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Animal Trainers in Florida

Thinking about a career as an Animal Trainers in Florida? Below are the key facts. 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.

What do Animal Trainers Make in Florida?

For a animal trainers working in Florida, the typical annual salary is $36,190 per year (or roughly $17.40/hour).Annual wages span from $25,370 at the 10th percentile to $71,990 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$25,370	$12.20
25th percentile	$30,600	$14.71
Median (50th)	$36,190	$17.40
75th percentile	$46,220	$22.22
90th percentile	$71,990	$34.61

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Florida nationwide is 1.22, indicating that animal trainers are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, animal trainers earn a median of $32,987 per year ($15.86/hour), exceeding the Florida median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 182,029 animal trainers in the U.S.. In Florida alone, about 1,570 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 260 animal trainers.

Top Florida Metros for Animal Trainers

The largest metro-area employers of animal trainers in Florida.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	500	$37,940
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	170	$37,320
Jacksonville, FL	100	$34,100
Ocala, FL	90	$42,390
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL	70	$34,020
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL	70	$34,500
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL	50	$37,060
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL	50	$34,230
Gainesville, FL	40	$35,960
Naples-Marco Island, FL	40	$39,720
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	30	$35,750
Port St. Lucie, FL	30	$31,750

Top States for Animal Trainers Employment

View the states that employ the most animal trainers work.

State	Number Employed
California	2,470
Florida	1,570
New York	1,320
Ohio	970
Georgia	790
Texas	790
North Carolina	740
Arizona	710
Pennsylvania	630
Virginia	620
Maryland	600
Missouri	600
Michigan	590
Washington	570
Indiana	560
Illinois	550
Minnesota	520
Wisconsin	420
Connecticut	380
New Jersey	340

Highest-Paying States for Animal Trainers

The highest-paying states for animal trainers.

State	Annual Median Salary
Hawaii	$72,080
Alabama	$58,480
Oregon	$48,690
California	$46,780
Maryland	$46,390
New York	$45,470
Iowa	$45,180
Colorado	$43,670
Connecticut	$43,240
Washington	$42,810

Skills

Key animal trainers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

The abilities that matter most for animal trainers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, animal trainers typically:

• 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.
• Administer prescribed medications to animals.
• Keep records documenting animal health, diet, or behavior.
• Evaluate animals for trainability and ability to perform.
• Advise animal owners regarding the purchase of specific animals.
• 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.
• Use oral, spur, rein, or hand commands to condition horses to carry riders or to pull horse-drawn equipment.

Work Activities

• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Training and Teaching Others
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Thinking Creatively
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Getting Information
• Communicating with People Outside the Organization
• Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
• Providing Consultation and Advice to Others

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Atlassian JIRA, Epic Systems

Related Careers

Careers similar to animal trainers include:

• Training and Development Managers
• Training and Development Specialists
• Animal Scientists
• Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
• Self-Enrichment Teachers
• Athletes and Sports Competitors

Also Known As

Agility Instructor, Animal Handler, Animal Trainer, Bronc Breaker, Bronc Buster, Canine Handler, Canine Service Teacher, Cat Groomer, Dog Groomer, Dog Handler, Dog Obedience Instructor, Dog Show Judge, Dog Trainer, Dolphin Trainer, Elephant Tamer.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 39-2011.00