Dog groomers use electric clippers and traditional barber's shears.
It is said that dogs are man's best friends. And man, no doubt, wants his companion to look its best. This is where dog groomers come in. They wash, comb, clip and style dogs' coats to achieve the best look for the animal, taking into account the characteristics of the breed and the owner's wishes. Pay levels for dog groomers vary, dependent upon factors such as location and employer type.
Average Income
As part of its national employment survey of May 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classified dog groomers alongside other non-farm animal caretakers. It calculated that the average annual salary across the category was $22,070. This is equivalent to $1,839 per month and $10.61 an hour. Earners in the top 10 percent of the profession received salaries in excess of $31,880, while their contemporaries in the bottom 10 percent earned less than $16,050 on average per annum. In June 2011, pay analysis website Indeed.com listed the average yearly salary for dog groomers specifically as $28,000.
Income by Industry
The bureau's survey revealed that the two sectors of the non-farm animal caretaker industry in which the largest numbers of practitioners were employed were other personal services and other professional, scientific and technical services -- both sectors in which a dog groomer might work. The average salaries within these sectors were given as $22,200 and $20,720, respectively.
Income by Location
In June 2011, wage comparison website SalaryExpert.com looked at pay rates for dog groomers based in certain U.S. states. It found that wages were highest, across all industry sectors, in Colorado, averaging $32,782. Illinois and Pennsylvania completed the top three with average wages of $31,536 and $30,346, respectively. Wages were similar in Georgia and North Carolina -- $29,987 and $29,761 -- while Tennessee was among the least lucrative states, with an average of $28,315.
Prospects
Across the animal care service industry, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects to see a 21 percent growth in employment opportunities over the period from 2008 to 2018. This is significantly faster growth than that predicted for the nation as a whole, estimated at between 7 and 13 percent for the same time-frame. For dog groomers the growth will be spurred by an increase in domestic pet ownership, allied to a rise in the amount of disposable income the population is liable to spend on grooming services. As such, salaries for practitioners should stay competitive in the immediate future.
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