How To Become A K9 Handler: What It Is and Career Path

What is a k9 handler and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a k9 handler. For example, did you know that they make an average of $19.69 an hour? That's $40,958 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 3% and produce 20,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreK9 HandlerUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $40,958

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

10.0

Growth Rate 3%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.08%

Asian 3.28%

Black or African American 13.01%

Hispanic or Latino 16.91%

Unknown 4.81%

White 60.90%

Gender

female 17.10%

male 82.90%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress Level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

9.1

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.8

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for K9 Handler in Columbus, OH

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Key steps to become a k9 handler

Explore k9 handler education requirements

Most common k9 handler degrees

Bachelor's

31.4 %

Associate

26.0 %

High School Diploma

23.1 %

Start to develop specific k9 handler skills

Skills	Percentages
Patrol	26.21%
Explosive Detection	15.56%
Public Safety	12.97%
CPR	11.70%
Emergency Situations	8.08%

Complete relevant k9 handler training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New k9 handlers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a k9 handler based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real k9 handler resumes.

Research k9 handler duties and responsibilities

Hire and manage credit officers responsible for Citigroup's new commodity derivatives business in Houston.
Provide technical guidance to soldiers on ammunition safety matters and other relate ammunition items.
Maintain accurate record for MWD certification.
Serve warrants, subpoenas and civil documents.

Prepare your k9 handler resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your k9 handler resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a k9 handler resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable K9 Handler Resume templates

Build a professional K9 Handler resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your K9 Handler resume.