If you want to become a well-paid dog groomer or look for the complete detail of this career, then you are landing on the right page. Today, we will discuss all the key aspects of how much a dog groomer can make, and if you want to adopt this profession, what are the things that matter to you while selecting this career?
Obviously, you can offer tons of services as a dog groomer; the tasks are endless, from classic shampooing to a complete nail trimming process. You can start working in a grooming spa or run your own salon. Yet again, you might think that can you live with a dog groomer’s income? Many more queries will surely be wobbling in your mind.
Take a deep breath and note down all the facts and figures from this information guide to setup a complete career plan for your dog grooming profession.
A Quick Estimation of How Much Do Groomer Make?
There is a strong relationship between the average salary of a dog groomer with experience. If you are looking to start a professional career as a groomer, so must learn this skill from a pro groomer by working some months under their assistance.
Further, you have to decide whether to work as a freelance groomer or build your own saloon. This pay structure is still dependent on your skill set, location, experience, and the growth trend of your region. You need to show more affection to pets instead of generating money to live wealthy life in this profession.
Average Salary of a Professional Dog Groomer
When you are talking about the average income, then it depends on plenty of factors. The most important element is your skills; how can you maintain a pet’s appearance? And you know how good you are at this skill set?
From a simple bath to a pro-style fur cutter, you must be an expert in all dog grooming skills. Most groomers are generating a handsome income only based on their experience. The rates are variable, so it is tough to determine the exact salary of a well-paid groomer.
Let me show you the dog groomer’s income in different regions of United States so that you will get an idea about the average revenue of this career:
How to Estimate your Income – 3 Different Scenarios
Now, you can estimate a dog groomer’s salary with this chart and according to your working location. Here you have three options to build this career professionally. Let’s quickly go through these scenarios for more knowledge about this aspect:
- Working in a Grooming Spa – If you work in a dog groomer’s shop, your average yearly salary ranges from $30,000 to $35,000. This huge variation is because of difference of region rates. You can calculate the average monthly salary from these figures, and if you are experienced enough, you can demand more money according to your skill set. However, if you are in an entry level position, you have to accept any offer given by the spa owner.
- Freelance Pet Groomer – Well, if you don’t want dog groomer jobs, then you can also adopt a freelance career in this profession. Now, if you are asking about how much dog groomers make as a freelance, you must know that there is no income limit to working as a freelance groomer. It all depends on your own hard work, skill, and your reputation as a pro groomer in your area.
- Running your own Saloon – You can also succeed in this career and earn maximum wealth by running your dog groomer business. A recent study found that a dog groomer shop owner earns almost three to four times more than a pro groomer just working hourly.
Important Factors to Determine Dog Groomer’s Income
Obviously, you can’t straightaway estimate the income of a pet grooming career. You can give an accurate answer to the query of how much dog groomers make hourly. In fact, a few crucial factors greatly affect this income:
1. Your Location
The location matters a lot in determining the groomer’s salary per year. If you are residing at a high cost area in the United States or any other country, then the rates of grooming services are also high.
Expert dog groomers can get higher salaries in these locations. However, the average income is also lesser if you live in the countryside or any lower living area, and the saloon might also offer lower salary packages.
2. Job Description
The pet owners are demanding various styles and appearances that the saloon owners have to offer. So, if you are experienced enough, you still need to learn the state-of-the-art designs of different dog breeds. If you are grooming to a wired haired dogs or any other puppy type, you must know all the trendy designs of these dog breeds.
In the same way, the dog saloon owners are demanding similar skills in the job description. So, if you do not have enough experience, you can work with them at the average salary. Still, if you are a skillful groomer and fulfill their requirements, then you can demand a commission or percentage per hour on every service from the spa owners.
3. Your Education
Saloon owners currently prefer groomers with hands-on experience on various dog breeds with some grooming skill set for a handsome yearly salary. However, they are also looking for a well-educated person, at least up to a bachelor’s level, to improve their spa environment.
4. Pay Structure
Here, you have two options in this career; working on fixed hourly or monthly income or working on the commission. Of course, entry-level dog groomers should adopt the fixed average salary option, but if you are a pro groomer, you can demand commission from the saloon owners. Moreover, if the clients like your work, they might also offer some tip to you.
5. Year of Experience
The earning potential of this career is highly dependent on the total experience. Whether you are working on monthly salaries or taking this profession as a freelance, your experience matters a lot.
The self-employers take advantage of their experience while the workers get increments and tips based on their grooming skills. So, it is better to gain more and more dog grooming experience and learn the modern styles to get yourself up to date in this profession.
6. Job Growth Trend
There is an almost 22% jump in career growth in dog grooming. This trend is increasing all the time. The sector of animal care and its services is expected to grow more and with a rapid speed as well. So, if you are looking to adopt this profession as a lifetime career, you have a great opportunity to jump into it now.
How to Gain the Right Experience in this Profession?
To reveal another truth about how much dog groomers earn involves three main stages. You will never make some serious money from this profession if you don’t follow these phases in the right order. You will become an expert groomer too by accepting the following key points:
- Get the Best Training from a Well-Known Spa
It would help if you start your dog grooming career from a well-reputed saloon. Before starting to work as a freelancer or running your saloon, you need to learn this skill. If you are not an expert on some dog breeds, you are losing your reputation as a professional dog groomer; it is better to learn a complete skill set and adopt this dog grooming career full-time.
- Take Max Experience
It might take some time to get this max experience, so you need self-motivation and patience before stepping into this business. You can gain this knowledge by experimenting with your practices on various dog breeds and trying different trials. By adopting this rule, you will quickly see yourself where you can easily handle all grooming activities on different forms of puppies.
- Working the Right Saloon
Another key point is to choose the right saloon to start this professional career. You can’t learn this skill swiftly if you don’t find a larger number of mixed dog breeds. Therefore, you must choose a dog grooming spa that many clients visit daily.
People Also Ask
Where do dog groomers make the most money?
Well, you can generate more money in this profession only from the high-paying states of your country. If you reside in the United States, their highly paid states are Chicago, Raleigh, Denver, Austin, and Nashville.
Is being a dog groomer a good career?
You are building a great profession if you gain hands-on experience with dog breeds and various grooming skills. The spa owners can offer you a job, and you can earn a handsome annual salary from them. The pro groomers make money as a full-time job and get the amount as per your luxurious living requirements.
How much do dog groomers in California make?
The average dog groomer’s salary in California ranges from $20.8 to $22.0 per hour if you have full command of most dog breeds’ grooming activities. The money working skills are stylish haircuts, nail trimming, and fur de-matting services. If you have similar god grooming skills, you can also make more money from popular states of America.
What is the standard tip for a dog groomer?
The standard tip to a professional dog groomer is around 15%, but if you are not satisfied with the grooming results, you don’t need to pay the tip or give 5-10%, which looks reasonable.
How much does a pet groomer make in Florida?
The average dog grooming salary in Florida is $34000 per year and can go up to $42000 if you have a good command of every dog grooming activity.
Knowing your Wealth as a Dog Groomer
It’s not just the money! The right care and affection for pets will make a genuine groomer. The pet groomer makes so much money but doesn’t care about their animals. As a saloon owner or freelance worker, it’s your responsibility to make your dog comfortable throughout a grooming session. This trick will surely increase your dog grooming business at any location.
You must learn these skills from a certified groomer for at least six months. After that, you can take the risk of becoming a freelance groomer or running your dog grooming salon.
Our expert team has identified some crucial factors that should be considered before adopting this profession. Once you gain a fair bit of hands-on experience on most dog breeds, then its the right time to start your own grooming services and earning some serious money from this dog grooming career.