What are the main factors that influence a Groomer's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change a Groomer's salary?

A Groomer's salary grows with experience: starting around $35,166 for beginners, reaching about $36,519 at mid-level, and approach $37,641 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Groomer?

Groomer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Groomer roles are District of Columbia $38,768, California $38,621, Massachusetts $38,107. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Groomer roles make?

Salaries for Groomer level roles vary by specialization: Veterinary Groomer: $117,187; Animal Groomer: $42,184; Mobile Pet Groomer: $41,320; PetSmart Groomer: $39,496; Pet Groomer: $39,002.

How do different companies affect a Groomer's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Groomer roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

Groomer Salary in the United States

How much does a Groomer make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Groomer in the United States is $35,015 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $17.

However, a Groomer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $42,296
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $31,386 to $38,826
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $28,081

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Groomer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$38,826	$3,236	$747	$19
Average	$35,015	$2,918	$673	$17
25th Percentile	$31,386	$2,615	$604	$15

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Key Factors That Influence Groomer Salaries

A Groomer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Groomer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Groomer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $35,166
Early Career (1-2 years): $35,670
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $36,519
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $37,330
Expert (over 8 years): $37,641

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Groomer	$35,166
Intermediate Level Groomer	$35,670
Senior Level Groomer	$36,519
Specialist Level Groomer	$37,330
Expert Level Groomer	$37,641

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Groomer Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Groomers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $38,768.
California: $38,621.
Massachusetts: $38,107.

District of Columbia $38,768

California $38,621

Massachusetts $38,107

Washington $37,967

New Jersey $37,953

Alaska $37,904

Connecticut $37,420

New York $37,224

Hawaii $36,597

Rhode Island $36,303

Maryland $36,104

Minnesota $35,831

Colorado $35,726

Illinois $35,691

Oregon $35,558

Delaware $35,459

New Hampshire $35,398

Virginia $35,260

Pennsylvania $34,857

Nevada $34,654

North Dakota $34,588

Michigan $34,483

Wisconsin $34,444

Vermont $34,367

Texas $34,153

Maine $34,139

Arizona $34,118

Ohio $34,094

Georgia $33,772

Indiana $33,611

Wyoming $33,579

Utah $33,530

Iowa $33,509

Kansas $33,341

Louisiana $33,292

North Carolina $33,275

Missouri $33,268

Florida $33,131

Montana $33,057

Nebraska $32,987

Kentucky $32,949

South Carolina $32,809

Tennessee $32,721

Idaho $32,686

New Mexico $32,431

Oklahoma $32,375

Alabama $32,168

South Dakota $31,821

Arkansas $31,632

West Virginia $31,531

Mississippi $31,226

Top Paying Cities for Groomers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $44,164
San Francisco: $43,730
Oakland: $42,760

