How much to charge for dog grooming
Grooming prices are set by breed, coat condition and temperament — not by time — which is why groomers who quote by the hour end up underpaid on the hardest dogs.
Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics wages for dog groomers in the national average:
Covers costs and tax with zero profit. Below this you are paying to work.
Pays you properly, covers overhead and self-employment tax, and leaves a 15% margin.
Specialised, in-demand, or booked out. Achievable once you are turning work away.
- Effective hourly rate
- $47.43/hr
- Billable hours per year
- 1,440
- Revenue at this rate
- $68,302
- Employee equivalentBLS wage for this work in your state
- $15.40/hr
How dog groomers actually price their work
There is no single right structure — but there is usually a right one for each kind of job.
Per groom, by size
The industry default. Small $40–$80, medium $70–$110, large $90–$140, XL $120–$180 for a full groom.
Breed-specific pricing
Doodles, double coats and hand-stripped breeds. A doodle full groom can take twice a comparable-weight smooth coat.
Add-on menu
De-matting, flea baths, medicated shampoo, nail grinding, aggressive-handling surcharge — all billed on top.
The mistake that costs dog groomers the most
Absorbing de-matting into the base price. A matted dog can add 45–90 minutes of slow, careful work, and groomers who "just deal with it" convert their most difficult appointments into their least profitable ones. Price de-matting by the quarter hour and say so up front.
What dog grooming overhead actually looks like
These are the defaults behind the calculator. Yours will differ — change the overhead figure above to match.
| Cost | Typical / year |
|---|---|
| Shampoo, conditioner, consumables | $1,500 |
| Clipper blades, shears, sharpening | $900 |
| Table, dryer, tub depreciation | $1,200 |
| Insurance and licensing | $700 |
| Total | $4,300 |
Where dog groomers earn the most
Median hourly wage by state, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.
| State | Median |
|---|---|
| Washington | $18.46 |
| District of Columbia | $18.26 |
| California | $17.88 |
| Massachusetts | $17.74 |
| New York | $17.55 |
| Connecticut | $17.46 |
| Maine | $17.46 |
| Maryland | $17.30 |
| Vermont | $17.12 |
| Alaska | $17.10 |
Common questions about dog grooming pricing
How much should I charge for dog grooming from home?
Home-based groomers can generally match salon pricing in their area, because clients pay for the groom rather than the premises. Your advantage is lower overhead, not a lower price — discounting away your rent savings simply hands them to the client.
Should I charge more for aggressive or senior dogs?
Yes. A handling surcharge of $10–$30 is standard and reflects real risk and real extra time. Seniors need more breaks and more careful handling.
How do I raise my grooming prices without losing clients?
Give 30–60 days notice, raise across the board rather than per client, and expect to lose a small number of your most price-sensitive clients. Groomers are typically booked out; the capacity freed up is usually worth more than the clients lost.
How this calculator works
The starting point is the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2024), which reports what dog groomers earn as employees in each state.
An employee wage is not a business rate, and treating it as one is the most common reason home-based operators price below cost. An employer covers half your payroll tax, your benefits, your paid leave, and every non-billable hour of your day. Self-employed, all four come out of the same rate.
So the calculator grosses the wage up for self-employment tax (15.3% on 92.35% of net earnings), adds roughly 28% for benefits you now self-fund, adds your overhead, applies a 15% margin, and then divides by billable hours only — not hours worked.
These are estimates. Your market, specialisation and reputation move the number, and every assumption above is adjustable so you can disagree with ours.
Other pricing calculators
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2024 (released 2026). This tool provides estimates only and is not financial advice.