Animal Trainers Salary
The median pay for a animal trainers in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR is $34,300/year ($16.49/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.35), which stretches that salary to about $37,548 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,347/month, about 57.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $34K actually covers in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers’s Regional Price Parity (91.35). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About animal trainers
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What this looks like in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Pay for animal trainers in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $40K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,347/month, which is 56.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.35 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for animal trainers.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for animal trainers in metros near Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $36K | $35K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $36K | $37K |
| Kansas City | $36K | $39K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $38K | $39K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR
Entry-level animal trainers (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $34K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $27K spread from bottom to top.
Animal Trainers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Animal Trainers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $63K | +57% | 720 |
| Alabama | $56K | +39% | 170 |
| Oregon | $56K | +39% | 140 |
| California | $49K | +23% | 2,270 |
| New York | $49K | +22% | 970 |
| New Jersey | $47K | +17% | 480 |
| Washington | $46K | +16% | 360 |
| Illinois | $46K | +15% | 680 |
| Connecticut | $46K | +15% | 290 |
| Indiana | $45K | +13% | 380 |
| Georgia | $45K | +13% | 800 |
| Montana | $45K | +12% | 80 |
| Colorado | $44K | +11% | 330 |
| Massachusetts | $44K | +9% | 510 |
| Iowa | $43K | +8% | 180 |
| Minnesota | $42K | +4% | 300 |
| Idaho | $41K | +2% | 180 |
| Maine | $41K | +2% | 110 |
| Oklahoma | $40K | +1% | 250 |
| Arkansas | $39K | -1% | 110 |
| North Dakota | $39K | -3% | 30 |
| Pennsylvania | $39K | -3% | 460 |
| Utah | $39K | -4% | 260 |
| District of Columbia | $38K | -4% | N/A |
| South Dakota | $38K | -5% | 30 |
| New Hampshire | $38K | -5% | 140 |
| North Carolina | $38K | -6% | 640 |
| Maryland | $37K | -6% | 890 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | -7% | 480 |
| West Virginia | $37K | -7% | 100 |
| Florida | $37K | -8% | 1,090 |
| Nevada | $37K | -8% | 170 |
| Texas | $36K | -9% | 1,080 |
| Tennessee | $35K | -12% | 310 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -12% | 40 |
| Alaska | $35K | -13% | 50 |
| Nebraska | $35K | -13% | 60 |
| New Mexico | $35K | -13% | 60 |
| Kansas | $35K | -13% | 250 |
| Kentucky | $34K | -15% | 470 |
| Missouri | $34K | -15% | 250 |
| Delaware | $34K | -15% | 90 |
| Arizona | $33K | -17% | N/A |
| Louisiana | $33K | -18% | N/A |
| Ohio | $33K | -18% | 730 |
| Michigan | $31K | -23% | 800 |
| South Carolina | $30K | -26% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track animal trainers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a animal trainer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $34K, rent takes 56.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,347/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for animal trainers in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new animal trainers typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,240/month. At HUD’s $1,347/month FMR, rent would take 60% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is animal trainer a high-paying job in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $34K here vs. $40K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers compare to the national average for animal trainers?
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers pays $34K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.35), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do animal trainers make in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR?
The median is $34,300 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,270, and experienced animal trainers can clear $59,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $34K enough to live in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,369/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,347/month, which eats 56.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a animal trainers salary go in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers?
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers has a Regional Price Parity of 91.35 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median animal trainers salary is worth about $37,548 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do animal trainers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.