San Jose, CA $44,164

San Francisco, CA $43,730

Oakland, CA $42,760

New York, NY $40,579

Queens Village, NY $40,316

Paramus, NJ $40,036

Passaic, NJ $40,001

Bergenfield, NJ $39,966

Stamford, CT $39,913

Huntington, NY $39,878

Newark, NJ $39,651

Bridgeport, CT $39,581

New Brunswick, NJ $39,465

Vallejo, CA $39,392

Middlesex, NJ $39,371

Somerset, NJ $39,339

Petaluma, CA $39,259

Santa Cruz, CA $39,122

Boston, MA $39,052

Monterey, CA $38,877

Fairbanks, AK $38,852

Los Angeles, CA $38,786

Washington, DC $38,768

Seattle, WA $38,705

Santa Rosa, CA $38,698

Juneau, AK $38,597

Orange, CA $38,481

Anchorage, AK $38,418

Anaheim, CA $38,394

Santa Ana, CA $38,341

Nassau, NY $38,320

Long Beach, CA $38,306

Danbury, CT $38,296

Santa Maria, CA $38,177

Everett, WA $38,170

Bremerton, WA $37,998

Trenton, NJ $37,932

Sacramento, CA $37,918

San Diego, CA $37,900

Brockton, MA $37,886

Tacoma, WA $37,872

Santa Barbara, CA $37,823

Lowell, MA $37,683

New Suffolk, NY $37,669

Nashua, NH $37,627

Lompoc, CA $37,571

Ventura, CA $37,536

Stockton, CA $37,525

New Haven, CT $37,455

Atlantic City, NJ $37,364

Hartford, CT $37,287

Modesto, CA $37,270

Poughkeepsie, NY $37,193

New Britain, CT $37,175

Olympia, WA $37,126

Kennewick, WA $37,126

New London, CT $37,119

Norwich, CT $37,109

Lawrence, MA $37,091

Bakersfield, CA $36,993

Riverside, CA $36,944

New Bedford, MA $36,944

Richland, WA $36,909

Portsmouth, NH $36,881

Vineland, NJ $36,874

San Bernardino, CA $36,846

Boulder, CO $36,748

Worcester, MA $36,720

Portland, OR $36,689

Saint Paul, MN $36,646

Minneapolis, MN $36,646

Philadelphia, PA $36,597

Honolulu, HI $36,412

Springfield, MA $36,289

Providence, RI $36,286

Chicago, IL $36,184

Bellingham, WA $36,142

Baltimore, MD $36,104

Chico, CA $36,016

Wilmington, DE $35,957

Pittsfield, MA $35,922

Manchester, NH $35,855

Spokane, WA $35,701

Denver, CO $35,698

Albany, NY $35,533

Troy, NY $35,519

Schenectady, NY $35,445

Burlington, VT $35,368

Portland, ME $35,246

Salem, OR $35,218

Yakima, WA $35,211

Ann Arbor, MI $35,200

Rochester, MN $35,102

Fresno, CA $35,085

Reno, NV $35,085

Milwaukee, WI $35,053

Detroit, MI $35,018

Allentown, PA $35,008

Carson City, NV $35,004

Houston, TX $34,952

Colorado Springs, CO $34,948

Syracuse, NY $34,931

Eugene, OR $34,864

Bismarck, ND $34,822

Gary, IN $34,822

Galveston, TX $34,822

Springfield, OR $34,794

Medford, OR $34,710

Fort Collins, CO $34,696

Austin, TX $34,668

Mesa, AZ $34,595

Phoenix, AZ $34,588

Dallas, TX $34,577

Reading, PA $34,556

Saint Cloud, MN $34,542

Concord, NH $34,511

Madison, WI $34,497

Utica, NY $34,402

Raleigh, NC $34,374

Las Vegas, NV $34,371

Rochester, NY $34,346

Des Moines, IA $34,343

Atlanta, GA $34,286

Battle Creek, MI $34,276

Salt Lake City, UT $34,265

Lancaster, PA $34,213

Champaign, IL $34,206

Harrisburg, PA $34,164

Durham, NC $34,132

Kansas City, MO $34,129

Kansas City, KS $34,122

Fort Worth, TX $34,118

Boca Raton, FL $34,104

Cleveland, OH $34,101

Columbus, OH $34,094

Pittsburgh, PA $34,090

Richmond, VA $34,076

Indianapolis, IN $34,069

Cincinnati, OH $34,024

Petersburg, VA $33,971

Billings, MT $33,894

Lansing, MI $33,894

Huntsville, AL $33,894

Lebanon, PA $33,891

Dayton, OH $33,887

Pueblo, CO $33,887

Appleton, WI $33,877

Buffalo, NY $33,863

Racine, WI $33,845

Charlotte, NC $33,842

Saint Louis, MO $33,831

Springfield, IL $33,817

Elkhart, IN $33,810

York, PA $33,810

Gastonia, NC $33,807

Benton Harbor, MI $33,807

Beaumont, TX $33,786

Lorain, OH $33,779

Toledo, OH $33,765

Binghamton, NY $33,747

Rock Hill, SC $33,744

Rockford, IL $33,726

Fargo, ND $33,709

Elyria, OH $33,709

Flagstaff, AZ $33,684

Fort Lauderdale, FL $33,663

Miami, FL $33,642

Duluth, MN $33,586

Bangor, ME $33,541

Cedar Rapids, IA $33,502

Louisville, KY $33,485

Grand Rapids, MI $33,478

Hialeah, FL $33,474

Casper, WY $33,425

Scranton, PA $33,383

New Orleans, LA $33,373

Virginia Beach, VA $33,369

Akron, OH $33,352

Peoria, IL $33,306

Sarasota, FL $33,299

Green Bay, WI $33,275

Baton Rouge, LA $33,257

Charleston, SC $33,250

Nashville, TN $33,240

Jamestown, NY $33,233

Davenport, IA $33,233

Tucson, AZ $33,215

Cheyenne, WY $33,205

Saint Petersburg, FL $33,194

Tampa, FL $33,187

Omaha, NE $33,180

Port Arthur, TX $33,166

Evansville, IN $33,166

Bradenton, FL $33,152

Santa Fe, NM $33,089

Orlando, FL $33,054

Clearwater, FL $33,015

Canton, OH $32,942

La Crosse, WI $32,942

Grand Forks, ND $32,931

Albuquerque, NM $32,921

Tulsa, OK $32,921

Newport News, VA $32,917

High Point, NC $32,907

Ogden, UT $32,893

Corpus Christi, TX $32,865

Laramie, WY $32,844

Norfolk, VA $32,844

Rock Island, IL $32,823

Saginaw, MI $32,816

Jacksonville, FL $32,812

Salisbury, NC $32,805

Memphis, TN $32,798

Moline, IL $32,781

Fort Myers, FL $32,770

Waterloo, IA $32,725

Spartanburg, SC $32,690

Lincoln, NE $32,672

Fort Wayne, IN $32,665

Birmingham, AL $32,627

Cedar Falls, IA $32,620

Provo, UT $32,616

