Zookeeper
Impact: Direct
Cares for animals in zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks. Responsibilities include feeding, cleaning enclosures, monitoring animal health and behavior, and educating the public.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- Team-oriented
- Client facing
- Always
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- Low
- Schedule flexibility
- Rigid
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 40 hours
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $40,000
- Entry-level
- $30,000
- Senior
- $55,000
- Growth by 2033
- Average
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- Low
- Salary growth potential
- Moderate
- Typical student debt
- $25,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Animal Handling
- Biology Knowledge
- First Aid (Animal)
Soft skills
- Patience
- Observation
- Communication
Technical complexity: Moderate
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Associate's Degree
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 5
- Years to senior
- 10
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Senior Zookeeper, Curator, Animal Care Manager
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- Low
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 4/10
- Meaning
- 4/10
- Work-life balance
- 3.5/10
- Prestige
- 5.5/10
- Social perception
- High