Pay by state · 47 states
Animal Trainer Salary by State (2026)
Animal Trainers earn the most in Virginia at $62,960 a year and the least in South Carolina at $29,670 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $39,990. All 47 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $62,960Virginia
- National median
- $39,990BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $29,670South Carolina
- States reporting
- 47of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Animal Trainer salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of animal trainers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VAVirginia | $62,960 | $41,910 | $107,830 | 720 | $62,273 |
| 2 | ALAlabama | $55,700 | $43,600 | $65,930 | 170 | $62,709 |
| 3 | OROregon | $55,520 | $47,840 | $66,040 | 140 | $53,715 |
| 4 | CACalifornia | $49,060 | $39,730 | $64,280 | 2,270 | $44,310 |
| 5 | NYNew York | $48,790 | $40,100 | $62,050 | 970 | $45,209 |
| 6 | NJNew Jersey | $46,690 | $39,850 | $75,470 | 480 | $42,912 |
| 7 | WAWashington | $46,420 | $40,540 | $52,660 | 360 | $43,378 |
| 8 | ILIllinois | $45,830 | $34,700 | $59,810 | 680 | $45,849 |
| 9 | CTConnecticut | $45,800 | $37,260 | $61,510 | 290 | $44,204 |
| 10 | INIndiana | $45,270 | $36,910 | $82,680 | 380 | $48,506 |
| 11 | GAGeorgia | $45,250 | $36,150 | $73,840 | 800 | $46,992 |
| 12 | MTMontana | $44,680 | $36,010 | $50,840 | 80 | $47,208 |
| 13 | COColorado | $44,290 | $39,530 | $46,760 | 330 | $42,978 |
| 14 | MAMassachusetts | $43,580 | $33,670 | $57,160 | 510 | $41,208 |
| 15 | IAIowa | $43,020 | $34,600 | $64,580 | 180 | $49,019 |
| 16 | MNMinnesota | $41,690 | $35,370 | $57,240 | 300 | $42,273 |
| 17 | IDIdaho | $40,770 | $33,220 | $42,870 | 180 | $42,694 |
| 18 | MEMaine | $40,760 | $38,480 | $40,760 | 110 | $41,999 |
| 19 | OKOklahoma | $40,310 | $31,160 | $50,600 | 250 | $45,889 |
| 20 | ARArkansas | $39,400 | $34,300 | $54,030 | 110 | $45,320 |
| 21 | NDNorth Dakota | $38,970 | $35,180 | $39,430 | 30 | $43,807 |
| 22 | PAPennsylvania | $38,920 | $33,560 | $52,080 | 460 | $39,888 |
| 23 | UTUtah | $38,580 | $31,890 | $45,290 | 260 | $39,023 |
| 24 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $38,200 | $38,200 | $39,230 | N/A | $34,759 |
| 25 | SDSouth Dakota | $38,120 | $31,080 | $42,210 | 30 | $43,032 |
| 26 | NHNew Hampshire | $38,030 | $32,150 | $43,620 | 140 | $36,509 |
| 27 | NCNorth Carolina | $37,680 | $33,700 | $57,860 | 640 | $39,947 |
| 28 | MDMaryland | $37,430 | $32,690 | $65,090 | 890 | $35,662 |
| 29 | WIWisconsin | $37,140 | $31,440 | $49,530 | 480 | $39,471 |
| 30 | WVWest Virginia | $37,080 | $33,430 | $48,710 | 100 | $41,432 |
| 31 | FLFlorida | $36,870 | $33,320 | $44,680 | 1,090 | $35,653 |
| 32 | NVNevada | $36,760 | $26,790 | $42,550 | 170 | $36,768 |
| 33 | TXTexas | $36,370 | $30,920 | $44,770 | 1,080 | $37,473 |
| 34 | TNTennessee | $35,320 | $29,580 | $43,300 | 310 | $38,446 |
| 35 | MSMississippi | $35,130 | $32,910 | $53,870 | 40 | $40,401 |
| 36 | AKAlaska | $34,900 | $34,900 | $36,480 | 50 | $34,096 |
| 37 | NENebraska | $34,900 | $34,900 | $38,490 | 60 | $38,733 |
| 38 | NMNew Mexico | $34,760 | $31,880 | $36,650 | 60 | $37,696 |
| 39 | KSKansas | $34,720 | $30,630 | $42,770 | 250 | $38,549 |
| 40 | KYKentucky | $34,030 | $29,140 | $46,730 | 470 | $37,744 |
| 41 | MOMissouri | $34,010 | $32,060 | $40,110 | 250 | $37,449 |
| 42 | DEDelaware | $33,810 | $32,140 | $38,380 | 90 | $33,875 |
| 43 | AZArizona | $33,330 | $31,880 | $37,140 | N/A | $33,106 |
| 44 | LALouisiana | $32,720 | $22,690 | $38,990 | N/A | $37,095 |
| 45 | OHOhio | $32,700 | $28,230 | $44,790 | 730 | $35,247 |
| 46 | MIMichigan | $30,820 | $28,970 | $35,210 | 800 | $32,032 |
| 47 | SCSouth Carolina | $29,670 | $28,840 | $35,630 | 200 | $31,648 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Animal Trainers, that changes the ranking: Virginia leads on raw pay at $62,960, while Alabama leads once prices are taken into account at $62,709.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Animal Trainer pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Animal Trainers the most?
Virginia reports the highest median wage for Animal Trainers at $62,960 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Alabama ($55,700) and Oregon ($55,520).
Which state pays Animal Trainers the least?
South Carolina reports the lowest median for Animal Trainers at $29,670 a year, $33,290 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Animal Trainers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Alabama first at $62,709 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $55,700. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.