Animal Trainers
Train animals for riding, harness, security, performance, or obedience, or for assisting persons with disabilities.
About the profession
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.
How to Get Started
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Career Match Test →Explore the Career Path section to see progression from junior to senior
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Occupation on screen: Animal Trainers (O*NET 39-2011.00). Closed captions in English and Spanish. CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration)
Personality Fit
Based on the Animal Trainers role, here are the RIASEC personality types that tend to thrive in this career. While these alignments are common, individual success depends on motivation, skill development, and finding the right work environment.
Enterprising
Leading, persuading, business
Social
Helping, teaching, working with people
Conventional
Organizing, detail-oriented, structured
Not sure if these types match you? Take the full RIASEC assessment (4 min) to discover your personality profile and see how it aligns with hundreds of careers.
Career Path
Your career progression roadmap with salary growth at each level
Career Ladder
Trainee Animal Trainer → Technician Animal Trainer → Senior Technician Animal Trainer → Lead Technician Animal Trainer
Where are you on this career path?
Click a level below to set your current position
Salary Growth
4
Levels
$65K
Top Salary
8+
Years
Learning Path
Skills you need to develop and courses to get there
🚀
Set your current level first
Go to the Career Path tab and select your current level to see your personalized learning plan.
Go to Career PathCareer levels
Timeline: 0-2 | Entry Level Base: $28,960 - $38,050/year With equity/bonuses: $31,856 - $45,660 Top markets (SF/NYC): $33,304 - $45,660 Execute core tasks using Instructing under…
Skills used in this career
Click any skill to see how to learn it and what salary boost it gives
Day in Life
Junior vs Senior, daily schedule breakdown
9am, Talk to or interact with animals to familiarize them to human voices or contact. 10am, Observe animals' physical conditions to detect illness or unhealthy conditions…
Income Dynamics
Conservative and aggressive scenarios for 10–15 years
Year 1: Entry level $20,272 - $34,245 Year 2-3: Junior level $38,050 - $44,783 Year 4-6: Mid level $44,783 - $48,554 Year 7-10: Senior level $48,554 - $59,042 Year 10+:…
Is this for me?
15 questions, answer honestly
You find the craft of a Animal Trainer genuinely interesting, not just a paycheck You enjoy working with Instructing and Speaking You communicate clearly with diverse stakeholders…
💰 Salary Range
BLS OEWS, May 2023Half of U.S. workers in this occupation earn more than this, half earn less.
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Related Reading
Related Holland / RIASEC Types