Career profile · 39-2011
Animal Trainers
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.
What the work can involve
- 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.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Learning Strategies
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Active Listening
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Administration and Management
- English Language
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Training and Teaching Others
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
- Thinking Creatively
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 56.8%07/2014 · sample 39 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Never | 45.4%07/2014 · sample 39 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 66.2%07/2014 · sample 39 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 75.3%07/2014 · sample 39 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Less than half the time | 55.1%07/2014 · sample 40 |
| Spend Time Standing | Continually or almost continually | 56.8%07/2014 · sample 39 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 27.1%07/2014 · sample 38 |
| Time Pressure | Never | 31.4%07/2014 · sample 39 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Never | 52.6%07/2014 · sample 38 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 63.4%07/2014 · sample 40 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Calendar and scheduling software: Work scheduling software
- Data base user interface and query software: Database software, Oracle Database, Tracks Software
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle PeopleSoft, SAP software
- Medical software: Epic Systems
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
- Project management software: Atlassian JIRA, Microsoft Project
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Transaction server software: Customer information control system CICS
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for animal trainers
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 47 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $55,700 | $26.78 | 170 |
| Alaska | $34,900 | $16.78 | 50 |
| Arizona | $33,330 | $16.02 | Not published |
| Arkansas | $39,400 | $18.94 | 110 |
| California | $49,060 | $23.59 | 2,270 |
| Colorado | $44,290 | $21.29 | 330 |
| Connecticut | $45,800 | $22.02 | 290 |
| Delaware | $33,810 | $16.25 | 90 |
| District of Columbia | $38,200 | $18.37 | Not published |
| Florida | $36,870 | $17.72 | 1,090 |
| Georgia | $45,250 | $21.76 | 800 |
| Idaho | $40,770 | $19.60 | 180 |
| Illinois | $45,830 | $22.03 | 680 |
| Indiana | $45,270 | $21.76 | 380 |
| Iowa | $43,020 | $20.68 | 180 |
| Kansas | $34,720 | $16.69 | 250 |
| Kentucky | $34,030 | $16.36 | 470 |
| Louisiana | $32,720 | $15.73 | Not published |
| Maine | $40,760 | $19.60 | 110 |
| Maryland | $37,430 | $18.00 | 890 |
| Massachusetts | $43,580 | $20.95 | 510 |
| Michigan | $30,820 | $14.82 | 800 |
| Minnesota | $41,690 | $20.04 | 300 |
| Mississippi | $35,130 | $16.89 | 40 |
| Missouri | $34,010 | $16.35 | 250 |
| Montana | $44,680 | $21.48 | 80 |
| Nebraska | $34,900 | $16.78 | 60 |
| Nevada | $36,760 | $17.67 | 170 |
| New Hampshire | $38,030 | $18.28 | 140 |
| New Jersey | $46,690 | $22.45 | 480 |
| New Mexico | $34,760 | $16.71 | 60 |
| New York | $48,790 | $23.46 | 970 |
| North Carolina | $37,680 | $18.11 | 640 |
| North Dakota | $38,970 | $18.73 | 30 |
| Ohio | $32,700 | $15.72 | 730 |
| Oklahoma | $40,310 | $19.38 | 250 |
| Oregon | $55,520 | $26.69 | 140 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,920 | $18.71 | 460 |
| South Carolina | $29,670 | $14.27 | 200 |
| South Dakota | $38,120 | $18.33 | 30 |
| Tennessee | $35,320 | $16.98 | 310 |
| Texas | $36,370 | $17.49 | 1,080 |
| Utah | $38,580 | $18.55 | 260 |
| Virginia | $62,960 | $30.27 | 720 |
| Washington | $46,420 | $22.32 | 360 |
| West Virginia | $37,080 | $17.83 | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $37,140 | $17.86 | 480 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 98 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 39-2011.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.