How much should I pay a animal trainers in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Animal Trainers is $39,978 to $53,581 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows retail trade wages growing about 3.4% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a animal trainers?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $33,738 is below market, $39,978 to $53,581 is competitive, and above $53,581 is above market for Animal Trainers.

How is animal trainers pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 3.2% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, roughly in line with the 3.4% wage growth of Retail Trade (BLS ECI). Retail Trade is running a 4.8% job-openings rate with quits at 3.0% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has tightened for 2 straight months (4.2% up to 4.8%).

Animal Trainers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 39-2011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$39,978

$19.22/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Animal Trainers salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$30K

P25$34K

P50$40K

P75$54K

P90$75K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

⚡

Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- retail openings are at 4.8% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in retail trade are rising about 3.4% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.0-3.5% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $39,978 to $53,581 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Animal Trainers pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 3.2% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, roughly in line with the 3.4% wage growth of Retail Trade (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

Retail Trade is running a 4.8% job-openings rate with quits at 3.0% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has tightened for 2 straight months (4.2% up to 4.8%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.6 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings climbed to 4.8% and quits returned to 3.0%. Frontline churn pressure is building again.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.4% per year, up from 3.1%, one of the few sectors accelerating.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Animal Trainers is $39,978 per year ($19.22/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $33,738 and $53,581 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $75,483 per year. There are approximately 18,770 animal trainers employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Train animals for riding, harness, security, performance, or obedience, or for assisting persons with disabilities. Accustom animals to human voice and contact, and condition animals to respond to commands. Train animals according to prescribed standards for show or competition. May train animals to carry pack loads or work as part of pack team.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

+5.1%

Faster than average

Annual openings

per year, on avg

Workforce today

47K

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

3% from new growth97% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Experience

None

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Other Personal Services NAICS 812900	9K	$39,990
Other Miscellaneous Retailers NAICS 459900	3K	$36,240
Spectator Sports NAICS 711200	2K	$46,470
Support Activities for Animal Production NAICS 115200	1K	$43,630
Social Advocacy Organizations NAICS 813300	380	$57,430

Wage range across top 5 industries: $36,240 to $57,430 (58% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$14.23	$29,598
P25	$16.22	$33,738
P50MEDIAN	$19.22	$39,978
P75	$25.76	$53,581
P90	$36.29	$75,483

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · retail sector

Active

Openings Rate

4.8%

Quits Rate

3.0%

Retail openings rose to 774K (+49K) in June, rate up to 4.8%. Frontline turnover picked back up with the quit rate at 3.0% -- expect continued churn-driven wage pressure in hourly roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average animal trainers salary?

The national median salary for Animal Trainers is $39,978 per year ($19.22/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $33,738 and $53,581 annually.

How much do top-earning animal trainers make?

The 90th percentile salary for Animal Trainers is $75,483 per year ($36.29/hr). The 75th percentile is $53,581 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for animal trainers?

Entry-level Animal Trainers (10th percentile) earn approximately $29,598 per year ($14.23/hr). The 25th percentile is $33,738 per year.

Related Salary Data

Compare with other occupations

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Animal Trainers Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

California2,270 workers Florida1,090 workers Texas1,080 workers New York970 workers Maryland890 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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