How to Become a Dog Groomer in Indiana

dog groomer

Everyone dreams of a job with outstanding earnings and a stress-free work environment.

And being a dog groomer is one of the most relaxed jobs you can find.

It offers many opportunities, like career independence and financial stability.

These can be yours if you choose to become a dog groomer in Indiana.

What a Dog Groomer Does

It may be simple at first glance, but a dog groomer’s duties are complicated.

You need time to be a master groomer, particularly training and experience.

Studying at a grooming school or apprenticing under an experienced groomer will take care of that.

Through it, you’ll learn proper grooming techniques, both basic and advanced skills.

At a minimum, you’ll learn the “classics,” like:

  • Bathing
  • Drying
  • Styling
  • Clipping
  • Cutting
  • Trimming

Of course, you’ll also be trained for specialized skills.

For example, hand-scissoring and hand-stripping.

Both techniques are used to remove the coat’s rough and matted parts.

What’s more, in this line of work, you’ll face anxious or excited dogs, making it harder for you to start grooming.

So what can you do to make them calm and cooperate with you?

Luckily, there are calming techniques you’ll learn in the course of your education in Indiana.

Indiana’s Educational Requirements

You don’t need a college degree to become a dog groomer.

Only a high school diploma or equivalent GED is needed.

But getting an education by enrolling in an accredited school will help you, especially if you want to grow career-wise.

Most grooming schools will require you to complete the following in order to graduate:

  • Coursework (lectures and assignments)
  • Hands-on practice

Note that grooming schools in Indiana expect professionalism and dedication from their students.

In return, you’ll be given many advantages, like helping you get work after completing the program.

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Skills and Competencies

You’re going to be a good dog groomer in the future.

One of the best, no doubt.

And to be the best, you’re not only a master at the technical side of things.

You also possess and are highly competent in the following:

Communication

Every groomer must have good communication skills.

You have the ability to not only talk to your dog clients but their owners and your colleagues as well.

Organization and Management

You’re a dog groomer, first and foremost.

But helping out in the administration of your workplace is also part of your responsibilities.

  • Make appointments
  • Organize the schedules
  • Keep the tools and equipment in their proper places
  • Clean the tools and equipment used
  • Meeting with the management and potential customers

Observation

Having a keen eye for detail is a must skill to have.

As a dog groomer, you’re usually the frontliner who sees and knows if there’s anything wrong with the dog.

For example, a skin disease that needs immediate medical attention from the vet.

When it happens, you should let the owner know at once for the dog’s well-being.

Left unreported, it can cause severe problems for the dog later on.

Job Opportunities in Indiana

looking for job opportunities

Indiana has a lot of job opportunities to offer aspiring dog groomers.

In fact, in the May 2020 report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Indiana currently has around 880–2310 animal caretakers like groomers in employment.

Most of them are working at:

  • Kennels
  • Pet stores
  • Vet clinics
  • Animal shelters
  • Animal grooming salons

Potential Salary in Indiana

Indiana is a good place for a dog groomer who wants to scale career-wise.

According to Salary.com, the average annual salary in Indiana is $34,801 as of December 2021.

The figures below are based on their aggregate HR-reported survey data.

Percentile Salary
10% $22,574
25% $28,401
50% $34,801
75% $43,401
90% $51,231

Check our table below for the potential earnings each city in Indiana offers.

