Dog grooming is a lucrative small business for an individual.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a dog groomer falls into the category of a "non-farm animal care and service worker." While grooming is at the upper end of the scale by comparison to kennel attendants who clean out animal cages, it is comparable with work such as pet sitting, dog training and veterinary assistance because it requires some form of training or ideally, certification.
The Work
Dog groomers bathe, dry, brush and trim the dog's hair and nails. They use a variety of clippers, scissors and brushes to achieve the look the dog's owner wants, and if they are grooming a dog for show purposes, they must know the grooming standards for the different breeds. The groomer also cleans the dog's teeth, and some groomers do specialized tasks such as ear cleaning or anal gland expression.
Paid Employment
As of May 2008, the BLS lists the median earnings for a non-farm animal care and service worker as between $16,720 and $24,300 per year for the middle 50 percent. Groomers, however, usually earn additional money in the form of tips from satisfied clients. A groomer who works on commission only will typically keep 50 to 60 percent of the money he brings in. According to Glassdoor.com, groomer salaries at companies such as PetSmart and PetCo range from $8 to $12 per hour, with a grooming assistant making $7 an hour.
Self-Employment
The BLS does not have data available on self-employed pet care business owners, but states that a self-employed groomer needs between 150 and 200 animals per month to make a living. With prices ranging from $30 to $90 depending on the dog's size, this calculates to an income of around $10,000 a month, before operating costs and salaries.
Regional Earnings
Workers in this industry in My 2010 earned the highest salaries in the state of New York, with a mean wage of $11.54 per hour. By comparison, workers in Texas only earned $9.99 per hour, and the national median estimate by the BLS is $9.40 per hour, with 135,070 workers in the industry nationwide.
Market Outlook
The American Pet Products Association (americanpetproducts.org) considers the pet care industry "recession-proof," and its statistics support this. The APPA predicted expenditure of $3.65 billion on services for 2011, up from $3.2 billion in 2008. This makes it a resilient industry that provides good earning opportunities for individuals in the small-business sector.
Tags: animal care, animal care service, care service, care service worker, hour with, non-farm animal, non-farm animal care