Animal Trainers
Train animals for riding, harness, security, performance, or obedience, or for assisting persons with disabilities. Accustom animals to human voice and contact, and condition animals to respond to commands. Train animals according to prescribed standards for show or competition. May train animals to carry pack loads or work as part of pack team.
Most important skills
- Instructing
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Judgment and Decision Making
Key knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Sales and Marketing
- Administrative
- Personnel and Human Resources
What the work involves
- Observe animals' physical conditions to detect illness or unhealthy conditions requiring medical care.
- Cue or signal animals during performances.
- Administer prescribed medications to animals.
- Evaluate animals to determine their temperaments, abilities, or aptitude for training.
- Feed or exercise animals or provide other general care, such as cleaning or maintaining holding or performance areas.
- Talk to or interact with animals to familiarize them to human voices or contact.
- Keep records documenting animal health, diet, or behavior.
- Advise animal owners regarding the purchase of specific animals.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Social, Conventional.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (44.4% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (31.4%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (23.1%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Animal Trainers is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Low | Lower on contact with others than 63% of occupations compared | 57% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | High | Higher on dealing with the public than 69% of occupations compared | 46% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Teamwork | Very low | Lower on teamwork than 87% of occupations compared | 42% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very high | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 94% of occupations compared | 80% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 96% of occupations compared | 31% of surveyed respondents chose “Never” |
| Conflict situations | Moderate | Higher on conflict situations than 59% of occupations compared | 33% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Moderate | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 53% of occupations compared | 35% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Low | Lower on consequence of error than 62% of occupations compared | 26% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very low
- Conflict situations: moderate
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
- Consequence of error: low
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 13.33%
- Contact with others about half the time: 6.95%
- Contact with others most of the time: 22.89%
- Constant contact with others: 56.83%
n = 39, Incumbent 07/2014
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 10.06%
- Fairly important: 6.24%
- Important: 13.59%
- Very important: 23.77%
- Extremely important: 46.34%
n = 40, Incumbent 07/2014
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 14.49%
- Fairly important: 14.47%
- Important: 7.24%
- Very important: 21.96%
- Extremely important: 41.84%
n = 40, Incumbent 07/2014
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 0.52%
- Limited freedom: 0.73%
- Some freedom: 18.59%
- A lot of freedom: 80.17%
n = 39, Incumbent 07/2014
Time pressure
- Never: 31.38%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 12.13%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 12.12%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 25.21%
- Every day: 19.17%
n = 39, Incumbent 07/2014
Conflict situations
- Never: 20.61%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 13.42%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 32.67%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 14.46%
- Every day: 18.84%
n = 38, Incumbent 07/2014
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 13.23%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 34.73%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 29.39%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 13.08%
- Every day: 9.57%
n = 40, Incumbent 07/2014
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 25.6%
- Fairly serious: 25.94%
- Serious: 18.65%
- Very serious: 7.63%
- Extremely serious: 22.17%
n = 39, Incumbent 07/2014
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
Where people with this background could move
- Analyze
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors
Closeness 92/100 · job zone +1
- Analyze
Physical Therapist Aides
Closeness 91/100
- Analyze
Athletes and Sports Competitors
Closeness 91/100
- Analyze
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers
Closeness 91/100
- Analyze
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists
Closeness 91/100 · job zone +1
- Analyze
Skincare Specialists
Closeness 91/100 · job zone +1
Find more alternativesCompare skills with another job
O*NET-SOC 39-2011.00 · SOC 39-2011 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8