Location Avg. Annual Salary
Advance $32,458
Akron $31,361
Alamo $30,766
Albany $31,032
Albion $31,364
Alexandria $31,235
Ambia $31,484
Amboy $31,032
Amo $31,934
Anderson $31,235
Andrews $31,198
Angola $31,524
Arcadia $31,154
Arcola $31,400
Argos $31,408
Arlington $31,835
Ashley $31,241
Athens $31,427
Atlanta $31,140
Attica $31,125
Atwood $31,416
Auburn $31,252
Aurora $32,823
Austin $31,280
Avilla $31,265
Avoca $30,936
Avon $32,769
Bainbridge $31,781
Bargersville $32,688
Batesville $32,783
Bath $32,709
Battle Ground $31,813
Bedford $30,936
Beech Grove $32,796
Bellmore $30,912
Bennington $32,409
Bentonville $31,136
Berne $31,258
Bethlehem $31,130
Beverly Shores $33,461
Bicknell $30,534
Bippus $31,198
Birdseye $31,152
Blanford $30,928
Bloomfield $30,702
Bloomingdale $30,766
Bloomington $31,071
Bluffton $31,225
Boggstown $32,661
Boone Grove $33,461
Boonville $31,653
Borden $31,664
Boston $32,610
Boswell $31,484
Bourbon $31,427
Bowling Green $31,816
Bradford $31,664
Branchville $31,538
Brazil $30,887
Bremen $31,309
Bridgeton $30,860
Bringhurst $31,813
Bristol $31,855
Bristow $31,545
Brook $33,393
Brooklyn $32,661
Brookston $32,340
Brookville $32,771
Brownsburg $32,756
Brownstown $30,961
Brownsville $32,481
Bruceville $30,574
Bryant $31,235
Buck Creek $31,813
Buckskin $31,626
Buffalo $32,297
Bunker Hill $31,032
Burket $31,392
Burlington $31,032
Burnettsville $31,875
Burrows $31,032
Butler $31,198
Butlerville $30,868
Cambridge City $31,032
Camby $32,769
Camden $31,032
Campbellsburg $31,141
Canaan $32,202
Cannelburg $30,431
Cannelton $31,545
Carbon $30,847
Carlisle $30,542
Carmel $32,756
Carthage $31,739
Cayuga $30,975
Cedar Grove $32,774
Cedar Lake $33,501
Celestine $30,372
Centerpoint $30,847
Centerville $31,869
Central $31,556
Chalmers $32,340
Chandler $31,720
Charlestown $31,718
Charlottesville $31,100
Chesterton $33,528
Chrisney $31,545
Chrubusco $31,346
Cicero $31,154
Clarks Hill $32,594
Clarksburg $32,594
Clarksville $31,808
Clay City $30,979
Claypool $31,365
Clayton $32,661
Clear Creek $31,071
Clifford $31,496
Clinton $30,928
Cloverdale $31,299
Coal City $30,787
Coalmont $30,716
Coatesville $31,849
Colfax $32,594
Columbia City $31,292
Columbus $31,325
Commiskey $31,251
Connersville $31,032
Converse $31,032
Cortland $30,909
Corunna $31,261
Cory $30,901
Corydon $31,628
Covington $31,165
Craigville $31,279
Crandall $31,682
Crane $30,645
Crafordsville $32,188
Cromwell $31,405
Cross Plains $32,783
Crothersville $31,203
Crown Point $33,569
Culver $31,368
Cutler $31,032
Cynthiana $31,666
Dale $31,298
Daleville $31,235
Dana $30,882
Danville $32,675
Darlington $32,594
Dayton $31,813
Decatur $31,309
Decker $30,561
Deedsville $31,351
Delong $31,352
Delphi $31,813
Demotte $33,393
Denver $31,115
Depauw $31,538
Deputy $31,341
Derby $31,538
Dillsboro $32,783
Donaldson $31,433
Dublin $31,032
Dubois $30,372
Dugger $30,581
Dunkirk $31,041
Dunreith $31,523
Dupont $31,404
Dyer $33,582
Earl Park $33,439
East Chicago $33,596
East Enterprise $32,376
Eaton $31,032
Eckerty $31,538
Economy $31,032
Edinburgh $31,631
Edwardsport $30,480
Elberfeld $31,680
Elizabeth $31,718
Elizabethtown $31,018
Elkhart $31,855
Ellettsville $30,990
Elnora $30,527
Elwood $31,194
Eminence $31,676
English $31,538
Etna Green $31,427
Evanston $31,545
Evansville $31,747
Fair Oaks $33,393
Fairbanks $30,847
Fairland $31,925
Fairmount $31,086
Falmouth $31,469
Farmersburg $30,901
Farmland $31,032
Ferdinand $31,225
Fillmore $31,674
Finly $31,874
Fishers $31,167
Flat Rock $31,844
Flora $31,813
Florence $32,202
Floyds Knobs $31,808
Folsomville $31,260
Fontanet $30,941
Forest $31,600
Fort Branch $31,639
Fort Ritner $30,961
Fort Wayne $31,400
Fortville $31,181
Fountain City $31,965
Fountaintown $31,963
Fowler $31,484
Fowlerton $31,073
Francesville $33,393
Francisco $30,942
Frankfort $31,951
Franklin $32,661
Frankton $31,235
Fredericksburg $31,538
Freedom $30,828
Freelandville $30,493
Freetown $30,990
Fremont $32,569
French Lick $30,806
Friendship $32,783
Fulda $31,545
Fulton $31,427
Galveston $31,032
Garrett $31,279
Gary $33,596
Gas City $31,051
Gaston $31,127
Geneva $31,250
Gentryville $31,433
Georgetown $31,772
Glenwood $31,392
