Animal Services
Quick Facts: Animal Services Training
Where it's offered
Animal Services programs are offered at 3 schools across 3 states. Most students attend a school within driving distance of home — use the state picker below to see programs near you.
Earnings expectations
Graduates earn approximately $15,374/year on average one year after completion, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Pay scales with experience, certifications, and regional cost-of-living.
Apprenticeship pathways
The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 3 registered apprenticeship pathways related to Animal Services — earn-while-you-learn alternatives to traditional schooling. See apprenticeship.gov for the federal registry.
Program quality benchmark
Across the 3 schools we analyze, the average TradeSchoolOutlook Score is 30/100. Higher-scoring programs combine strong graduate earnings, manageable cost, and strong job-market demand — see the leaderboard further down for the highest-rated options.
What Animal Services Graduates Do
Your career starts on the ground, directly with the animals. As a caretaker, your day might involve mucking out stalls on a farm, hosing down kennels at a shelter, or carefully grooming a client’s dog. You’ll be the one monitoring feeding schedules, administering medications, and providing essential comfort. With experience, you can move into animal training, using patience and positive reinforcement to teach everything from basic obedience to complex tasks for service animals.
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Many start as a caretaker and progress to a senior role managing a facility, or they build their own independent business as a specialized groomer or trainer. After years of hands-on work, some leverage their expertise to become postsecondary teachers, instructing the next generation in a classroom or lab setting. The job market is strong, with especially high demand for caretakers. While starting pay is entry-level, your earnings grow as you specialize or move into management or teaching roles. AI may help with tasks like scheduling or record-keeping, but the core of this work—the physical skill, empathy, and intuition needed to handle and care for living creatures—remains a fundamentally human job.
Related programs worth comparing: Liberal Arts & Humanities, Mind-Body Therapies, and Agricultural Mechanization.
Registered Apprenticeship Pathways
The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 3 registered apprenticeship occupations related to Animal Services. Apprenticeships let you earn while you learn — most have zero tuition costs and pay wages from day one.
| Apprenticeship | Training Hours | Type | Salary RangeSalary | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Animal Trainer
RAPIDS 871 |
4000 hrs
~2.0 yrs |
Time | $33K – $38,750 – $49K | 5.1% |
|
Horse Trainer
RAPIDS 1001 |
2000 hrs
~1.0 yrs |
Time | $33K – $38,750 – $49K | 5.1% |
|
Horseshoer
RAPIDS 235 |
4000 hrs
~2.0 yrs |
Time | $29K – $33,470 – $37K | 12.1% |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database (RAPIDS). Wages and job growth from Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 projections.
Find Animal Services Programs in Your State
Trade and community college programs are local decisions — most students pick a school within driving distance. Animal Services is offered at 3 schools across 3 states. Click your state to see all trade programs offered locally.
Top Animal Services Programs Nationally
For context, here are the highest-scoring Animal Services programs in the country. Most students attend a school within 60 miles of home, so your state list above is usually more actionable — but these are the benchmarks others compete against.
3 schools ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. Click any row for full earnings projections and career analysis.
| # | School | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merryfield Academy Oakland Park, FL |
42 38–44 |
| 2 | Kentucky Horseshoeing School Richmond, KY |
37 33–39 |
| 3 | PPG Technical College Caguas, PR |
31 25–32 |
Highest Earning Animal Services Programs
Schools where Animal Services graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Merryfield Academy | $24,819/yr | 42 |
| Kentucky Horseshoeing School | $14,821/yr | 37 |
| PPG Technical College | $6,481/yr | 31 |
Best ROI for Animal Services
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Animal Services.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| PPG Technical College | 16.5x | $6,481/yr | 31 |
Related Majors
Explore similar fields of study.
Considering a 4-Year Degree?
Compare the trade route with a bachelor's degree. See how Animal Services degree programs stack up on earnings and ROI.