Home Dog Breeder Salary
Dog Breeder salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a dog breeder is $54,600 per annum, before tax, up $11,400 since 2018.
DerivedIndicative estimate, not yet verified against official Jobs and Skills Australia / ABS data · Estimate
- What a breeder earns depends heavily on scale, because most run one or two litters a year alongside other work while a full-time kennel produces more often.
- Costs come out first: health testing, vet bills, food, registration fees and kennel upkeep can absorb most of what a litter sells for.
- Association registration, show results and a long waiting list all support higher prices, and a litter lost to illness or a difficult whelping can wipe out a season's return.
The median salary rose by $11,400 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than dog breeder
The largest typical pay rise is $11,800 a year, moving into Dog Trainer.
- Dog Trainer+$11,800/yr
- Dog Groomer+$11,800/yr
- Animal Husbandry Technician+$7,800/yr
How to negotiate a higher dog breeder salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time dog breeder salary is $54,600; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Animal care and handling and Operations management tend to command a premium over general dog breeder experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Dog Trainer pays a typical $11,800 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Dog Breeder salary questions
How much do dog breeders earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a dog breeder is $54,600 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is dog breeder pay rising or falling?
The median dog breeder salary is up $11,400 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than dog breeder?
Dog Trainer pays a typical $11,800 a year more and draws on similar skills to dog breeder.
Related salaries
- Boarding Kennel Operator salary
- Animal Husbandry Technician salary
- Dog Trainer salary
- Dog Groomer salary
- Animal Attendant salary
- Dog Walker salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.