Animal Trainer Salary

Animal trainers are individuals who train various types of animals to be able to become obedient, listen and become tamer so they can be used for riding, security, performance and display.  Animal trainers can be found in a plethora of different areas such as in zoos, circuses, theme parks, Sea World and many more places. These trainers must be able to be patient, gentle, sensitive to animals needs and be able to understand the animals wants. People who choose to go into the field of animal training are not required to have an education past a high school diploma or GED but there are certification classes out there and those who opt to go into zoology, marine biology and a science in the field of animals will find that more jobs will open up to them because of that. You will find that an animal trainers salary is typically an hourly rate of around thirteen dollars an hour that roughly averages out to twenty-seven thousand dollars a year.  Now obviously depending on where you work, who you work for and your experience will also depend on how much money that you will typically bring in. You will be happy to know that the field of animal training is growing much faster and you will see that these jobs have spread from domesticated animals to wild animals and beyond.  The largest industry for animal trainers is obviously in the domesticated animal categories, especially for individuals who are interested in dog training for competitions. 

A typical day in the life of an average animal trainer would look something like some of the following:

• Make sure that animals become accustomed to the human voice and human contact. 
• Condition the animals to insure that they will follow commands and listen.
• Positively reinforce animals so that they will listen and obey.
• Insure that animals are following and appropriate diet.
• Insure that animals are being exercised properly, mentally stimulated and there is a lot of hands on care.

Field Of Work

There are several different routes that a person can go down when it comes to looking for an animal trainer salary. As I said earlier one of the biggest jobs in the field is domesticate animal training. This has always been a popular field and you have seen that the world of training your dogs or cats have become a huge issue. I think that we all have heard of The Dog Whisperer and others who have become famous because of how well they work with animals.  These men and woman have expanded the world of animal training and allowed the field to grow into what it is today. These dog trainers have paved the way for others to find work faster. Now people see how dogs should behave and want there's to follow suit.  This is a fun field for those of you who love animals but it can be tough as well. It takes a lot of patience to work with dogs of all different sizes, temperament and breeds.  You must be aware of the what it will be like to work with a variety of different animals like this and the dangers as well. You will more then likely run into animals who have temperament issues, who are anxious, scared or have had an abusive background.  This is a tougher job then most people think and it takes a special person to be able ot handle the job. Most people who go into this sort of dog training will find that if they come with good references and support then they will typically make around fifteen to twenty if not more an hour. 

For those of you who go into training wild animals, such as the ones in zoos, Sea World and other places, you will find that these jobs come with different requirements and degrees as well.  You will find that many people that you find that work in zoos who help to train and maintain the animals have all typically majored in areas of zoology, biology, psychology and have had experience working with exotic animals before.  Many people will intern while they are in college in zoos or Sea World where they will be able to help and work with well seniord trainers.  You will find that some colleges will offer specific programs that are geared towards those who are interested in working with exotic animals.  Working in the field of zoo keeping can be an extremely demanding job. You will find that many people do not realize how demanding the job really is until they begin an internship. 

People who decide to become zoo keepers will realize that they themselves have to be physically fit and able to perform the tasks that they are asked to perform. They also have to have the stamina, patience and fearlessness required to work with these animals.  You also need to be aware of the dangers that come along with working with exotic animals. We have heard the numerous news reports that have informed the world of zoo keepers and animal trainers that have been seriously injured and even died because of an animal turning on them. Wild animals are wild animals and they are not built to be in environments like the one's that we have them in, so making sure that you always give the animal respect and they in turn respect you as well. 

You will find that the world of animal trainers is growing small and advancement is harder, when it comes to those interested in working in zoos.  These positions are typically held for long periods of time and the people do not typically leave. You will have a lot of stiff competition to go up against and proving yourself is a large feet in and of itself.  Those who are interested in working with exotic animals will find that you will generally earn roughly around thirty-five to sixty thousand a year.