What are the main factors that influence a Security Dog Handler's salary?

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

How does experience change A Security Dog Handler's salary?

A Security Dog Handler's salary grows with experience: a Security Dog Handler (0-0 years)earns $34,323, a Nursing Assistant - Non-certified (0-1 years)earns $34,582, a Patient Care Technician (PCT) (1-3 years)earns $38,307,

What are the highest paying states for a Security Dog Handler?

Security Dog Handler salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Security Dog Handler roles are District of Columbia $37,147, California $37,006, Massachusetts $36,513. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Security Dog Handler roles make?

Salaries for Security Dog Handler level roles vary by specialization: Dog Breeder: $59,416; Dog Handler: $47,733; Yard Dog: $47,023; Military Working Dog Handler: $41,507; Dog Daycare: $40,794.

How do different companies affect a Security Dog Handler's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Security Dog Handler roles. Large, established industry leaders like Kpmg Us LLP ($114,295) and Warner Bros Discovery ($114,096) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $88,138.

Security Dog Handler Salary in the United States

How much does a Security Dog Handler make in the United States?

As of February 01, 2026, the average salary for a Security Dog Handler in the United States is $33,550 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $16.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $37,548
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $29,840 to $35,643
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $26,462

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Security Dog Handler Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$35,643	$2,970	$685	$17
Average	$33,550	$2,796	$645	$16
25th Percentile	$29,840	$2,487	$574	$14

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Check out Security Dog Handler Job Openings in the United States

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Key Factors That Influence Security Dog Handler Salaries

A Security Dog Handler'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 Do Security Dog Handler 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 Security Dog Handlers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $37,147.
California: $37,006.
Massachusetts: $36,513.

District of Columbia $37,147

California $37,006

Massachusetts $36,513

Washington $36,378

New Jersey $36,365

Alaska $36,318

Connecticut $35,855

New York $35,667

Hawaii $35,067

Rhode Island $34,785

Maryland $34,594

Minnesota $34,332

Colorado $34,231

Illinois $34,198

Oregon $34,070

Delaware $33,976

New Hampshire $33,917

Virginia $33,785

Pennsylvania $33,399

Nevada $33,205

North Dakota $33,141

Michigan $33,040

Wisconsin $33,003

Vermont $32,930

Texas $32,725

Maine $32,711

Arizona $32,691

Ohio $32,668

Georgia $32,359

Indiana $32,205

Wyoming $32,175

Utah $32,128

Iowa $32,108

Kansas $31,947

Louisiana $31,900

North Carolina $31,883

Missouri $31,876

Florida $31,745

Montana $31,675

Nebraska $31,608

Kentucky $31,571

South Carolina $31,437

Tennessee $31,353

Idaho $31,319

New Mexico $31,074

Oklahoma $31,021

Alabama $30,823

South Dakota $30,490

Arkansas $30,309

West Virginia $30,212

Mississippi $29,920

Top Paying Cities for Security Dog Handlers

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: $42,317
San Francisco: $41,901
Oakland: $40,972