Goldsmith $31,657
Goodland $33,393
Goshen $31,855
Gosport $31,240
Grabill $31,346
Grammer $30,976
Grandview $31,545
Granger $31,403
Grantsburg $31,538
Grass Creek $31,427
Graysville $30,596
Greencastle $31,428
Grenfield $31,874
Greens Fork $31,447
Greensboro $31,527
Greensburg $32,163
Greentown $31,100
Greenville $31,718
Greenwood $32,783
Griffin $31,205
Griffith $33,596
Grissom Arb $31,032
Grovertown $31,574
Guilford $32,783
Gwynneville $31,887
Hagerstown $31,032
Hamilton $31,198
Hamlet $31,737
Hammond $33,596
Hanna $32,189
Hanover $31,442
Hardinsburg $31,265
Harlan $31,265
Harmony $30,847
Harrodsburg $31,071
Hartford City $31,070
Hartsville $31,472
Hatfield $31,612
Haubstadt $31,666
Hayden $30,868
Hazelton $30,520
Hebron $33,783
Helmsburg $31,057
Heltonville $31,057
Hemlock $31,293
Henryville $31,646
Highland $33,596
Hillsboro $30,766
Hillsdale $30,833
Hoagland $31,373
Hobart $33,596
Hobbs $31,167
Holland $31,075
Holton $32,783
Homer $31,873
Hope $31,571
Howe $31,771
Hudson $31,280
Huntertown $31,387
Huntingburg $30,958
Huntington $31,238
Huron $30,794
Hymera $30,681
Idaville $31,875
Indianapolis $32,796
Ingalls $31,221
Inglefield $31,747
Ireland $30,714
Jamestown $32,529
Jasonville $30,676
Jasper $30,698
Jeffersonville $31,808
Jonesboro $31,045
Jonesville $30,868
Judson $30,766
Kempton $31,683
Kendallville $31,332
Kennard $31,127
Kentland $32,439
Kewanna $31,201
Keyston $31,136
Kimmell $31,382
Kingman $30,766
Kingsbury $31,968
Kingsford Heights $31,989
Kirklin $31,880
Knightstown $31,636
Knightsville $30,860
Knox $31,798
Kokomo $31,196
Koleen $30,755
Kouts $33,150
Kurtz $31,044
La Crosse $32,689
La Fontaine $31,107
La Porte $32,003
Laconia $31,556
Ladoga $32,137
Lafayette $32,594
Lagrange $31,522
Lagro $31,198
Lake Cicott $31,117
Lake Station $33,596
Lake Village $33,393
Laketon $31,263
Lakeville $31,390
Lamar $31,545
Lanesville $31,754
Laotto $31,319
Lapaz $31,322
Lapel $31,235
Larwill $31,330
Laurel $32,783
Lawrenceburg $32,864
Leavenworth $31,538
Lebanon $32,148
Leesburg $31,413
Leitersford $31,360
Leo $31,373
Leopold $31,538
Leroy $33,501
Lewis $30,901
Lewisvile $31,422
Lexington $31,414
Liberty $32,668
Liberty Center $31,197
Liberty Mills $31,255
Ligonier $31,424
Lincoln City $31,414
Linden $32,594
Linn Grove $31,244
Linton $30,608
Little York $31,293
Lizton $32,434
Logansport $31,032
Loogootee $30,501
Losantville $31,032
Lowell $33,893
Lucerne $31,427
Lynn $31,630
Lynville $31,180
Lyons $30,608
Mackey $31,113
Macy $31,351
Madison $31,207
Manilla $31,926
Marengo $31,538
Mariah Hill $31,545
Marion $31,065
Markle $31,265
Markleville $31,221
Marshall $30,766
Martinsville $30,936
Marysville $31,441
Matthews $31,059
Mauckport $31,538
Maxwell $31,874
Mays $31,629
Mc Cordsville $32,729
Mecca $30,860
Medaryville $33,393
Medora $30,988
Middlebury $31,815
Middletown $31,235
Midland $30,639
Milan $32,783
Milford $31,734
Mill Creek $31,295
Millersburg $31,761
Millhousen $32,082
Milltown $31,538
Milroy $32,008
Milton $31,032
Mishawaka $31,403
Mitchel $30,868
Modoc $31,032
Mongo $31,820
Monon $33,393
Monroe $31,259
Monroe City $30,574
Monroeville $31,306
Monrovia $31,873
Monterey $31,334
Montezuma $30,793
Montgomery $30,392
Monticello $31,875
Montmorenci $31,615
Montpelier $31,122
Mooreland $31,032
Moores Hill $32,783
Mooresville $32,715
Morgantown $30,976
Morocco $33,393
Morris $32,783
Morristown $31,884
Mount Ayr $33,393
Mount Saint Francis $31,772
Mount Summit $31,100
Mount Vernon $31,693
Mulbery $32,594
Muncie $31,113
Munster $33,596
Nabb $31,428
Napoleon $32,783
Nappanee $31,774
Nashville $31,071
Needham $31,851
New Albany $31,808
New Carlisle $31,363
New Castle $31,338
New Goshen $30,968
New Harmony $31,401
New Haven $31,400
New Lisbon $31,100
New Market $31,741
New Middletown $31,682
New Palestine $32,729
New Paris $31,801
New Point $32,783
New Richmond $31,680
New Ross $32,594
New Salisbury $31,646
New Trenton $32,775
New Washington $31,296
New Waverly $31,032
Newberry $30,603
Newburgh $31,747
Newport $30,828
Newtown $30,766
Nineveh $31,676
Noblesville $31,140
Norman $31,003
North Judson $32,419
North Liberty $31,349
North Manchester $31,246
North Salem $32,521
North Vernon $30,868

