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Top 15 cities for animal trainers by average salary
| Virginia Beach, VA | $76,380 |
|---|---|
| Washington, DC | $68,840 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $68,260 |
| San Francisco, CA | $65,520 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $62,820 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $62,380 |
| Richmond, VA | $60,200 |
| Portland, OR | $59,680 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $59,370 |
| New York, NY | $58,400 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $58,350 |
| Raleigh, NC | $58,310 |
| San Jose, CA | $57,670 |
| Ocala, FL | $56,640 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $56,310 |
Map: Animal Trainers salary by metro area
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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Animal Trainers salary by state
| State | Metros | Highest average | Lowest average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 2 | $76,380 | $60,200 |
| Washington, D.C. | 1 | $68,840 | $68,840 |
| Colorado | 3 | $68,260 | $46,760 |
| California | 11 | $65,520 | $46,240 |
| Connecticut | 3 | $62,380 | $45,510 |
| Oregon | 1 | $59,680 | $59,680 |
| New York | 5 | $58,400 | $44,050 |
| Indiana | 2 | $58,350 | $51,870 |
| North Carolina | 5 | $58,310 | $40,790 |
| Florida | 10 | $56,640 | $37,130 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | $53,610 | $43,160 |
| Georgia | 1 | $53,280 | $53,280 |
| Washington | 2 | $50,870 | $44,410 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | $50,620 | $41,450 |
| Illinois | 1 | $50,260 | $50,260 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 | $48,810 | $37,880 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | $48,620 | $48,620 |
| Iowa | 1 | $47,330 | $47,330 |
| Minnesota | 1 | $46,390 | $46,390 |
| Texas | 5 | $44,530 | $33,470 |
| Maryland | 1 | $43,920 | $43,920 |
| Arkansas | 1 | $43,380 | $43,380 |
| Kentucky | 2 | $41,990 | $41,430 |
| Ohio | 4 | $41,760 | $35,040 |
| Utah | 3 | $41,750 | $37,900 |
| Nevada | 2 | $41,080 | $33,530 |
| Maine | 1 | $41,040 | $41,040 |
| Tennessee | 2 | $40,280 | $35,350 |
| Idaho | 1 | $40,230 | $40,230 |
| Missouri | 2 | $39,900 | $39,720 |
| Nebraska | 1 | $38,580 | $38,580 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | $37,920 | $37,920 |
| Kansas | 1 | $36,770 | $36,770 |
| Arizona | 2 | $36,500 | $35,520 |
| Alaska | 1 | $36,150 | $36,150 |
| Louisiana | 1 | $35,900 | $35,900 |
| Michigan | 3 | $35,670 | $33,220 |
| South Carolina | 2 | $34,040 | $33,720 |
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Animal Trainers salary in every city we cover
Sort by any column. Each city links to its pay range, take-home pay and cost of living.
| Metro area | Average | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach, VA | $76,380 | $99,190 | $36.72 | n/a |
| Washington, DC | $68,840 | $50,460 | $33.10 | 650 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $68,260 | $58,090 | $32.82 | 40 |
| San Francisco, CA | $65,520 | $61,490 | $31.50 | 300 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $62,820 | $64,430 | $30.20 | n/a |
| Bridgeport, CT | $62,380 | $59,710 | $29.99 | 60 |
| Richmond, VA | $60,200 | $46,820 | $28.94 | 110 |
| Portland, OR | $59,680 | $66,040 | $28.69 | 110 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $59,370 | $58,160 | $28.54 | 60 |
| New York, NY | $58,400 | $50,020 | $28.08 | 970 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $58,350 | $46,020 | $28.05 | 160 |
| Raleigh, NC | $58,310 | $55,560 | $28.04 | 160 |
| San Jose, CA | $57,670 | $54,810 | $27.73 | 80 |
| Ocala, FL | $56,640 | $48,030 | $27.23 | 50 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $56,310 | $51,230 | $27.07 | 830 |
| Sacramento, CA | $56,150 | $44,170 | $27.00 | 110 |
| Tulsa, OK | $53,610 | $49,320 | $25.77 | 80 |
| Hartford, CT | $53,300 | $49,170 | $25.62 | 110 |
| Atlanta, GA | $53,280 | $46,810 | $25.62 | 680 |
| Oxnard, CA | $52,180 | $50,420 | $25.09 | 70 |
| Bloomington, IN | $51,870 | $40,600 | $24.94 | 60 |
| Seattle, WA | $50,870 | $50,260 | $24.46 | 170 |
| Madison, WI | $50,620 | $41,130 | $24.34 | 70 |
| Chicago, IL | $50,260 | $46,890 | $24.16 | 580 |
| Durham, NC | $49,970 | $39,560 | $24.02 | 40 |
| San Diego, CA | $49,590 | $49,150 | $23.84 | 230 |
| Kiryas Joel, NY | $49,520 | $43,010 | $23.81 | 60 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $48,810 | $42,860 | $23.47 | 310 |
| Boston, MA | $48,620 | $42,180 | $23.37 | 500 |
