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Dog Groomer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a dog groomer is $66,400 per annum, before tax, up $13,900 since 2018.
- What you earn depends heavily on how you are paid.
- Employees in salons are usually covered by the Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award or an enterprise agreement, and an experienced groomer in a busy salon can earn above the award rate, sometimes with a share of each dog's fee.
- Running your own mobile van or salon changes the picture again, because your income then rests on how many dogs you book, what you charge and what the van, insurance and equipment cost you.
The median salary rose by $13,900 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 groomer
The largest typical pay rise is $20,300 a year, moving into Veterinary Nurse.
- Veterinary Nurse+$20,300/yr
How to negotiate a higher dog groomer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time dog groomer salary is $66,400; 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 tend to command a premium over general dog groomer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Veterinary Nurse pays a typical $20,300 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 Groomer salary questions
How much do dog groomers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a dog groomer is $66,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is dog groomer pay rising or falling?
The median dog groomer salary is up $13,900 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than dog groomer?
Veterinary Nurse pays a typical $20,300 a year more and draws on similar skills to dog groomer.
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- Dog Trainer salary
- Veterinary Nurse salary
- Animal Attendant salary
- Dog Walker salary
- Security Guard salary
- Hairdresser 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.