Regional Salary in Indiana

Region Employed Avg. Annual Salary Avg. Hourly Pay Top 10% Annual Salary Bottom 10% Annual Salary
Bloomington, IN120$31,140$14.97$37,330$21,310
Columbus, IN60$27,760$13.34$38,570$20,430
Elkhart-Goshen, IN110$29,990$14.42$37,940$22,680
Evansville, IN-KY340$29,450$14.16$44,730$21,820
Fort Wayne, IN300$28,790$13.84$35,930$21,150
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN2,390$30,540$14.68$39,120$23,440
Kokomo, IN50$28,540$13.72$45,900$18,480
Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN230$29,850$14.35$42,620$21,160
Michigan City-La Porte, IN100$28,990$13.94$46,990$21,830
Muncie, IN160$27,550$13.25$39,490$18,910
South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI180$29,830$14.34$40,820$18,540
Terre Haute, IN130$27,000$12.98$37,370$17,080
* Salary information based on the May 2023 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Animal Caretakers, OCC Code 39-2021, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

Online Resources

Education doesn’t stop after graduation.

It’s an ongoing process that lasts a lifetime.

There are a few online resources every dog groomer in Indiana should visit.

It can help expand your knowledge, especially regarding the news and trends of the industry.

Here are the websites you can visit:

Takeaways

Dedication is important to become a good dog groomer.

One of the ways to show it is by improving your knowledge and enrolling in a grooming school in Indiana.

Study hard, train hard, and you’ll be able to show off your competency and skills for this profession.

So don’t worry too much; these schools got you covered.

Also, remember that professionalism will make clients trust you, making them come back and become regulars.

Not to mention how your employer and colleagues will start to rely on you.

As such, success won’t be that too far away.

And the key ingredient to it all?

Love and passion for dogs and what you’re doing.

And Indiana dog groomers definitely have that!

USA How to Become a Dog/Pet Groomer by State