Occupations · Personal Care and Service
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 39-2011.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 73% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $45,470 | 1,230 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $48,480 | 790 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $38,490 | 660 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $48,710 | 620 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $32,220 | 530 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $37,940 | 500 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $35,750 | 460 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $35,510 | 430 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $53,340 | 400 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $40,350 | 360 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $35,050 | 290 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $42,220 | 290 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- 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.
- Use oral, spur, rein, or hand commands to condition horses to carry riders or to pull horse-drawn equipment.
- Retrain horses to break bad habits, such as kicking, bolting, or resisting bridling or grooming.
- 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.
- Train dogs in human assistance or property protection duties.
- Evaluate animals to determine their temperaments, abilities, or aptitude for training.
- Administer prescribed medications to animals.
- Keep records documenting animal health, diet, or behavior.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2014-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2014-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Teach owners how to train their dogs.
- Teach people with visual impairments to use guide dogs.
O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 9
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| animal trainer | 5164.2.1 | exact |
| dog trainer | 5164.2.1.1 | broader |
| guide dog instructor | 5164.2.1.1.1 | broader |
| animal handler | 5164.2 | broader |
| horse trainer | 5164.2.1.2 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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