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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $38,750 in the US and is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows low AI exposure (0.33 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include biosecurity related to animals, signs of animal illness, animal welfare legislation, animal welfare, physiology of animals.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £25,067 a year for Animal care services occupations n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £22,826 to £27,865 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 6129). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Service and sales workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Animal trainers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 5. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Sales and Marketing
- Administrative
- Personnel and Human Resources
What you'd actually 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.
- Evaluate animals to determine their temperaments, abilities, or aptitude for training.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Animal trainers do?
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 much does Animal trainers earn?
The median annual salary for Animal trainers in the US is $38,750.
What is the job outlook for Animal trainers?
The role is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 47,300 workers.
How do I become animal trainers?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Animal trainers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include biosecurity related to animals, signs of animal illness, animal welfare legislation, animal welfare, physiology of animals, environmental enrichment for animals. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Animal trainers?
Our AI-durability model gives Animal trainers a score of 0.33 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Animal trainers has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.