Animal Trainers vs Funeral Attendants: $40K vs $36K Median Pay

Animal Trainers vs Funeral Attendants: 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 Funeral Attendants if you would rather perform a variety of tasks during funeral, such as placing casket in parlor or chapel prior to service, arranging floral offerings or lights around casket, directing or escorting mourners, closing casket, and…. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Animal Trainers and Funeral Attendants. 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

Funeral Attendants

National median pay (2025): $35,680
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less 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: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Greet people at the funeral home.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 5,400

Know before you choose

Deadline pressure is a recurring condition rather than an occasional emergency.

See the full Funeral Attendants brief

How the national numbers differ

Animal Trainers has the edge on projected growth

Animal Trainers is at 4.2% projected growth, compared with 2.6% projected growth for Funeral Attendants.

Animal Trainers has the edge on median pay

Animal Trainers is at $39,990, compared with $35,680 for Funeral Attendants.

Animal Trainers has the edge on annual openings

Animal Trainers is at 6,500 annual openings, compared with 5,400 annual openings for Funeral Attendants.

48.7/ 100

Animal Trainers

41.2/ 100

Funeral Attendants

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