Average Animal Trainers Salary in Virginia

BLS did not publish a wage for animal trainers in Virginia in the latest release, but in 2023 the local median hourly wage was $18.28. There are 620 workers employed locally today.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates for Virginia (state).

No annual salary published for this location. BLS does not publish an annual wage estimate for animal trainers in Virginia. This is common for occupations where most work is project-based, hourly, or on irregular schedules (actors, athletes, musicians, dancers). No wage figures were published at all for this location in the latest release.

Local employment

Workers tracked locally: 620
How common this job is here: 1.17×; Similar to the national average.

The last time BLS reported wages here

The latest release does not include a wage figure for animal trainers in Virginia, but earlier releases did. Here is the most recent year with a published wage.

Last reporting year: 2023
Median hourly wage (2023): $18.28/hr
Median annual wage (2023): $38,030
Employment (2023): 320

This data is from the 2023 BLS release. Recent figures may differ — small-sample suppression is common for this occupation.

Metros inside Virginia

Pay and employment for animal trainers often cluster in specific cities within the state. Drill into any metro for its local breakdown.

Where animal trainers earn the most per hour

Locations where BLS did publish hourly wage data for animal trainers this release, ranked highest to lowest.

By hourly wage

Top-paying states

Hawaii: $34.65/hr
Alabama: $28.12/hr
Oregon: $23.41/hr
California: $22.49/hr
Maryland: $22.30/hr
New York: $21.86/hr
Iowa: $21.72/hr
Colorado: $21.00/hr

By hourly wage

Top-paying metros

Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC: $45.38/hr
Urban Honolulu, HI: $34.65/hr
Colorado Springs, CO: $31.05/hr
Birmingham, AL: $30.45/hr
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA: $29.03/hr
Madison, WI: $28.80/hr
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: $25.65/hr
Raleigh-Cary, NC: $23.64/hr

National job outlook

BLS publishes national employment projections for animal trainers from 2024 to 2034. These projections are national and not broken down by state.

Projected growth: +5.1%; 2,400 net jobs over the projection period
Annual openings: 7,100; Includes growth plus replacements
Typical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent

Related occupations

Other jobs in the same field. Many of these follow similar hourly or project-based pay patterns.