What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Dog Handler Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Dog Handler in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Doggy Daycare at $22,503 (75.5%) above Dog Handler. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Doggy Daycare $52,322 $4,360 $1,006 $25.15 Military Working Dog Handler $37,374 $3,114 $718 $17.97 Dog Walking $35,770 $2,980 $687 $17.20 Dog Bathers $30,337 $2,528 $583 $14.59 Dog Daycare Worker $30,188 $2,515 $580 $14.51

What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Dog Handler?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Dog Handler jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Pennington County, SD (44.1% above average), followed by Lacey, WA and Austin, TX. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Pennington County, SD $42,971 $3,580 $826 $20.66 Lacey, WA $42,885 $3,573 $824 $20.62 Austin, TX $38,275 $3,189 $736 $18.40 Burleigh County, ND $37,513 $3,126 $721 $18.04 Nome, AK $36,990 $3,082 $711 $17.78 Redwood City, CA $36,509 $3,042 $702 $17.55 Belmont, CA $36,064 $3,005 $693 $17.34 San Carlos, CA $36,006 $3,000 $692 $17.31 Sitka, AK $35,922 $2,993 $690 $17.27 Johnstown, PA $35,607 $2,967 $684 $17.12

Dog Handler

Dog Handler Salary

Q: How much does a Dog Handler make?

The average annual pay for a dog handler in the United States is $29,819 a year — that works out to approximately $14.34 an hour. The middle 80% of Dog Handlers earn between $22,000 (10th percentile) and $36,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

$18.5K

$30K

$38.5K

$29,819

/year

$14.34

/hour

Dog Handler Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$29,819

Columbus

Ohio

$28,802

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How much does a Dog Handler make?

As of Aug 25, 2026, the average annual pay for a Dog Handler in the United States is $29,819 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $14.34 an hour. This is the equivalent of $573/week or $2,484/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $38,500 and as low as $18,500, the majority of Dog Handler salaries currently range between $25,500 (25th percentile) to $33,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $36,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Dog Handler varies little (about 7500), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

A Dog Handler in your area makes on average $28,802 per year, or $1,017 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $29,819. Ohio ranks number 31 out of 50 states nationwide for Dog Handler salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Dog Handler jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Dog Handler on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Dog Handler Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Dog Handler job is above the national average. Topping the list is Pennington County, SD, , with Lacey, WA, and Austin, TX, close behind in the second and third positions. Austin, TX, beats the national average by $8,456 (28.4%), and Pennington County, SD, furthers that trend with another $13,152 (44.1%) above the $29,819 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Dog Handler appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 18% between Pennington County, SD, and Johnstown, PA, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for a Dog Handler role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Pennington County, SD	$42,971	$3,580	$826	$20.66
Lacey, WA	$42,885	$3,573	$824	$20.62
Austin, TX	$38,275	$3,189	$736	$18.40
Burleigh County, ND	$37,513	$3,126	$721	$18.04
Nome, AK	$36,990	$3,082	$711	$17.78
Redwood City, CA	$36,509	$3,042	$702	$17.55
Belmont, CA	$36,064	$3,005	$693	$17.34
San Carlos, CA	$36,006	$3,000	$692	$17.31
Sitka, AK	$35,922	$2,993	$690	$17.27
Johnstown, PA	$35,607	$2,967	$684	$17.12

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Dog Handler Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Dog Handler category.

For example Doggy Daycare jobs pay as much as $22,503 (75.5%) more than the average Dog Handler salary of $29,819. If you're qualified, finding work as a Doggy Daycare may help you make more money than that of the average Dog Handler position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Doggy Daycare	$52,322	$4,360	$1,006	$25.15
Military Working Dog Handler	$37,374	$3,114	$718	$17.97
Dog Walking	$35,770	$2,980	$687	$17.20
Dog Bathers	$30,337	$2,528	$583	$14.59
Dog Daycare Worker	$30,188	$2,515	$580	$14.51

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Dog Handler salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $29,819 per year or $14.34 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

All Salaries Dog Handler Salary