San Jose, CA $42,317

San Francisco, CA $41,901

Oakland, CA $40,972

New York, NY $38,881

Queens Village, NY $38,630

Paramus, NJ $38,361

Passaic, NJ $38,328

Bergenfield, NJ $38,294

Stamford, CT $38,244

Huntington, NY $38,210

Newark, NJ $37,992

Bridgeport, CT $37,925

New Brunswick, NJ $37,814

Vallejo, CA $37,744

Middlesex, NJ $37,724

Somerset, NJ $37,694

Petaluma, CA $37,616

Santa Cruz, CA $37,486

Boston, MA $37,419

Monterey, CA $37,251

Fairbanks, AK $37,227

Los Angeles, CA $37,164

Washington, DC $37,147

Seattle, WA $37,086

Santa Rosa, CA $37,080

Juneau, AK $36,982

Orange, CA $36,872

Anchorage, AK $36,811

Anaheim, CA $36,788

Santa Ana, CA $36,737

Nassau, NY $36,717

Long Beach, CA $36,704

Danbury, CT $36,694

Santa Maria, CA $36,580

Everett, WA $36,573

Bremerton, WA $36,409

Trenton, NJ $36,345

Sacramento, CA $36,332

San Diego, CA $36,315

Brockton, MA $36,301

Tacoma, WA $36,288

Santa Barbara, CA $36,241

Lowell, MA $36,107

New Suffolk, NY $36,093

Nashua, NH $36,053

Lompoc, CA $35,999

Ventura, CA $35,966

Stockton, CA $35,956

New Haven, CT $35,889

Atlantic City, NJ $35,801

Hartford, CT $35,728

Modesto, CA $35,711

Poughkeepsie, NY $35,637

New Britain, CT $35,620

Olympia, WA $35,573

Kennewick, WA $35,573

New London, CT $35,567

Norwich, CT $35,557

Lawrence, MA $35,540

Bakersfield, CA $35,446

Riverside, CA $35,399

New Bedford, MA $35,399

Richland, WA $35,365

Portsmouth, NH $35,338

Vineland, NJ $35,332

San Bernardino, CA $35,305

Boulder, CO $35,211

Worcester, MA $35,184

Portland, OR $35,154

Saint Paul, MN $35,114

Minneapolis, MN $35,114

Philadelphia, PA $35,067

Honolulu, HI $34,889

Springfield, MA $34,771

Providence, RI $34,768

Chicago, IL $34,671

Bellingham, WA $34,631

Baltimore, MD $34,594

Chico, CA $34,510

Wilmington, DE $34,453

Pittsfield, MA $34,419

Manchester, NH $34,355

Spokane, WA $34,208

Denver, CO $34,204

Albany, NY $34,047

Troy, NY $34,033

Schenectady, NY $33,963

Burlington, VT $33,889

Portland, ME $33,772

Salem, OR $33,745

Yakima, WA $33,738

Ann Arbor, MI $33,728

Rochester, MN $33,634

Fresno, CA $33,617

Reno, NV $33,617

Milwaukee, WI $33,587

Detroit, MI $33,554

Allentown, PA $33,543

Carson City, NV $33,540

Houston, TX $33,490

Colorado Springs, CO $33,486

Syracuse, NY $33,470

Eugene, OR $33,406

Bismarck, ND $33,366

Gary, IN $33,366

Galveston, TX $33,366

Springfield, OR $33,339

Medford, OR $33,258

Fort Collins, CO $33,245

Austin, TX $33,218

Mesa, AZ $33,148

Phoenix, AZ $33,141

Dallas, TX $33,131

Reading, PA $33,111

Saint Cloud, MN $33,097

Concord, NH $33,067

Madison, WI $33,054

Utica, NY $32,963

Raleigh, NC $32,936

Las Vegas, NV $32,933

Rochester, NY $32,909

Des Moines, IA $32,906

Atlanta, GA $32,852

Battle Creek, MI $32,842

Salt Lake City, UT $32,832

Lancaster, PA $32,782

Champaign, IL $32,775

Harrisburg, PA $32,735

Durham, NC $32,705

Kansas City, MO $32,701

Kansas City, KS $32,695

Fort Worth, TX $32,691

Boca Raton, FL $32,678

Cleveland, OH $32,675

Columbus, OH $32,668

Pittsburgh, PA $32,664

Richmond, VA $32,651

Indianapolis, IN $32,644

Cincinnati, OH $32,601

Petersburg, VA $32,550

Billings, MT $32,477

Lansing, MI $32,477

Huntsville, AL $32,477

Lebanon, PA $32,473

Dayton, OH $32,470

Pueblo, CO $32,470

Appleton, WI $32,460

Buffalo, NY $32,446

Racine, WI $32,430

Charlotte, NC $32,426

Saint Louis, MO $32,416

Springfield, IL $32,403

Elkhart, IN $32,396

York, PA $32,396

Gastonia, NC $32,393

Benton Harbor, MI $32,393

Beaumont, TX $32,373

Lorain, OH $32,366

Toledo, OH $32,352

Binghamton, NY $32,336

Rock Hill, SC $32,332

Rockford, IL $32,316

