How Much Charge Dog Grooming Australia

How much to charge for dog grooming is the question that keeps most salon owners up at night. Not clipping nails, not matted Cavoodles, not difficult clients – pricing. I know because I’ve been there. When I started WoofSpark in my garage in 2019, I charged what felt “fair.” Turns out, “fair” was code for “barely covering my costs.” Six years and 16,472+ appointments later, I charge premium rates in regional NSW and my regulars don’t blink. Here’s how I got there – and how you can too.

Why Most Groomers Undercharge (And Don’t Know It)

Here’s what nobody tells you when you start grooming: you’re probably leaving $20-$40 on the table with every single dog. I was. Most groomers I talk to are too.

The problem starts with how we set prices. We look at what other groomers charge, pick a number somewhere in the middle, and call it done. But that approach has a fatal flaw – what if everyone in your area is undercharging? Then you’re matching prices that don’t work for anyone.

Think about this. A hairdresser charges $80-$150 for a cut and colour that takes an hour. We do a wash and blow dry, nail clip, sanitary and paw pads, ear clean, and a full haircut – often on a dog that’s wriggling, nervous, or matted. That’s a lot more work. So why are we charging less?

How Much to Charge for Dog Grooming by Service Type

Before you set your rates, you need to know what the market currently looks like. These numbers come from real salon data across Australia in 2026 – not from a survey nobody filled out honestly.

Service	Small Dog (under 10kg)	Medium Dog (10-25kg)	Large Dog (25-40kg)	Expert Verdict
Wash and blow dry only	$30-$50	$45-$70	$60-$90	Your baseline – don’t go below this
Full groom (wash, dry, clip, nails, ears, sanitary)	$55-$100	$70-$130	$90-$160	This is your bread and butter
Puppy first groom / intro groom	$40-$60	$50-$70	$55-$80	Charge less, but book the next 3 appointments
Breed-specific styling (hand scissor, Asian fusion)	$80-$120	$100-$160	$130-$200+	Premium skill = premium price
Deshedding treatment	$40-$60	$55-$80	$70-$120	High profit, lower effort than full groom

Those ranges are broad on purpose. Where you land depends on your location, your skill level, your salon setup, and your client base. A groomer in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs can charge at the top end. A solo mobile groomer in regional Queensland might sit mid-range. Neither is wrong – but both should be profitable.

How Much to Charge for Dog Grooming: The Size Factor

Size isn’t just about how much shampoo you use. It’s about time, effort, and physical strain on your body. A Maltese takes 45 minutes. A Bernese Mountain Dog takes 2-3 hours. Your pricing needs to reflect that difference.

Size Category	Typical Breeds	Full Groom Range	Average Time	Expert Verdict
Small (under 10kg)	Maltese, Shih Tzu, Toy Poodle	$55-$100	45-75 min	Your volume dogs – aim for 5-7/day
Medium (10-25kg)	Cavoodle, Cocker Spaniel, Spoodle	$70-$130	60-90 min	Doodles take longer – charge for it
Large (25-40kg)	Labradoodle, Golden Retriever, Groodle	$90-$160	90-120 min	Don’t undercharge – they cost you a time slot
Giant (40kg+)	Newfoundland, Bernese, Saint Berdoodle	$150-$220+	120-180 min	Block 2-3 hours and price accordingly

A mistake I see constantly: groomers charge a flat rate for all “medium” dogs. But a Cavoodle with a 6-week coat takes 60 minutes. A matted Cavoodle with a 12-week coat takes 90 minutes. You’re doing 50% more work for the same money. Build condition-based pricing into your menu.

Metro vs Regional: The Pricing Gap Is Shrinking

I run WoofSpark in Cessnock, NSW – Hunter Valley, not exactly Sydney’s inner west. For years, I assumed I had to charge less because we’re regional. That was a mistake.

Here’s the truth. Your rent might be lower in a regional area. But your client pool is smaller, which means every appointment matters more. Your supplies cost the same. Your insurance costs the same. Your body wears out just as fast. The metro premium used to be 20-30%. Now it’s closer to 10-15% because regional groomers have woken up.

We charge premium rates in Cessnock and we’re the only salon still standing. The others who competed on price? They’ve shut down. Quality over quantity wins every time – Marine’s words, and she’s right.

