How To Become A Groom: What It Is and Career Path

What is a groom and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A groom is an individual who takes care of horses. They are responsible for grooming the horses, feeding them, cleaning their stalls, and monitoring their health. Grooms also prepare the horses for shows or races by ensuring they are properly trained and saddled. Grooms work closely with stable managers and trainers to ensure that the horses receive the best care. Overall, a groom plays a crucial role in ensuring the health and well-being of horses.

ScoreGroomUS Average

Salary

2.4

Avg. Salary $30,872

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.19%

Asian 1.84%

Black or African American 4.55%

Hispanic or Latino 25.66%

Unknown 3.08%

White 63.68%

Gender

female 80.70%

male 19.30%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.8

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a groom?

Pros

Opportunity to work with and care for horses
Ability to work outdoors and stay physically active
Potential for flexible scheduling
Access to horse shows and events
Opportunity to learn and develop horsemanship skills

Cons

Grooming can be physically demanding and tiring work
Exposure to harsh weather conditions (e.g. extreme cold, heat, rain)
Long hours (including early mornings, late nights, and weekends)
Potential for injury when working with horses
Low pay (especially for entry-level positions)

Key steps to become a groom

Explore groom education requirements

Most common groom degrees

High School Diploma

37.9 %

Bachelor's

24.2 %

Associate

22.1 %

Start to develop specific groom skills

Skills	Percentages
PET	71.44%
Clipping	11.36%
Animal Handling	3.63%
Pet Care	3.27%
Compassion	3.17%

Complete relevant groom training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New grooms learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a groom based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real groom resumes.

Research groom duties and responsibilities

Manage all breeding, whelping, raising of puppies, grooming and showing of dogs for owners in the AKC.
Provide excellent customer service and interact with pet parents.
Perform all grooming procedures including bath, brush, clips, and shave downs.
Toe nail clips, ear cleanings, and also extensive de sheds and mat removal.

Prepare your groom resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your groom resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a groom resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable groom resume templates

Build a professional groom resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your groom resume.