Fargo, ND $32,299

Elyria, OH $32,299

Flagstaff, AZ $32,275

Fort Lauderdale, FL $32,255

Miami, FL $32,235

Duluth, MN $32,181

Bangor, ME $32,138

Cedar Rapids, IA $32,101

Louisville, KY $32,084

Grand Rapids, MI $32,077

Hialeah, FL $32,074

Casper, WY $32,027

Scranton, PA $31,987

New Orleans, LA $31,977

Virginia Beach, VA $31,973

Akron, OH $31,957

Peoria, IL $31,913

Sarasota, FL $31,906

Green Bay, WI $31,883

Baton Rouge, LA $31,866

Charleston, SC $31,859

Nashville, TN $31,849

Jamestown, NY $31,842

Davenport, IA $31,842

Tucson, AZ $31,826

Cheyenne, WY $31,816

Saint Petersburg, FL $31,806

Tampa, FL $31,799

Omaha, NE $31,792

Port Arthur, TX $31,779

Evansville, IN $31,779

Bradenton, FL $31,765

Santa Fe, NM $31,705

Orlando, FL $31,671

Clearwater, FL $31,634

Canton, OH $31,564

La Crosse, WI $31,564

Grand Forks, ND $31,554

Albuquerque, NM $31,544

Tulsa, OK $31,544

Newport News, VA $31,541

High Point, NC $31,530

Ogden, UT $31,517

Corpus Christi, TX $31,490

Laramie, WY $31,470

Norfolk, VA $31,470

Rock Island, IL $31,450

Saginaw, MI $31,443

Jacksonville, FL $31,440

Salisbury, NC $31,433

Memphis, TN $31,426

Moline, IL $31,410

Fort Myers, FL $31,400

Waterloo, IA $31,356

Spartanburg, SC $31,322

Lincoln, NE $31,306

Fort Wayne, IN $31,299

Birmingham, AL $31,262

Cedar Falls, IA $31,255

Provo, UT $31,252

Springfield, OH $31,249

San Antonio, TX $31,242

Greensboro, NC $31,229

South Bend, IN $31,225

Winston Salem, NC $31,222

Boise, ID $31,212

Savannah, GA $31,188

Muskegon, MI $31,128

Lima, OH $31,088

Lake Charles, LA $31,074

Anderson, IN $31,067

Lexington, KY $31,057

Augusta, GA $31,047

Greenville, SC $31,047

Wichita, KS $31,017

Tuscaloosa, AL $31,017

Columbia, SC $30,987

Bloomington, IN $30,903

Roanoke, VA $30,883

Asheville, NC $30,839

Knoxville, TN $30,782

Shreveport, LA $30,779

Wilmington, NC $30,735

Frankfort, KY $30,672

Oklahoma City, OK $30,648

Chillicothe, OH $30,635

Longview, TX $30,631

Topeka, KS $30,621

Mobile, AL $30,571

Terre Haute, IN $30,558

Erie, PA $30,554

Altoona, PA $30,537

Melbourne, FL $30,527

Amarillo, TX $30,514

Killeen, TX $30,504

Fayetteville, AR $30,477

Sioux Falls, SD $30,454

Chattanooga, TN $30,433

Idaho Falls, ID $30,430

Gainesville, FL $30,360

Portsmouth, OH $30,343

Little Rock, AR $30,336

Lynchburg, VA $30,336

Lafayette, LA $30,323

Youngstown, OH $30,323

Temple, TX $30,309

Daytona Beach, FL $30,303

Clarksville, TN $30,299

Pensacola, FL $30,296

Hopkinsville, KY $30,195

Charleston, WV $30,192

Florence, SC $30,175

Sioux City, IA $30,155

Macon, GA $30,058

Tallahassee, FL $30,054

Fayetteville, NC $30,048

Waco, TX $30,041

Wichita Falls, TX $30,041

Pine Bluff, AR $30,027

Vincennes, IN $29,964

Lubbock, TX $29,950

Great Falls, MT $29,930

Alamogordo, NM $29,927

Abilene, TX $29,900

Rapid City, SD $29,856

Monroe, LA $29,856

Albany, GA $29,836

Huntington, WV $29,833

Jackson, MS $29,829

Greenville, MS $29,826

Parkersburg, WV $29,793

Montgomery, AL $29,786

Johnstown, PA $29,779

Springfield, MO $29,752

Biloxi, MS $29,736

Sumter, SC $29,665

Columbus, GA $29,662

Twin Falls, ID $29,642

Pascagoula, MS $29,598

Kingsport, TN $29,511

Gulfport, MS $29,501

Alexandria, LA $29,390

Fort Smith, AR $29,306

El Paso, TX $29,216

Helena, MT $29,172

Las Cruces, NM $29,065

Harlingen, TX $28,971

Pocatello, ID $28,940

Florence, AL $28,930

Brownsville, TX $28,924

Dothan, AL $28,870

Mcallen, TX $28,853

Columbus, MS $28,605

Altus, OK $28,451

Lawton, OK $28,387

Pierre, SD $28,266

