Animal Trainers build instructing, judgment and decision making and complex problem solving skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Animal Control Workers (82%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Animal Control Workers | 82% | $45,660 | +14% | None |
| 2 | Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers | 78% | $38,150 | −5% | None |
| 3 | Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors | 77% | $47,160 | +18% | Certificate or associate |
| 4 | Athletes and Sports Competitors | 75% | $66,710 | +67% | None |
| 5 | Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials | 73% | $40,710 | +2% | None |
| 6 | Animal Breeders | 73% | $51,130 | +28% | None |
| 7 | Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers | 72% | $33,580 | −16% | None |
| 8 | Physical Therapist Aides | 69% | $35,240 | −12% | None |
| 9 | Manicurists and Pedicurists | 69% | $35,760 | −11% | None |
| 10 | Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance | 69% | $50,340 | +26% | None |
Compared with Animal Trainers, median $39,990. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as animal trainers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
82% skill match · $45,660 · +14% pay
Negotiation · Operation and Control
78% skill match · $38,150 · −5% pay
Equipment Maintenance · Repairing · Equipment Selection
77% skill match · $47,160 · +18% pay
Service Orientation · Equipment Selection · Equipment Maintenance
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Animal Control Workers (82% skill match, median $45,660), Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers (78% skill match, median $38,150) and Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors (77% skill match, median $47,160), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 12 pay more than animal trainers at the median. The biggest increases: Athletes and Sports Competitors (+67%, $66,710), Correctional Officers and Jailers (+47%, $58,940) and Embalmers (+47%, $58,780).
18 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.