The average hourly wage for a dog trainer in the United States is $16 per hour or $34,246 annually (according to Ziprecruiter).  As with most careers, the level of experience and your location can make a huge difference in salary. For example, dog trainers in major population centers like Southern California frequently make closer to $35-75 per hour with experienced dog trainers billing at closer to $100 per hour.  This is also true in NYC, San Francisco and areas of Chicago.  Dog trainers in Dallas, Houston and Austin often bill between $25-$65 per hour. These figures are typically for private lessons. Group class fees have to be calculated differently.  Typical cost for group classes consisting of 6-8 weeks run about $85 per student.  A small class of 5 students means the trainer collects $425.  If it takes the trainer 10 hours to teach 6-8 lessons this nets the trainer $42.50 per hour. Dog trainers working for someone else won’t earn as much per hour.  Circumstances vary, but it isn’t uncommon for dog trainers to receive a 50/50 split on fees. So, if a dog trainer charges $60 per session the employee would earn $30.  Since the pet business is booming, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics predicts above average job growth for all animal careers throughout the decade.