Home Dog Trainer Salary
Dog Trainer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a dog trainer is $66,400 per annum, before tax, up $13,700 since 2018.
- Pay moves with how you work: salaried roles in assistance dog programs, detection units or larger training businesses come with a set wage, while sole operators set their own rates and depend on how many clients and classes they can fill.
- Group classes pay better per hour than one-on-one sessions once numbers are steady, and trainers who specialise in problem behaviour or dog sport can charge more than general obedience instructors.
- Location matters less than reputation, since most clients arrive through referrals from local vets, breed clubs and past clients.
The median salary rose by $13,700 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 trainer
The largest typical pay rise is $37,600 a year, moving into Racing Steward.
- Racing Steward+$37,600/yr
- Veterinary Nurse+$20,300/yr
How to negotiate a higher dog trainer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time dog trainer 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 and Patient care and support tend to command a premium over general dog trainer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Racing Steward pays a typical $37,600 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 Trainer salary questions
How much do dog trainers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a dog trainer is $66,400 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is dog trainer pay rising or falling?
The median dog trainer salary is up $13,700 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than dog trainer?
Racing Steward pays a typical $37,600 a year more and draws on similar skills to dog trainer.
Related salaries
- Dog Groomer salary
- Boarding Kennel Operator salary
- Veterinary Nurse salary
- Racing Steward salary
- Dog Walker salary
- Corrections Officer 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.