Texas has many pets and pet owners.
These people rely on qualified personnel to help their companions look and feel their best.
Here is where you learn more about entering the pet grooming industry in Texas, so read on!
Article Table of Contents
Dog Groomer Job Requirements
One of the most important requirements of a dog groomer is to love working with animals.
Earn your accredited, affordable Pet and Dog Grooming Certificate online with Penn Foster in as little as 2 months!
You’ll also need good communication skills as you’ll interact daily with the pets’ owners and co-workers.
Compassion and patience are key when having more difficult clients, be it the owners or their pets.
You’ll hear pet groomers complain about the amount of time they stood the previous day, so make sure this is something you can cope with.
Luckily, you don’t need to hold a high school diploma nor a GED to become a dog groomer.
Dog Groomer Duties and Responsibilities
Dog groomers have many responsibilities.
These aren’t only related to making the animals look pretty.
The first step a pet stylist will take is to do an overall assessment of the animal’s condition.
This is done to establish if it is injured, has any allergies, fleas, infections, and so on.
Sometimes, they can notice an early onset of some serious illness that the owner may have not noticed.
It will be the stylist’s duty to inform the owner.
Of course, other times, they can suggest a solution to fix the problem if the vet is not needed, such as is the case with flea bites.
Depending on the problem they notice, the stylists will have to use appropriate cosmetics that will not aggravate it.
This step might include:
- Using a shampoo against the fleas
- Using a conditioner that will prevent knots
- Not coloring the fur or nails, if the owner asked for either of these procedures
- Cutting the fur really short
- Cutting the nails to reduce irritation while scratching
Dog Groomer Training and Certification in Texas
While high school education might not be needed, you should get some training in this field before starting working.
You can do this by enrolling in a pet grooming school or as an apprentice.
The program should offer some classroom education and plenty of hands-on practice options.
The training should conclude with an exam.
The American Kennel Club and the National Dog Groomers Association of America are two of the best resources where you can find accredited classes in your area.
You can even find some programs online if you can’t find anything in-person.
Dog Groomer Salary in Texas
Of course, how much you’ll earn will depend on a series of factors.
Your experience in the field and the location of the salon are some of the most important of them.
Annual Salary Range:Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
---|---|
Houston | $35,615 |
San Antonio | $33,787 |
Dallas | $34,411 |
Austin | $34,173 |
Fort Worth | $33,857 |
El Paso | $30,392 |
Arlington | $33,802 |
Corpus Christi | $32,224 |
Plano | $34,263 |
Laredo | $30,775 |
Regional Salary in Texas
Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abilene, TX | 100 | $28,250 | $13.58 | $36,080 | $21,520 |
Amarillo, TX | 250 | $29,080 | $13.98 | $40,770 | $19,830 |
Austin-Round Rock, TX | 2,730 | $33,480 | $16.1 | $48,820 | $21,980 |
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 120 | $28,030 | $13.47 | $36,250 | $18,860 |
Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 120 | $28,960 | $13.92 | $39,070 | $22,510 |
College Station-Bryan, TX | 230 | $29,490 | $14.18 | $35,400 | $21,670 |
Corpus Christi, TX | 280 | $27,640 | $13.29 | $34,700 | $18,690 |
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 6,890 | $32,620 | $15.68 | $43,960 | $21,880 |
El Paso, TX | 480 | $26,610 | $12.79 | $32,450 | $17,700 |
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 5,390 | $31,680 | $15.23 | $46,190 | $21,360 |
Killeen-Temple, TX | 210 | $28,170 | $13.55 | $36,500 | $18,700 |
Laredo, TX | 60 | $29,280 | $14.08 | $39,360 | $17,790 |
Longview, TX | 130 | $31,450 | $15.12 | $47,100 | $21,130 |
Lubbock, TX | 270 | $30,330 | $14.58 | $45,440 | $19,950 |
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 240 | $30,370 | $14.6 | $47,470 | $18,360 |
Midland, TX | 110 | $35,970 | $17.29 | $59,820 | $21,670 |
Odessa, TX | 60 | $39,560 | $19.02 | $65,190 | $27,920 |
San Angelo, TX | 90 | $29,240 | $14.06 | $42,660 | $20,030 |
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 2,200 | $32,480 | $15.62 | $45,030 | $21,980 |
Sherman-Denison, TX | 70 | $29,470 | $14.17 | $40,590 | $21,620 |
Texarkana, TX-AR | 50 | $25,470 | $12.25 | $28,670 | $18,000 |
Tyler, TX | 200 | $30,480 | $14.66 | $38,460 | $23,130 |
Victoria, TX | 110 | $26,610 | $12.79 | $30,500 | $21,430 |
Waco, TX | 190 | $30,040 | $14.44 | $42,700 | $20,430 |
Wichita Falls, TX | 60 | $25,980 | $12.49 | $32,790 | $17,380 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
There are ways in which you can increase your salary.
One of them is by participating in workshops and specialty classes at the end of which you can obtain further certifications.
Dog Grooming Schools in Texas
Earn your accredited, affordable Pet and Dog Grooming Certificate online with Penn Foster in as little as 2 months!
School Name
Address
Texas All breed Grooming School Inc
1003 Enterprise Pl, Arlington, TX 76001, United States
Grooming Academy of Texas
14157 SH 16 N, Suite 200, Medina Texas 78055
Houston Pet Grooming Academy
6727 1/2 Weslayan St
Houston, TX 77005
Golden Paws
6727 Weslayan, Houston, TX 77005
The Pet Salon Academy
5917 Richmond Ave. Houston, TX
Additional Information
Do know this is a lucrative industry and you’ll rarely have nothing to do.
Depending on where you get hired, you might have to work with cats as well, or even other types of animals, therefore you should be comfortable handling all of them.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Dog / Pet Groomer