Animal Trainers
Also called: Agility Instructor, Animal Handler, Animal Trainer, Bronc Breaker, Bronc Buster, Canine Handler, Canine Service Teacher, Cat Groomer
Train animals for riding, harness, security, performance, or obedience, or for assisting persons with disabilities.
What animal trainers do
Typical tasks
- Cue or signal animals during performances.
- Talk to or interact with animals to familiarize them to human voices or contact.
- Conduct training programs to develop or maintain desired animal behaviors for competition, entertainment, obedience, security, riding, or related purposes.
- Feed or exercise animals or provide other general care, such as cleaning or maintaining holding or performance areas.
- Observe animals' physical conditions to detect illness or unhealthy conditions requiring medical care.
- Evaluate animals to determine their temperaments, abilities, or aptitude for training.
- Administer prescribed medications to animals.
- Keep records documenting animal health, diet, or behavior.
- Evaluate animals for trainability and ability to perform.
- Advise animal owners regarding the purchase of specific animals.
- Train horses or other equines for riding, harness, show, racing, or other work, using knowledge of breed characteristics, training methods, performance standards, and the peculiarities of each animal.
- Use oral, spur, rein, or hand commands to condition horses to carry riders or to pull horse-drawn equipment.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Animal Trainers salary
The median annual wage for animal trainers is $39,990 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $29,600 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $75,490. The mean annual wage is $47,020.
The mean hourly wage of $22.00 is 3.0× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Animal Trainers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $39,990 → in 3 years $44,100 → in 5 years $47,000 → in 10 years $55,300 (10-year range $47,500–$64,200). The model assumes pay growth of +3.3% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Animal Trainers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Animal Trainers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Animal Trainers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Animal Trainers United States | 調教師 Japan | 犬訓練士 Japan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $39,990 | ¥5.83M ≈ $37,094 | ¥5.83M ≈ $37,094 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $55,300 | ¥7.78M | ¥7.87M |
| Outlook score | 65 | 64 | 68 |
| AI replacement risk | 13% Very low | 16% Very low | 0% Very low |
| Workers | 19K | — | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Animal Trainers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become animal trainers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as animal trainers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.