What Skills Can Increase a Security Dog Handler's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Commitment (Mentioned in 3.53% Job Postings): An agreement or pledge to do something in the future a commitment to improve conditions at the prison especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date.
Long Term Care (Mentioned in 4.69% Job Postings): Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods. Long term care is focused on individualized and coordinated services that promote independence, maximize patients' quality of life, and meet patients' needs over a period of time. It is common for long-term care to provide custodial and non-skilled care, such as assisting with normal daily tasks like dressing, feeding, using the bathroom. Increasingly, long-term care involves providing a level of medical care that requires the expertise of skilled practitioners to address the multiple chronic conditions associated with older populations. Long-term care can be provided at home, in the community, in assisted living facilities or in nursing homes. Long-term care may be needed by people of any age, although it is a more common need for senior citizens.
Home Care (Mentioned in 2.18% Job Postings): Homecare is health care or supportive care provided by a professional caregiver in the individual home where the patient or client is living, as opposed to care provided in group accommodations like clinics or nursing home.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Commitment	3.53%
Long Term Care	4.69%
Home Care	2.18%

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 Security Dog Handler's salary.

Dialysis: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Attention to Detail: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Dialysis	$38,247	14%
Attention to Detail	$35,563	6%
Initiative	$35,228	5%
Collaboration	$35,228	5%
Cardiac	$34,892	4%
Organizational Skills	$34,892	4%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Security Dog Handler's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Security Dog Handlers enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate 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 Security Dog Handler with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $35,160 and $37,049).

Security Dog Handler Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Security Dog Handler

No Diploma 1.7%

High School 78.7%

Associates 11.4%

Bachelors 7.6%

Masters 0.6%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.7%
High School	78.7%
Associates	11.4%
Bachelors	7.6%
Masters	0.6%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Security Dog Handler Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Security Dog Handler'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 February 01, 2026

$29,840

Average $33,550/year

$35,643

$2,487

Average $2,796/month

$2,970

$574

Average $645/week

$685

$14

Average $16/hour

$17

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$35,643	$2,970	$685	$17
Average	$33,550	$2,796	$645	$16
25th Percentile	$29,840	$2,487	$574	$14

Salaries of jobs related to Security Dog Handler

Salary Trends for Security Dog Handler

Salaries for a Security Dog Handler can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $49,555 in 2023 to around $50,172 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Security Dog Handler salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Security Dog Handler Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$49,555

2024

$50,342

2025

$50,172

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$49,555
2024	$50,342
2025	$50,172
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Security Dog Handler

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