One of the best things about being a groomer is you can work in so many different places and different types of businesses. I’ve met groomers from France, Brazil, China, and many other countries all over the world.
As a groomer you have the opportunity to work wherever you want, and once you have trained and practiced your skills, you can almost always find a good-paying job.
There are tons of good-paying dog grooming jobs available!
But no matter what part of the world you’re in, you will usually always have the same choices when it comes to what type of business you want to work in.
Some veterinarians offer grooming services to their clients. Some vets hire just one groomer, and some hire complete teams, including bathers and multiple groomers.
I’ve never worked for a veterinarian, but I have spoken with several groomers who have. Your salary can be a lot or a little depending on several factors.
Some of the groomers I spoke with said they liked working for the vet, and others said the hours were long and the pay was low.
I’ve never heard of a pet boarding facility that didn’t at least offer bathing services. The majority I’ve seen offer both bathing and grooming services.
When dogs are away from home, they can quickly become really dirty, especially if they’ve been spending their time running and playing with other dogs.
That’s where you come in. With the amount of pets people have, it’s usually easy to find a boarding facility close to where you live.
There are tons of animal shelters that take in animals and try to find homes for them. Most of these organizations have at least a pet bather or two on hand.
Many animals who are in these shelters come from the streets and need at least a basic cleaning before they are shown to potential pet parents.
Some pet rescues also hire a full time groomer or groomers. Many times animals that come into pet shelters will have long, matted hair that needs to be trimmed.
Some pet rescue organizations hire a single groomer to handle all of the bathing and grooming work.
Mobile grooming has really taken off over the past decade or so, and more and more groomers are choosing this type of work. As a mobile groomer, you will travel to the homes of your clients and bathe and groom their pets in a mobile grooming salon.
Mobile groomers almost always charge much more for their work than other types of groomers, and you can make some really good money. However, operating a mobile grooming salon isn’t cheap and these extra expenses will come directly from the money you earn while grooming.
Some dog grooming business owners have multiple vehicles and hire a groomer to run each vehicle. If you choose to become a groomer and work for someone else as a mobile groomer, your pay should be above average because of the extra responsibilities and work needed to run a mobile salon.
Chain store salons are grooming salons run by the large pet supply chain stores. One of the main benefits of these salons is that they are everywhere, and as a groomer it’s usually easy to snag a job.
Sometimes chain store salons don’t pay the best wages or have the most stable work schedules, but they can still be an asset if you need to quickly find a job.
Some chain stores offer set hourly pay where you will make a certain amount of money per hour, and some offer commission pay, where you will make a certain amount of money each time you groom a pet.
Some offer a combination, where you make a small amount of money each hour and also earn a commission each time you finish a groom.
Independent grooming salons are ran by an experienced groomer or groomers. You can almost always make more money working in an independent grooming salon than you would working in a chain store salon.
Like the chain store salons, some independent salons will pay you an hourly wage, some will pay you a commission, and some will pay you using a combination of the two. The most common type of salary in independent salons is commission-based.
Most independent salon owners are more picky when it comes to the groomers they hire, because the work of the hired groomer directly affects the salon’s reputation.
Because of this, you will most likely need at least two years of experience as a groomer before an independent salon will hire you, and some salons require even more experience than that.
Many groomers eventually open their own salons after they have experience in the career. Opening and operating a grooming business can be an awesome experience, especially since a grooming business can be one of the least expensive types of businesses to open!
Although you can make great money working for other groomers or pet businesses, opening your own grooming business should really be your main focus if you want to make really good money as a groomer. Once you have been properly trained and have plenty of hands-on experience, I would suggest you begin thinking about striking out on your own.
While running a business isn’t for everyone, a dog grooming business can be very easy if you follow the right steps. There are plenty of resources available that can help you make your business a success.
But remember, the first step is to find a great training resource and become a good pet groomer.
"FINALLY I don’t have to work a crappy day job. I’ve never made money like this before and sometimes I think am I dreaming? "
- Anna
Be sure to check out my guide The Top Five Careers in Pet Grooming...
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