Springfield, OH $32,613

San Antonio, TX $32,606

Greensboro, NC $32,592

South Bend, IN $32,588

Winston Salem, NC $32,585

Boise, ID $32,574

Savannah, GA $32,550

Muskegon, MI $32,487

Lima, OH $32,445

Lake Charles, LA $32,431

Anderson, IN $32,424

Lexington, KY $32,413

Augusta, GA $32,403

Greenville, SC $32,403

Wichita, KS $32,371

Tuscaloosa, AL $32,371

Columbia, SC $32,340

Bloomington, IN $32,252

Roanoke, VA $32,231

Asheville, NC $32,186

Knoxville, TN $32,126

Shreveport, LA $32,123

Wilmington, NC $32,077

Frankfort, KY $32,011

Oklahoma City, OK $31,986

Chillicothe, OH $31,972

Longview, TX $31,969

Topeka, KS $31,958

Mobile, AL $31,905

Terre Haute, IN $31,891

Erie, PA $31,888

Altoona, PA $31,870

Melbourne, FL $31,860

Amarillo, TX $31,846

Killeen, TX $31,835

Fayetteville, AR $31,807

Sioux Falls, SD $31,783

Chattanooga, TN $31,762

Idaho Falls, ID $31,758

Gainesville, FL $31,685

Portsmouth, OH $31,667

Little Rock, AR $31,660

Lynchburg, VA $31,660

Lafayette, LA $31,646

Youngstown, OH $31,646

Temple, TX $31,632

Daytona Beach, FL $31,625

Clarksville, TN $31,622

Pensacola, FL $31,618

Hopkinsville, KY $31,513

Charleston, WV $31,510

Florence, SC $31,492

Sioux City, IA $31,471

Macon, GA $31,370

Tallahassee, FL $31,366

Fayetteville, NC $31,359

Waco, TX $31,352

Wichita Falls, TX $31,352

Pine Bluff, AR $31,338

Vincennes, IN $31,272

Lubbock, TX $31,258

Great Falls, MT $31,237

Alamogordo, NM $31,233

Abilene, TX $31,205

Rapid City, SD $31,160

Monroe, LA $31,160

Albany, GA $31,139

Huntington, WV $31,135

Jackson, MS $31,132

Greenville, MS $31,128

Parkersburg, WV $31,093

Montgomery, AL $31,086

Johnstown, PA $31,079

Springfield, MO $31,051

Biloxi, MS $31,034

Sumter, SC $30,960

Columbus, GA $30,957

Twin Falls, ID $30,936

Pascagoula, MS $30,890

Kingsport, TN $30,799

Gulfport, MS $30,789

Alexandria, LA $30,673

Fort Smith, AR $30,585

El Paso, TX $30,491

Helena, MT $30,445

Las Cruces, NM $30,333

Harlingen, TX $30,235

Pocatello, ID $30,204

Florence, AL $30,193

Brownsville, TX $30,186

Dothan, AL $30,130

Mcallen, TX $30,113

Columbus, MS $29,854

Altus, OK $29,693

Lawton, OK $29,626

Pierre, SD $29,500

What Skills Can Increase a Groomer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Planning (Mentioned in 16.79% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
Geriatrics (Mentioned in 3.22% Job Postings): Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on providing care for the unique health needs of older adults. The term geriatrics originates from the Greek geron meaning "old man", and iatros meaning "healer".
Activity Planning (Mentioned in 1.23% Job Postings): Produce a detailed schedule showing which staff carry out each activity; produce a detailed plan against which actual achievement may be measured; produce timed cash flow forecast; replan the project during its life to correct drift from the target.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Planning	16.79%
Geriatrics	3.22%
Activity Planning	1.23%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Groomer's salary.

Verbal Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Communication Skills: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Verbal Communication	$39,217	12%
Communication Skills	$38,166	9%
Commitment	$37,816	8%
Microsoft Office	$37,816	8%
Leadership	$37,466	7%
Therapeutic Recreation	$37,466	7%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Groomer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Groomers enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Groomer with a Associate's Degree is between $34,819 and $37,156).

Groomer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Groomer

No Diploma 1.2%

High School 41.0%

Associates 13.0%

Bachelors 41.6%

Masters 2.5%

Doctorate 0.6%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.2%
High School	41.0%
Associates	13.0%
Bachelors	41.6%
Masters	2.5%
Doctorate	0.6%

view as graph

Groomer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Groomer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$31,386

Average $35,015/year

$38,826

$2,615

Average $2,918/month

$3,236

$604

Average $673/week

$747

$15

Average $17/hour

$19

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$38,826	$3,236	$747	$19
Average	$35,015	$2,918	$673	$17
25th Percentile	$31,386	$2,615	$604	$15

Salaries of jobs related to Groomer

Salary Trends for Groomer

Salaries for a Groomer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $48,829 in 2023 to around $49,110 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Groomer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Groomer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$48,829

2024

$49,300

2025

$49,110

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$48,829
2024	$49,300
2025	$49,110
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Groomer

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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