Best Cities for Animal Trainerss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where animal trainerss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	AlabamaState	1.60	$55,700	$63,949	21%
2	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.53	$66,040	$61,262	33%
3	VirginiaState	1.52	$62,960	$60,831	30%
4	OregonState	1.35	$55,520	$53,903	34%
5	IndianaState	1.25	$45,270	$50,022	28%
6	GeorgiaState	1.21	$45,250	$48,448	38%
7	IowaState	1.21	$43,020	$48,229	27%
8	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.21	$46,810	$48,357	41%
9	IllinoisState	1.18	$45,830	$47,053	34%
10	MontanaState	1.16	$44,680	$46,349	30%
11	ArkansasState	1.14	$39,400	$45,655	27%
12	OklahomaState	1.14	$40,310	$45,548	29%
13	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.14	$54,810	$45,599	69%
14	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.12	$50,460	$44,734	47%
15	CaliforniaState	1.11	$49,060	$44,318	55%
16	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	1.11	$43,680	$44,345	47%
17	West VirginiaState	1.10	$37,080	$44,038	27%
18	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	1.10	$51,230	$43,974	53%
19	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.10	$50,260	$43,972	52%
20	New YorkState	1.08	$48,790	$43,369	45%
21	WashingtonState	1.08	$46,420	$43,262	49%
22	New JerseyState	1.07	$46,690	$42,914	46%
23	ConnecticutState	1.06	$45,800	$42,565	41%
24	IdahoState	1.06	$40,770	$42,249	35%
25	MinnesotaState	1.06	$41,690	$42,541	37%
26	ColoradoState	1.05	$44,290	$42,021	50%
27	North DakotaState	1.05	$38,970	$42,084	30%
28	South DakotaState	1.05	$38,120	$41,982	30%
29	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.05	$41,830	$42,040	42%
30	MississippiState	1.04	$35,130	$41,427	31%
31	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.04	$42,860	$41,411	45%
32	MaineState	1.02	$40,760	$40,842	38%
33	WisconsinState	1.01	$37,140	$40,238	35%
34	MassachusettsState	1.00	$43,580	$40,166	62%
35	North CarolinaState	1.00	$37,680	$39,915	41%
36	PennsylvaniaState	1.00	$38,920	$40,124	40%
37	TennesseeState	0.97	$35,320	$38,601	43%
38	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	0.97	$35,950	$38,739	43%
39	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	0.97	$35,940	$38,854	39%
40	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	0.97	$35,740	$38,848	44%
41	KansasState	0.96	$34,720	$38,578	36%
42	KentuckyState	0.96	$34,030	$38,452	34%
43	MissouriState	0.96	$34,010	$38,386	37%
44	UtahState	0.96	$38,580	$38,503	46%
45	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.96	$36,860	$38,316	51%
46	NebraskaState	0.95	$34,900	$38,142	36%
47	TexasState	0.95	$36,370	$38,044	46%
48	New MexicoState	0.94	$34,760	$37,783	36%
49	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.93	$42,180	$37,163	73%
50	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	0.93	$35,680	$37,244	50%
51	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.93	$35,990	$37,027	53%
52	NevadaState	0.92	$36,760	$36,687	47%
53	Columbus, OHMetro	0.92	$34,290	$36,674	45%
54	FloridaState	0.91	$36,870	$36,325	56%
55	LouisianaState	0.91	$32,720	$36,315	38%
56	New HampshireState	0.90	$38,030	$35,877	50%
57	OhioState	0.90	$32,700	$36,173	38%
58	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.88	$37,980	$35,005	64%
59	MarylandState	0.86	$37,430	$34,277	54%
60	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	0.85	$30,920	$33,904	47%
61	AlaskaState	0.84	$34,900	$33,461	47%
62	DelawareState	0.84	$33,810	$33,475	48%
63	District of ColumbiaState	0.84	$38,200	$33,421	66%
64	ArizonaState	0.83	$33,330	$33,033	54%
65	MichiganState	0.83	$30,820	$33,391	44%
66	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.82	$34,620	$32,722	58%
67	South CarolinaState	0.81	$29,670	$32,250	51%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).