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What is a marine animal trainer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
The average marine animal trainer salary is $33,750. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an biology major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a marine animal trainer. Marine animal trainers with a Open Water Diver certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 28% and produce 101,200 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreMarine Animal TrainerUS Average
Salary
2.6

Avg. Salary $33,750

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.7

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.0
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.18%

Asian 1.67%

Black or African American 4.47%

Hispanic or Latino 14.89%

Unknown 7.37%

White 71.43%

Gender

female 53.29%

male 46.71%

Age - 40
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 - 40
Stress level
6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
4.3

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance
9.3

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Marine animal trainer career paths

Key steps to become a marine animal trainer

  1. Explore marine animal trainer education requirements

    Most common marine animal trainer degrees

    Bachelor's

    59.4 %

    Associate

    17.6 %

    High School Diploma

    12.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific marine animal trainer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Husbandry18.10%
    Animal Handling12.36%
    Combat8.06%
    Training Methods7.42%
    Exotic Animals5.55%
  3. Complete relevant marine animal trainer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New marine animal trainers 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 marine animal trainer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real marine animal trainer resumes.
  4. Research marine animal trainer duties and responsibilities

    • 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.
  5. Prepare your marine animal trainer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your marine animal trainer 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 marine animal trainer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable marine animal trainer resume templates

    Build a professional marine animal trainer 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 marine animal trainer resume.
    Marine Animal Trainer Resume
    Marine Animal Trainer Resume
    Marine Animal Trainer Resume
    Marine Animal Trainer Resume
    Marine Animal Trainer Resume
    Marine Animal Trainer Resume
    Marine Animal Trainer Resume
    Marine Animal Trainer Resume
    Marine Animal Trainer Resume
  6. Apply for marine animal trainer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a marine animal trainer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first marine animal trainer job

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Average marine animal trainer salary

The average marine animal trainer salary in the United States is $33,750 per year or $16 per hour. Marine animal trainer salaries range between $22,000 and $50,000 per year.

Average marine animal trainer salary
$33,750 Yearly
$16.23 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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