How Much to Charge for Dog Grooming: Calculate Your TRUE Hourly Rate

This is the exercise that changed everything for me. Most groomers calculate their hourly rate like this: “I charge $80 for a groom that takes an hour. So I make $80/hour.” Wrong. Here’s what you’re actually making.

Step 1: Add up your monthly costs.

Cost Category	Typical Monthly Amount	Expert Verdict
Rent / mortgage on salon space	$800-$2,500	Even a home setup has costs
Supplies (shampoo, blades, ear cleaner, etc.)	$200-$600	Track this – most groomers don’t
Insurance (public liability + professional indemnity)	$80-$200	Non-negotiable cost
Equipment wear and replacement	$100-$300	Blades, clippers, dryers break down
Utilities (water, power, gas for dryers)	$150-$400	Dryers eat power
Super (if sole trader, you should still pay yourself)	$200-$500	Most skip this – don’t
Marketing and software	$50-$200	Booking system, social media ads
Vehicle costs (mobile groomers)	$300-$800	Fuel, rego, maintenance adds up fast

Step 2: Count your actual grooming hours. You might work 8 hours a day. But you’re not grooming for 8 hours. You’ve got cleaning between dogs, client calls, booking admin, supply runs, social media. Realistically, you’re hands-on-dog for 5-6 hours a day.

Step 3: Do the maths. If your monthly costs are $3,000 and you groom 22 days a month at 5 productive hours per day, that’s 110 hours. Your overhead alone is $27/hour before you pay yourself a cent. An $80 groom that takes an hour? You’re actually earning $53/hour – before tax and super.

Marine’s Pricing Journey: Year 1 vs Year 6

When I started in 2019, I set my prices based on what other local groomers charged. A full groom on a small dog was around $50. I thought that was reasonable. It wasn’t – I was working 10-hour days and barely covering costs.

By year 2, I’d raised prices by about 15%. Lost a handful of clients. Gained better ones who valued quality. By year 4, another 20% increase. By now, I charge above the regional average and I’m booked out weeks in advance. The clients who left over price? They were the ones who wanted the cheapest groom possible and complained the most. Good riddance. (Yes, really.)

The biggest shift wasn’t the dollar amount. It was my mindset. I stopped thinking “what will people pay?” and started thinking “what do I need to charge to run a business I actually want to show up to?” Those are very different questions.

Today, 80% of our clients are regulars who book in advance. Our repeat rate sits at 67.8%. We don’t discount, we don’t compete on price, and we’re the only salon left in Cessnock. The groomers who undercut us aren’t around anymore.

When and How to Raise Your Prices

Raising prices feels terrifying. I’ve done it multiple times and I’m still here. So are most of my clients. Here’s what actually works.

Give notice. Tell clients 4-6 weeks before the increase. A quick message at pickup or a sign at the counter works. “Just letting you know, our prices are going up from [date]. We’ve kept them the same for [X months/years] and costs have gone up across the board.”

Don’t apologise. You’re running a business, not a charity. State it clearly and move on. Most clients already expect it – they know their own costs have gone up too.

Raise yearly, not every few years. Small annual increases are easier to absorb than one big jump. A $5-$10 increase each year barely registers. A $30 increase after three years of flat pricing feels like a shock.

Time it right. January is natural – new year, new rates. Or tie it to a cost trigger: when your rent goes up, when supplies increase, when Fair Work minimum wages rise.

Expect to lose 5-10% of clients. The ones who leave over $5-$10? They were never your ideal clients. The ones who stay are the 80% who value your work. You’ll make more money doing fewer dogs. That’s not a loss – it’s an upgrade.

The Value Conversation: How to Charge for Dog Grooming Without Flinching

Some clients will push back on price. Here’s how to handle it without dropping your rates.

Break down what’s included. “A full groom at WoofSpark includes a wash and blow dry, nail clip, sanitary and paw pads, ear clean and treatment, and a full haircut. That’s five separate services in one appointment.” When clients see the list, $80-$120 stops feeling expensive.

Compare to other services. A vet check-up is $60-$100 for 15 minutes. A dog trainer charges $80-$150/hour. A hairdresser charges $80+ for a cut and colour. Your full groom takes longer and involves more skill than any of those. You’re underpriced, not overpriced.

Talk about the dog, not the price. “We never talk about the haircut first. We always talk about the dog’s well-being and health.” When clients see you check their dog’s skin, teeth, ears, and joints during every groom, they understand they’re paying for care – not just a haircut.

