Horse trainer vs pet handler

The differences between horse trainers and pet handlers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a horse trainer and a pet handler. Additionally, a horse trainer has an average salary of $33,943, which is higher than the $31,455 average annual salary of a pet handler.

The top three skills for a horse trainer include lesson program, pleasure and training programs. The most important skills for a pet handler are PET, , and .

Horse trainer vs pet handler overview

	Horse Trainer	Pet Handler
Yearly salary	$33,943	$31,455
Hourly rate	$16.32	$15.12
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	20,881	42,867
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	High School Diploma, 41%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Horse trainer vs pet handler salary

Horse trainers and pet handlers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Horse Trainer	Pet Handler
Average salary	$33,943	$31,455
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $57,000	Between $22,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Elmont, NY	-
Highest paying state	New York	-
Best paying company	HP	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between horse trainer and pet handler education

There are a few differences between a horse trainer and a pet handler in terms of educational background:

	Horse Trainer	Pet Handler
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	High School Diploma, 41%
Most common major	Business	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Horse trainer vs pet handler demographics

Here are the differences between horse trainers' and pet handlers' demographics:

	Horse Trainer	Pet Handler
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0%	Male, 25.0% Female, 75.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 7.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 1.7% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between horse trainer and pet handler duties and responsibilities

Horse trainer example responsibilities.

Ensure that USDA and AZA guidelines are met.
Acquire knowledge in animal husbandry, natural history, and animal conditioning principles through reading materials and participating in training sessions.
Assure proper annotation of administrative MWD utilization and training records used for legal reviews.

Pet handler example responsibilities.

Achieve detailed grooming including skin, ear, nail care, coat clips and dental care.
Encourage sales of merchandise and products need for their new pet companions.
Track inventory of animals on a daily basis from shipments to sales.
Pet sitting, dog walking, transporting dogs to groomers and back home, cleaning up after the animals, etc.
Encourage sales of the avians that are for sale as well as the neccessary items need for their new avian companion.
Assist in answering customer questions regarding grooming, scheduling grooming appointments and maintaining salon cleanliness and safety.

Horse trainer vs pet handler skills

Common horse trainer skills

Lesson Program, 24%
Pleasure, 14%
Training Programs, 9%
General Care, 8%
Training Methods, 7%
Horse Care, 6%

Common pet handler skills

PET, 100%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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