How to hire animal trainers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Administer prescribed medications to animals. • Conduct training programs to develop or maintain desired animal behaviors for competition, entertainment, obedience, security, riding, or related purposes. • Cue or signal animals during performances. • 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. • Keep records documenting animal health, diet, or behavior. • Observe animals' physical conditions to detect illness or unhealthy conditions requiring medical care. • Talk to or interact with animals to familiarize them to human voices or contact. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong learning strategies, speaking, critical thinking, active learning, active listening and monitoring skills • Working knowledge of customer and personal service and education and training • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $19.22 an hour ($39,990 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for animal trainers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to administer prescribed medications to animals. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to conduct training programs to develop or maintain desired animal behaviors for competition, entertainment, obedience, security, riding, or related purposes. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to cue or signal animals during performances. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to evaluate animals to determine their temperaments, abilities, or aptitude for training. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- How do you teach yourself a new process, and how would you teach it to someone else?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What animal trainers do
- Administer prescribed medications to animals.
- Conduct training programs to develop or maintain desired animal behaviors for competition, entertainment, obedience, security, riding, or related purposes.
- Cue or signal animals during performances.
- 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.
- Keep records documenting animal health, diet, or behavior.
- Observe animals' physical conditions to detect illness or unhealthy conditions requiring medical care.
- Talk to or interact with animals to familiarize them to human voices or contact.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for animal trainers
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +4.2% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 6,500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay animal trainers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Virginia | $62,960 |
| California | $49,060 |
| New York | $48,790 |
| Illinois | $45,830 |
| Georgia | $45,250 |
| Texas | $36,370 |
| Ohio | $32,700 |
| Michigan | $30,820 |
See animal trainers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Animal Caretakers
- Animal Breeders
- Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
- Animal Control Workers
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
- Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors
- Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
- Athletes and Sports Competitors
- Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials
- Self-Enrichment Teachers
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.