Animal Trainers Salary
The median pay for a animal trainers in Raleigh-Cary, NC is $55,560/year ($26.71/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $85K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.16), that's roughly $56,601 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,750/month, about 47% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $56K get you in Raleigh-Cary?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Raleigh-Cary’s Regional Price Parity (98.16). 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 Raleigh-Cary
Raleigh-Cary sits well above the national pay line for animal trainers, local pay runs about 39% higher than the U.S. median of $40K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,750/month, which is 47.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.16) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for animal trainers in metros near Raleigh-Cary, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $36K | $37K |
| Asheville | $37K | $38K |
| Wilmington | $37K | $38K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $40K | $41K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Raleigh-Cary, NC
Entry-level animal trainers (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $56K. Top earners bring in $85K or more, a $53K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Raleigh-Cary numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a animal trainer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Raleigh-Cary?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $56K, rent takes 47.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,750/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for animal trainers in Raleigh-Cary?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new animal trainers typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,922/month. At HUD’s $1,750/month FMR, rent would take 91% 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 Raleigh-Cary?
Local pay is 39% above the national median — $56K here vs. $40K nationally.
How does Raleigh-Cary compare to the national average for animal trainers?
Raleigh-Cary pays $56K median vs. the U.S. average of $40K — that’s +39%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do animal trainers make in Raleigh-Cary, NC?
The median is $55,560 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,030, and experienced animal trainers can clear $84,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $56K enough to live in Raleigh-Cary?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,682/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,750/month, which eats 47.5% 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 Raleigh-Cary?
Raleigh-Cary has a Regional Price Parity of 98.16 (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 $56,601 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.