A career as an animal groomer might be the right move for you if you like being around animals and enjoy taking care of them. It can be a very rewarding occupation and the demand is certainly there. Over 70% of households in the U.S. have at least one pet. Last year these pet owners spent almost $50 billion on their four legged friends. Keeping a pet groomed costs the average family about $70 a year. So how much can you make as an animal groomer? There are many factors that will affect what your income will be. Here are some things to consider. If you were to become a dog groomer for example you would typically charge $30 an up to groom a small dog. Larger dogs would cost their owners $75 and up for grooming. A typical groomer would work with 5 or 6 animals a day. Whether you would work for someone else or start your own pet grooming business would also factor in on how much you could expect to make.
If you think becoming an animal groomer is something you would like to do you are going to need some instruction and training. There are animal grooming schools that you can physically attend and there are also online pet grooming schools where you can learn all you need to know. There are pros and cons to both so it is wise to do some research to determine which course is best for you.
A school that you physically attend will give you more hands on training and you will have immediate feedback from your instructors on how you are doing. The animals you work with will be provided for you. On the downside these schools can be quite expensive and on average will cost about $5000 to attend. You will have to travel to school and attend classes when they are provided which might be difficult to do if you have a busy schedule.
Online pet grooming schools also have their own sets of pros and cons. If attending one of these schools you must be motivated. Most let you learn at your own pace so you are going to have to be disciplined and do the studying on your own. You will have to provide your own animals to work with although this can actually be a plus in that you can start to find customers while you are in school. Of course the biggest benefit is the cost savings. You can receive a pet grooming certificate and complete the course for under $250 in as little as 12 weeks.
Its great if you can make a living doing something you love. Animal grooming can be a satisfying career choice. Taking care of animals can be a very rewarding experience both personally and financially and becoming a animal groomer is something you might want to consider.
I have been able to make my living working with animals for the past 25 years. For more information on making a good living as a animal groomer visit Pet Grooming Education.
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