For a deeper look at what goes into a professional groom, see our guide on DIY grooming vs professional grooming. It breaks down the value of salon work for clients who aren’t sure.

Add-On Services That Boost Revenue

Raising your base price isn’t the only way to earn more per dog. Smart add-ons let you increase your average ticket without changing your core pricing.

Add-On Service	Price Range	Time Added	Expert Verdict
Teeth brushing / dental care	$10-$20	5-10 min	High margin, clients love it
Deshedding treatment (extra)	$15-$30	15-20 min	Great during shedding season
Blueberry facial / specialty wash	$10-$20	5-10 min	Works well for tear stains and white coats
Flea and tick treatment	$10-$25	5 min	Almost zero effort for you
Custom digital portrait (add-on)	$29-$49	0 min (done after)	Pure profit – no grooming time required
Pawdicure (nail paint / conditioning)	$10-$15	10 min	Popular with some client bases
Cologne / bandana finish	$5-$10	2 min	Small but adds up over a week

We’ve found that 3-4 well-chosen add-ons can boost your average ticket by $15-$40 per dog. Over a week of 25-30 dogs, that’s an extra $375-$1,200 without adding a single extra appointment. The key is making them easy to say yes to at the counter.

Custom digital portraits are one we’re particularly excited about. There’s no grooming time involved – you photograph the dog during the groom, and the portrait is created later. It’s pure profit that makes clients feel special. Get in touch with us if you want to explore adding portraits to your salon’s services.

Stop Competing on Price – Compete on Value

The groomers who thrive long-term aren’t the cheapest. They’re the ones clients trust. Trust comes from consistency, clear communication, and genuinely caring about the dog.

Build your rebooking system. We book clients for the whole year at WoofSpark. Sounds pushy, but they thank us later when they’re not scrambling for appointments. Regular clients on 4-6 week cycles mean predictable income, healthier coats, and dogs who actually enjoy grooming because they’re used to it.

Know your grooming frequency recommendations cold. When a client asks “how often should my dog come in?”, your answer builds trust and locks in ongoing revenue. That’s the real game – not undercutting the mobile groomer who started last week.

Track your numbers. According to the ATO’s small business guidelines, knowing your financials is the baseline of a viable business. Most groomers can tell you their prices but not their profit margin. Fix that and pricing decisions become obvious.

Your Pricing Action Plan

Here’s what I’d do if I were starting fresh today with everything I know now.

This week: Track every expense for 7 days. Every blade, every bottle of shampoo, every supply run. Add it up.

This month: Calculate your true hourly rate using the formula above. If it’s under $40/hour after costs, you’re undercharging.

Next month: Raise your prices by 10-15%. Give clients 4 weeks’ notice. Don’t apologise.

Ongoing: Add 2-3 high-margin add-ons to your service menu. Raise prices annually. Book clients in advance. Focus on retention over acquisition. Visit our shop for grooming tools and supplies we trust in our own salon.

The truth is, if you’re reading this article, you probably already know you should be charging more. Now you’ve got the numbers to back it up.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should a dog groomer charge per hour in Australia?

After accounting for all costs (rent, supplies, insurance, super, downtime), a profitable groomer should aim for $50-$80+ per productive hour. If your true rate is under $40/hour, you’re likely undercharging. Most groomers earn between $25-$65/hour depending on location, experience, and efficiency.

How much do mobile dog groomers charge in Australia?

Mobile groomers typically charge 10-20% more than salon groomers to cover fuel, vehicle wear, and travel time. A full mobile groom ranges from $70-$120 for small dogs to $120-$200+ for large breeds. The convenience premium is real and clients expect to pay for it.

Should I charge more for matted dogs?

Yes. A matted coat can double your grooming time. Most salons charge a dematting fee of $15-$40 on top of the standard groom, or price severely matted dogs at a higher rate. Be upfront about this on your price list so there are no surprises. “No surprises” is something we live by at WoofSpark.

How often should I raise my grooming prices?

Once a year is ideal. Small annual increases of $5-$10 are much easier for clients to accept than a large jump every few years. January is a natural time for new rates. Give clients 4-6 weeks’ notice and don’t apologise for running a business.

What’s the most profitable grooming service?

Deshedding treatments and breed-specific hand scissoring tend to have the best profit margins. Add-on services like teeth brushing ($10-$20 for 5 minutes of work) and digital portraits ($29-$49 with zero grooming time) are also high margin. For regular income, a strong rebooking system is your most profitable long-term asset.