Animal Trainers

Train animals for riding, harness, security, performance, or obedience, or 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.

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

1. Observe animals' physical conditions in order to detect illness or unhealthy conditions requiring medical care.

2. Cue or signal animals during performances.

3. Administer prescribed medications to animals.

4. Evaluate animals in order to determine their temperaments, abilities, and aptitude for training.

5. Feed and exercise animals, and provide other general care such as cleaning and maintaining holding and performance areas.

6. Talk to and interact with animals in order to familiarize them to human voices and contact.

7. Conduct training programs in order to develop and maintain desired animal behaviors for competition, entertainment, obedience, security, riding and related areas.

8. Keep records documenting animal health, diet, and behavior.

9. Advise animal owners regarding the purchase of specific animals.

10. Instruct jockeys in handling specific horses during races.

11. Train horses or other equines for riding, harness, show, racing, or other work, using knowledge of breed characteristics, training methods, performance standards, and the peculiarities of each animal.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Education: These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.

Training: Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.

The college search results are undergraduate programs associated with Animal Trainers. Further education may also be required to pursue this career.

The training search results include both short and long-term programs associated with Animal Trainers, and may be more appropriate for adult and non-traditional students. Further training may also be required to pursue this career.

In US the average wage for this occupation was:

$22,200 for entry level workers, and $51,420 for experienced workers.

Based on the total number of annual openings and its growth rate, the employment prospects for this occupation are described as Less Favorable.

During 2006, there were approximately 2,720 Animal Trainers employed in NY.

We estimate that in 2016 there will be 2,830  employed in NY. This represents an increase of 10 job(s) each year, and a total of 50 job openings each year.

Animal care and service workers - Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.

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