Career
Animal trainers
Train animals for work, shows and companionship.
$39,990
Median pay
+4.2%
Job growth, 2025–35
6,500
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then people & care?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Cue or signal animals during performances.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Instructing, Speaking, Learning Strategies, Critical Thinking.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $39,990 a year and 6,500 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Animal TrainingCIP 01.0505
- Equestrian/Equine StudiesCIP 01.0507
- AnthrozoologyCIP 30.3401
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Animal Caretakers$35,360 · +12.1%
- Animal Breeders$51,130 · +3.0%
- Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers$38,150 · +9.1%
- Animal Control Workers$45,660 · +4.0%
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals$36,670 · -3.2%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.