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Animal Trainers: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
2 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Animal Trainers, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for HORSE TRAINER (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Trainer | 0871 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| HORSE TRAINER | 1001 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What animal trainers earn, by state
Virginia has the highest state median for animal trainers ($62,960) and South Carolina the lowest ($29,670), across the 47 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $62,960 | $30.27 | 720 |
| Alabama | $55,700 | $26.78 | 170 |
| Oregon | $55,520 | $26.69 | 140 |
| California | $49,060 | $23.59 | 2,270 |
| New York | $48,790 | $23.46 | 970 |
| New Jersey | $46,690 | $22.45 | 480 |
| Washington | $46,420 | $22.32 | 360 |
| Illinois | $45,830 | $22.03 | 680 |
| Connecticut | $45,800 | $22.02 | 290 |
| Indiana | $45,270 | $21.76 | 380 |
| Georgia | $45,250 | $21.76 | 800 |
| Montana | $44,680 | $21.48 | 80 |
| Colorado | $44,290 | $21.29 | 330 |
| Massachusetts | $43,580 | $20.95 | 510 |
| Iowa | $43,020 | $20.68 | 180 |
| Minnesota | $41,690 | $20.04 | 300 |
| Idaho | $40,770 | $19.60 | 180 |
| Maine | $40,760 | $19.60 | 110 |
| Oklahoma | $40,310 | $19.38 | 250 |
| Arkansas | $39,400 | $18.94 | 110 |
| North Dakota | $38,970 | $18.73 | 30 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,920 | $18.71 | 460 |
| Utah | $38,580 | $18.55 | 260 |
| District of Columbia | $38,200 | $18.37 | Not published |
| South Dakota | $38,120 | $18.33 | 30 |
| New Hampshire | $38,030 | $18.28 | 140 |
| North Carolina | $37,680 | $18.11 | 640 |
| Maryland | $37,430 | $18.00 | 890 |
| Wisconsin | $37,140 | $17.86 | 480 |
| West Virginia | $37,080 | $17.83 | 100 |
| Florida | $36,870 | $17.72 | 1,090 |
| Nevada | $36,760 | $17.67 | 170 |
| Texas | $36,370 | $17.49 | 1,080 |
| Tennessee | $35,320 | $16.98 | 310 |
| Mississippi | $35,130 | $16.89 | 40 |
| Alaska | $34,900 | $16.78 | 50 |
| Nebraska | $34,900 | $16.78 | 60 |
| New Mexico | $34,760 | $16.71 | 60 |
| Kansas | $34,720 | $16.69 | 250 |
| Kentucky | $34,030 | $16.36 | 470 |
| Missouri | $34,010 | $16.35 | 250 |
| Delaware | $33,810 | $16.25 | 90 |
| Arizona | $33,330 | $16.02 | Not published |
| Louisiana | $32,720 | $15.73 | Not published |
| Ohio | $32,700 | $15.72 | 730 |
| Michigan | $30,820 | $14.82 | 800 |
| South Carolina | $29,670 | $14.27 | 200 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).