Interested in becoming a dog groomer? It is a lucrative career where you get the satisfaction and joy of working with dogs every day. There is potential to make a size-able income based on how you manage your career.
It is imperative to mention that results will vary depending on the area you in which you live. This information will help you comprehend how salaries are determined so you can make the most knowledgeable career choice.
A Dog Groomer’s Pay Is Determined Is Determined The Following Way:
1. Work Setting
Professional Pet Stylists either work in someone else’s shop or they open their own mobile or brick and mortar salon. Groomers that own their own business have the potential to make substantially more money. Obviously, that comes with more responsibility; however, most self-employed groomers report greater job satisfaction and enjoy being their own boss.
2. Pay Structure
Salon employed groomers are usually paid commission. They are compensated by being paid a percentage of the price of each groom, generally around 50% for each groom they perform. Salon employed groomers also receive tips from their clients, which are shared with their bather/brusher, if they have one.
3. Education
Groomers with better hands-on education will find higher pay when starting out in their careers. Salon owners favor new groomers with hands-on experience working with numerous breeds who have performed a variety of grooms. Most salons will not hire groomers who only have an online grooming education. We have retrained many students who paid for an online grooming education and could not get hired at a salon because they did not have hands-on grooming experience.
4. Experience
The more experience you have and the more dogs you can groom in a day, the more earning potential you have. This is true whether you work for someone else or are self-employed.
5. Location
In areas with higher costs of living and a larger population, you can expect to earn more than in a less populated area. This will also depend on what other groomers in the area are charging.
Pay As a Dog Groomer
A Groomer’s pay depends on whether they are working for someone else or self-employed.
If you are employed by a grooming salon…
Groomers working for a salon are usually paid commission, generally 50% commission on all grooms. Below is an average of 6 dogs per day for $65 per groom:
6 dogs per day X $65 per groom X 50% commission = $195 per day, plus tips (most clients tip 15%-20% on each groom)
If you work 5 days per week with 2 weeks of vacation per year…
$195 per day X 5 days per week X 50 working weeks per year = $48,750 per year, plus tips (most clients tip 15%-20% on each groom)
The cost of each groom varies, and Doodles are fetching about $120 per dog as of this writing but these numbers are a conservative estimate of a salon employed dog groomer.
If you are self-employed…
Groomers working for themselves will receive 100% of the price of each groom. As a business owner, the numbers may look like this:
6 dogs per day X $50 per groom = $390 per day, not including tips (most clients tip 15%-20% on each groom)
If you work 5 days per week with 2 weeks of vacation per year…
$390 per day X 5 days per week X 50 working weeks per year = $97,500 per year, not including tips (most clients tip 15%-20% on each groom)
Owning your own business comes with the responsibility of paying all the expenses accompanied with running a business (shampoo/conditioner, insurance, rent for a brick-and-mortar salon or payments for a mobile grooming van).
Mobile groomers charge approximately $25 more for traveling to each client, so your mobile unit could pay for itself. Plus, one day when you sell the van, you will recoup some of the money you paid to purchase the mobile unit. Running your own business will always provide greater freedom and earning potential than working for someone else.
Average Pay for a Professional Dog Groomer
Per ZipRecruiter, the average salary for pet stylists in the United States is approximately $45,804 per year, not including tips. Salon owners, mobile groomers and self-employed groomers in general can earn significantly more depending on how many clients they serve per day.
Would you like to join the lucrative field of dog grooming? Why delay? Take the first step today and begin earning money in as little as 4 weeks!
Our hands-on grooming program is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to jumpstart your dog grooming career. Enroll online now and begin your journey to job satisfaction and financial freedom. Call Dog Grooming School of Pennsylvania at (215) 752-1111. As the only state-licensed training center in the region, we offer an unmatched learning environment to help students transition into the rewarding industry. We proudly serve Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, as well as Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, California, Kentucky and surrounding areas. Convenient and affordable lodging is available nearby for out-of-town students. For more informatio on our curriculum, visit us online.