How to hire a groom

How to hire a groom, step by step

Here's a step-by-step groom hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a groom job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new groom
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a groom do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the groom you need to hire. Certain groom roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect groom also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents groom salaries for various positions.

   Type of Groom	Description	Hourly rate
   Groom	Agricultural workers maintain the quality of farms, crops, and livestock by operating machinery and doing physical labor under the supervision of farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers.	$10-20
   Ranch Hand	A ranch hand is a person who takes care of livestock animals in a ranch. Ranch hands perform the ranch husbandry job, which involves keeping them healthy, feeding them, and overseeing breeding... Show more	$10-16
   Wrangler	A wrangler has different responsibilities according to their place or industry of employment. There are wranglers who specialize in handling and training various animals such as horses, dogs, cattle, and even snakes... Show more	$8-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PET
   • Clipping
   • Animal Handling
   • Pet Care
   • Compassion
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Book Appointments
   • Cleanliness
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Reminder Calls
   • Coats
   • Electric Clippers
   • Customer Complaints
   • Computer System

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Perform animal grooming such as washing, brushing, trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears.
   • Answer calls, make grooming appointments, wash and dry dogs, trim/ grind nails, brush coats appropriately

   More groom duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your groom job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A groom salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, grooms' average salary in oklahoma is 40% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level grooms earn 49% less than senior-level grooms.
   • Certifications. A groom with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a groom's salary.

   Average groom salary

   $14.84hourly

   $30,872 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level groom salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average groom salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$34,681	$17
   2	California	$34,442	$17
   3	New York	$33,769	$16
   4	Arizona	$31,790	$15
   5	Colorado	$31,332	$15
   6	Delaware	$31,241	$15
   7	Illinois	$30,780	$15
   8	Michigan	$30,314	$15
   9	Ohio	$30,217	$15
   10	Pennsylvania	$30,037	$14
   11	Florida	$29,779	$14
   12	Maryland	$29,328	$14
   13	Minnesota	$28,485	$14
   14	Arkansas	$27,063	$13
   15	Louisiana	$25,551	$12
   16	North Carolina	$24,878	$12
   17	Oklahoma	$22,965	$11

   Average groom salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Dartmouth	$44,786	$21.53
   2	Aspen Snowmass	$42,822	$20.59
   3	Tractor Supply	$36,400	$17.50	292
   4	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts	$34,759	$16.71
   5	VCA Animal Hospitals	$33,875	$16.29	18
   6	Wyoming	$33,559	$16.13
   7	Helen Woodward Animal Center	$33,255	$15.99	2
   8	VetCor	$32,573	$15.66	2
   9	Redstone Highlands	$31,405	$15.10
   10	Wag	$31,189	$14.99	1
   11	Rose Hills Holdings Corp	$31,158	$14.98
   12	Rarebreed Veterinary Partners	$31,158	$14.98
   13	Express Employment Professionals International HQ	$29,850	$14.35
   14	Retail	$29,834	$14.34
   15	Van Meter	$29,275	$14.07
   16	Vail Resorts	$28,629	$13.76
   17	PetSmart	$28,443	$13.67	1,212
   18	Pet Supplies Plus	$26,667	$12.82	228
   19	Petco Holdings, Inc.	$25,643	$12.33	405
   20	Culver Academies	$24,655	$11.85	1

4. Writing a groom job description

   A job description for a groom role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a groom job description:

   Groom job description example

   $19.75 an hour

   Do you have amazing grooming and customer service skills and love animals? Come join our team at Helen Woodward Animal Center in our Club Pet's Spa in the Ranch!!

   The Groomer is responsible for all aspects of bathing and clipping dogs and cats to conform to a variety of breed specific standard styles. This includes detangling/removing matted hair, checking for parasites and other skin conditions, trimming nails, cleaning the ears, expressing anal glands, brushing teeth and keeping pets safely restrained and under your control at all times. When grooming a boarding animal you must be careful to follow all instructions listed in the pet's file such as adding bows/nail polish and accommodate any special requests and inform the owner of any health problems discovered during the grooming process. The Groomer will manage the grooming salon with an upbeat attitude, creating a welcoming and clean environment for dogs, cats and their owners and continue to look into ways to increase business, calling old clients and coming up with incentives for new clients.

   POSITION REQUIREMENTS FOR GROOMER:

   Grooming skills -the ability to groom different breeds of dogs and cats according to their hair types. Must be able to place dog/cat on grooming table and fit grooming collar on dog/cat to hold animal to table safely.

   Interpersonal skills -the ability to work well with others such as dog owners, Club Pet personnel and grooming assistants.

   Analytical skills- the ability to assess the behavior and condition of each dog to minimize risk of bites and scratches. The ability to determine an animal's behavior and use techniques, such as a treat, to keep them calm and safe. Must have a calming presence

   Physical and mental stamina -Must be able to lift dogs that weigh up to 50 lbs. Must have the ability to stand on your feet for long periods of time.

   Health knowledge- the ability to recognize common illnesses, such as skin disorders, watery eyes and nose possibly due to allergies or a sprain. Experience in pet first aid.

   Employee must demonstrate regular and consistent attendance and punctuality. Must show excellent customer service skills. Any kind of animal abuse will not be tolerated and will result in immediate termination. No dog or cat will be left unattended in the salon at any time.

   Experience with a variety of breeds of dogs and cats are a must. High School Diploma/GED is required. Certification by NDGAA a plus but not required. Portfolio of past work required.

   WORK CONDITIONS:

   100 % of this job is conducted indoors under normal office conditions.

   Helen Woodward Animal Center is a smoke-free environment. Smoking is not permitted in any Center building or vehicle.

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right groom for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with grooms they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit grooms who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your groom job on Zippia to find and attract quality groom candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as ag hires, farm job, farming work , joe produce, picking jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting grooms requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new groom

   Once you've decided on a perfect groom candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new groom. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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