Certified Dog Trainer Salary in the United States

How much does a Certified Dog Trainer make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Certified Dog Trainer in the United States is $38,164 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $18.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $43,435
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $34,941 to $40,923
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $32,007
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View as table View as graph 25% $34,941 10% $32,007 90% $43,435 75% $40,923 $38,164 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Certified Dog Trainer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $40,923 $3,410 $787 $20
Average $38,164 $3,180 $734 $18
25th Percentile $34,941 $2,912 $672 $17
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Key Factors That Influence Certified Dog Trainer Salaries

A Certified Dog Trainer'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 Certified Dog Trainer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Certified Dog Trainer'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): $38,388
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $42,890
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $47,491
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $59,395
  • Expert (over 8 years): $102,181
Levels Salary
Certified... Level Certified Dog Trainer$38,388
Consumer ... Level Certified Dog Trainer$42,890
Consumer ... Level Certified Dog Trainer$47,491
Consumer ... Level Certified Dog Trainer$59,395
Consumer ... Level Certified Dog Trainer$102,181
$38,388 0 yr
$42,890 < 2 yrs
$47,491 2-4 yrs
$59,395 5-8 yrs
$102,181 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Certified Dog Trainers

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: $48,136
  • San Francisco: $47,663
  • Oakland: $46,606

What Skills Can Increase a Certified Dog Trainer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 18.93% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • Microsoft Windows (Mentioned in 2.49% Job Postings): Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry.
  • Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 1.34% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 18.93%
Microsoft Windows 2.49%
Microsoft Office 1.34%
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 Certified Dog Trainer's salary.
  • Resilience: Can increase your salary by up to 66%.
  • Microsoft Windows: Can increase your salary by up to 56%.
  • Alignment: Can increase your salary by up to 48%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Resilience
$63,352
66%
Microsoft Windows
$59,535
56%
Alignment
$56,482
48%
Decision Making
$56,101
47%
Leadership
$53,048
39%
Empathy
$51,903
36%
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How Education impacts a Certified Dog Trainer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Certified Dog Trainers 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 Certified Dog Trainer with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $33,114 and $36,470).

Certified Dog Trainer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Certified Dog Trainer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 53.1%
High School 53.1%
Associates 24.5%
Bachelors 22.4%
Masters 0.0%
Doctorate 0.0%
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Certified Dog Trainer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Certified Dog Trainer'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

Salary Trends for Certified Dog Trainer

Salaries for a Certified Dog Trainer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $39,459 in 2023 to around $38,576 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Certified Dog Trainer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Certified Dog Trainer Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$39,459
2024
$38,872
2025
$38,576
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $39,459
2024 $38,872
2025 $38,576
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Certified Dog Trainer

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Certified Dog Trainer

Here are companies hiring for Certified Dog Trainer and their salaries, click below for more details.

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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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