisconsin	480	$29,420	$37,140	$62,810
West Virginia	100	$29,510	$37,080	$76,750
Florida	1,090	$30,350	$36,870	$61,860
Nevada	170	$26,780	$36,760	$48,880
Texas	1,080	$25,970	$36,370	$57,490
Tennessee	310	$27,650	$35,320	$56,450
Mississippi	40	$31,290	$35,130	$77,990
Alaska	50	$34,900	$34,900	$43,870
Nebraska	60	$33,220	$34,900	$49,070
New Mexico	60	$29,710	$34,760	$41,350
Kansas	250	$28,600	$34,720	$52,240
Kentucky	470	$23,460	$34,030	$60,000
Missouri	250	$30,390	$34,010	$53,580
Delaware	90	$31,200	$33,810	$45,670
Arizona	Not available	$31,250	$33,330	$41,620
Louisiana	Not available	$20,840	$32,720	$44,160
Ohio	730	$27,640	$32,700	$65,330
Michigan	800	$27,370	$30,820	$43,360
South Carolina	200	$27,040	$29,670	$43,280

Other personal care and service occupations

Questions this page answers

What is the national median wage for Animal Trainers?

In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Animal Trainers is $39,990. Employment is 18,770.

How does Animal Trainers pay compare with all occupations?

The national median for Animal Trainers is 21.6% lower than the all-occupations median of $50,980.

Which metro has the highest published median for Animal Trainers?

Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC is highest on this page's list at $99,190.