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Zookeepers care for animals in captivity, with salaries influenced by the size and location of the zoo, educational background, and experience in animal care. A four-year degree in related fields earns the highest salaries, and prior animal-related employment experience is important. The animals a keeper supervises and the extent of care involved also affect salary.
The term keeper refers to an individual who feeds, monitors, cleans and cares for animals kept in captivity, usually in public zoos. Animal collections in a zoo can range from a smaller group of very young domestic animals in a rural zoo to a large number of exotic animals, including mammals, reptiles, fish and even insects, found in a metropolitan zoo. Depending on the size of the zoo, a zookeeper may look after all or part of the animals, such as the big cats – lions, tigers, cheetahs and other animals – or even just one species. Curators or collections specialists supervise keeper of larger zoos and most animal keeper positions require a minimum of two or four years experience and experience gained through work, internships or volunteering. Factors that affect a keeper’s salary may therefore include the size and location of the zoo, the keeper’s educational background, his years of experience in the field, the animals kept in the zoo, and the extent of his responsibility.
One of the main factors that affect a zookeeper’s salary is the size of the zoo where he is employed. Large metropolitan zoos generally offer more full-time positions and higher salaries than zoos in small cities. In the US, a zookeeper’s salary can also depend on the region of the country where the zoo is located. A zookeeper’s salary in the West and Northeast is generally higher than that of someone in the same position in the Midwest or South.
Educational background also influences a zookeeper’s salary and assigned positions. Generally, employees with a four-year degree in the related fields of biology, zoology, animal husbandry or pre-veterinary studies earn the highest salaries. A few schools across the US—most, unsurprisingly, in areas with world-renowned zoos—offer a two-year associate’s degree or certificate in zoology, which teaches students the basics of the profession.
A keeper’s salary is also influenced by the amount of experience they have in zoo maintenance or in areas related to animal care, such as kennel work or veterinary care. Prior animal-related employment experience most strongly determines the initial salary offered, as opposed to subsequent salary increases. The experience also helps answer an interview curator’s question about whether a candidate’s expectations for the requested position are realistic.
Finally, a groom’s salary is affected by the animal or animals he supervises and the extent of care involved. Most keepers are responsible for assessing, feeding, exercising and cleaning the animal’s enclosures on a daily basis. They may also be responsible for food preparation in addition to feeding. Cleaning duties in some zoos may also be assigned to an assistant, while the keeper spends that time documenting the details of an animal’s condition.
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