| Fresno, CA | $48,530 | $43,620 | $23.33 | 30 |
| Boulder, CO | $48,330 | $46,510 | $23.24 | 30 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $47,510 | $41,770 | $22.84 | 40 |
| Des Moines, IA | $47,330 | $38,370 | $22.75 | 30 |
| Albany, NY | $47,070 | $44,950 | $22.63 | 60 |
| Denver, CO | $46,760 | $44,160 | $22.48 | 170 |
| Rochester, NY | $46,750 | $44,760 | $22.48 | 40 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $46,390 | $41,830 | $22.31 | 270 |
| Tampa, FL | $46,350 | $43,680 | $22.28 | 160 |
| Riverside, CA | $46,240 | $43,070 | $22.23 | 200 |
| Charlotte, NC | $45,640 | $35,680 | $21.94 | n/a |
| Norwich, CT | $45,510 | $37,720 | $21.88 | 60 |
| Asheville, NC | $44,600 | $36,970 | $21.44 | 50 |
| Austin, TX | $44,530 | $38,420 | $21.41 | 140 |
| Bellingham, WA | $44,410 | $40,540 | $21.35 | 30 |
| Allentown, PA | $44,210 | $39,450 | $21.25 | 30 |
| Buffalo, NY | $44,050 | $38,540 | $21.18 | 50 |
| Baltimore, MD | $43,920 | $34,620 | $21.12 | 460 |
| Fayetteville, AR | $43,380 | $34,300 | $20.86 | 40 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $43,160 | $39,830 | $20.75 | 110 |
| Miami, FL | $43,070 | $37,980 | $20.71 | n/a |
| Naples, FL | $42,740 | $41,300 | $20.55 | 30 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $42,110 | $40,520 | $20.25 | 190 |
| Lexington, KY | $41,990 | $34,310 | $20.19 | 200 |
| Columbus, OH | $41,760 | $34,290 | $20.08 | 170 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $41,750 | $39,510 | $20.07 | 100 |
| Oshkosh, WI | $41,450 | $35,320 | $19.93 | 30 |
| Louisville, KY | $41,430 | $34,220 | $19.92 | 180 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $41,280 | $34,030 | $19.85 | 160 |
| Reno, NV | $41,080 | $39,000 | $19.75 | 60 |
| Portland, ME | $41,040 | $40,760 | $19.73 | 90 |
| Wilmington, NC | $40,790 | $37,080 | $19.61 | 50 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $40,680 | $37,290 | $19.56 | 60 |
| Dallas, TX | $40,300 | $35,990 | $19.37 | 340 |
| Nashville, TN | $40,280 | $36,860 | $19.36 | n/a |
| Boise, ID | $40,230 | $42,870 | $19.34 | 100 |
| St. Louis, MO | $39,900 | $34,010 | $19.18 | 140 |
| Houston, TX | $39,890 | $36,390 | $19.18 | 240 |
| Kansas City, MO | $39,720 | $35,950 | $19.10 | 160 |
| Lancaster, PA | $39,480 | $39,540 | $18.98 | 40 |
| Ogden, UT | $39,470 | $38,580 | $18.98 | 50 |
| Deltona, FL | $38,760 | $35,430 | $18.63 | 60 |
| Omaha, NE | $38,580 | $34,900 | $18.55 | 50 |
| Palm Bay, FL | $38,530 | $33,280 | $18.52 | 30 |
| Orlando, FL | $38,290 | $35,520 | $18.41 | n/a |
| Lakeland, FL | $38,250 | $33,200 | $18.39 | 50 |
| Toledo, OH | $38,170 | $35,840 | $18.35 | 30 |
| Manchester, NH | $37,920 | $37,700 | $18.23 | 40 |
| Provo, UT | $37,900 | $37,240 | $18.22 | 50 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $37,880 | $35,940 | $18.21 | 60 |
| San Antonio, TX | $37,150 | $35,740 | $17.86 | 90 |
| Sarasota, FL | $37,130 | $36,030 | $17.85 | 110 |
| Wichita, KS | $36,770 | $34,390 | $17.68 | 70 |
| Tucson, AZ | $36,500 | $31,410 | $17.55 | n/a |
| Anchorage, AK | $36,150 | $34,900 | $17.38 | 40 |
| New Orleans, LA | $35,900 | $36,180 | $17.26 | n/a |
| Grand Rapids, MI | $35,670 | $30,940 | $17.15 | 120 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $35,520 | $33,340 | $17.08 | n/a |
| Knoxville, TN | $35,350 | $30,530 | $16.99 | 70 |
| Cleveland, OH | $35,040 | $31,620 | $16.85 | 170 |
| Greenville, SC | $34,040 | $32,760 | $16.36 | 40 |
| Columbia, SC | $33,720 | $29,670 | $16.21 | n/a |
| Las Vegas, NV | $33,530 | $32,040 | $16.12 | 100 |
| El Paso, TX | $33,470 | $32,590 | $16.09 | 40 |
| Detroit, MI | $33,420 | $30,920 | $16.07 | 450 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $33,220 | $28,970 | $15.97 | 80 |
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Animal Trainers salary: questions
Where do animal trainers make the most money?
In Virginia Beach, VA, with an average of $76,380 a year, among the 95 metro areas we cover.
What is the average animal trainers salary in the U.S.?
$48,800 a year across all U.S. metro areas, weighted by employment (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where is animal trainers pay the lowest?
Ann Arbor, MI, at $33,220 a year on average. Lower pay often comes with lower prices: check the cost of living on each city page.
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 39-2011.
- U.S. metro average: employment-weighted mean of every metro area in the OEWS file (not only the ones listed here).
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.