Animal Trainers vs Embalmers: $40K vs $59K Median Pay

Animal Trainers vs Embalmers: what changes?

Consider Animal Trainers if you want to train animals for riding, harness, security, performance, or obedience, or for assisting persons with disabilities. Consider Embalmers if you would rather prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements. Entry credentials differ: Animal Trainers, high school diploma or equivalent; Embalmers, associate's degree.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Animal Trainers and Embalmers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Animal Trainers

National median pay (2025): $39,990
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Cue or signal animals during performances.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 6,500

Know before you choose

Long periods of standing are part of the normal workday.

See the full Animal Trainers brief

Embalmers

National median pay (2025): $58,780
Route into the job: Associate's degree; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Conform to laws of health and sanitation and ensure that legal requirements concerning embalming are met.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 700

Know before you choose

BLS projects essentially flat employment (0.7%) through 2035. Annual openings mostly reflect replacement, not a rapidly expanding field.

See the full Embalmers brief

How the national numbers differ

Animal Trainers has the edge on annual openings

Animal Trainers is at 6,500 annual openings, compared with 700 annual openings for Embalmers.

Embalmers has the edge on median pay

Embalmers is at $58,780, compared with $39,990 for Animal Trainers.

Animal Trainers has the edge on projected growth

Animal Trainers is at 4.2% projected growth, compared with 0.7% projected growth for Embalmers.

Typical preparation differs.

Animal Trainers: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Embalmers: Associate's degree; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

48.7/ 100

Animal Trainers

32.7/ 100

Embalmers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence