Zookeeper
Zookeepers look after a zoo or wildlife park's animals day to day, from feeding and health checks to the enclosure work that keeps them safe and settled.
- Median salary
- $66,400
4.2%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 1,500
0.0%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +11%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Low
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 40/wk
matches all-jobs average
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Zookeepers work in zoos, aquariums and wildlife parks, usually assigned to one section of the collection, such as primates, reptiles or Australian mammals, rather than to the whole site. The job sits close to animal attendant work but carries more responsibility for an animal's daily welfare, diet and behavioural records, and most keepers reach it after further study or several years of hands-on experience. Zoos open every day of the year, so keeper rosters include early starts, weekends and public holidays.
How much do zookeepers earn?
The median full-time salary for a zookeeper is $66,400 per annum, before tax, up $13,900 since 2018.
Pay depends heavily on who employs you: large public zoos and aquariums generally pay under enterprise agreements with graded keeper levels, while smaller wildlife parks and sanctuaries often pay less. Weekend, public holiday and shift penalties make up a real part of the annual figure on a seven-day roster, and senior or specialist keeper positions sit at higher grades again. Where you work matters less than which organisation you work for.
What does a zookeeper do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Hosing, scrubbing, raking and repairing enclosures before the gates open
- Preparing diets measured out to each animal's needs, and setting up enrichment that gives them something to work at
- Watching for the small changes in appetite or behaviour that can be the first sign an animal is unwell
- Running keeper talks and fielding visitor questions between the physical work
- Recording what each animal ate, how it behaved and anything the vet needs to follow up
What skills do zookeepers need?
Employers look for animal care and handling, health education and advice, backed by Feed preparation equipment fluency and strong attention to detail.
Specialist skills
- Animal care and handling
- Health education and advice
Software and tools
- Feed preparation equipment
- Cleaning and sanitation tools
- Health monitoring charts
- Veterinary restraint equipment
- Zoo management software
General skills
- Attention to detail
- Safety and compliance awareness
- Problem solving
- Written communication
- Physical stamina and dexterity
- Empathy and interpersonal care
Is the job growing?
About 1,500 people work as zookeepers in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 11% over the decade to 2035. That's healthy, above-average growth, and the role should stay in solid demand.
How do you become a zookeeper?
Here's the path most zookeepers take, step by step.
- 1Get animal experience early, paid or unpaid
Volunteering at a wildlife shelter, rescue group, farm or zoo builds the handling hours that selection panels ask about, and unpaid experience counts as much as paid. Most zoos expect evidence of it before they will consider an application.
- 2Complete a qualification
The Certificate III in Captive Animals at TAFE covers husbandry, enclosure design, safety and record keeping, and is the standard entry credential. Larger zoos and aquariums often prefer a bachelor degree in zoology, animal science or wildlife biology, so check what the organisations you are targeting ask for.
- 3Add the specialist skills a section needs
Venomous snake handling, marine animal care, first aid and safe restraint techniques widen the sections you can work in. Several of these need their own short course or a current renewal.
- 4Apply for entry keeper and animal attendant roles
Entry usually comes through casual, seasonal or fixed-term jobs at zoos, wildlife parks and aquariums. Many keepers start on the same site where they volunteered, so a good record there is often the shortest route in.
- 5Take responsibility for a species group
As you stay, you take on a section, train newer keepers and contribute to breeding and conservation programs. Senior keeper, team leader and curatorial roles open up from there, though each team is small.
Ready to apply as a zookeeper?
Whether you're working toward becoming a zookeeper or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a zookeeper move to?
Moving into Veterinary Nurse typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $20,300 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veterinary Nurse Zookeepers bring hands-on animal handling and husbandry, but moving into veterinary nursing requires further study in clinical care.Known move | +$20,300 | 17% | reskill |
| Animal Attendant Zookeepers already have the animal care and observation skills that animal attendant work needs, so little retraining is required. | +$0 | 73% | minimal |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a zookeeper?
The typical zookeeper is 31 years old; 64% are women, 63% work full-time, and full-timers average 40 hours a week.
- 31
- Median age
- 64%
- Female share
- 63%
- Full-time
- +0h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a zookeeper?
The day has a fixed rhythm: an early start of cleaning, feeding and checking animals before visitors arrive, then talks, observations and records through the afternoon. Keepers notice everything, because an animal that skips a meal or stands differently from usual is your problem to spot and report. The people who enjoy it tend to like animals as individuals and are happy doing physical work outdoors in any weather.
What people like
- You get to know individual animals. Years on the same section, or hand-rearing a young animal, means you can read its mood and pick up when something is off, which is most of the job.
- The work is physical and outdoors. Days are spent moving, lifting and building, and an enrichment idea gets tested in front of you rather than discussed in a meeting.
- A section becomes yours. Keepers usually specialise, so you build real depth in one group of animals and work closely with the same small team.
- Conservation work you can point to. Breeding programs, releases and education talks connect the daily chores to something beyond the roster.
What people find hard
- Rosters cover every day the zoo is open. Weekend, public holiday and early morning shifts are normal, and Christmas Day is just another working day on a rotating roster.
- The physical load builds up. Raking, shovelling, hosing and pushing wheelbarrows in heat, cold and rain takes a toll on backs, shoulders and hands over a career.
- Losing an animal you have cared for. Keepers work with the same animals for years, and illness, transfers between zoos and euthanasia are part of the job.
- Records and compliance take real time. Diet sheets, observation logs, medication charts and licensing records have to be accurate, and they fill part of every shift.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ zookeepers?
Arts and Recreation Services employs the largest share of zookeepers.
Top employing industries
- 1Arts and Recreation Services
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 35.1% | |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate III/IV | 27.2% | |
| Year 12 or below | 17.4% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 7% | |
| Postgraduate | 5.4% |
Will AI replace zookeepers?
Zookeeping sits at the low end of AI exposure, because the work is hands-on care of individual animals in a shared space. Software helps with records, diet planning and breeding data, but it cannot clean an enclosure, restrain an animal or notice that a meerkat is holding its paw differently. Keeper talks and routine visitor questions are the part most affected, since scripts and answers can now be drafted or delivered by a screen.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Cleaning and enclosure maintenanceRaking, hosing and repairing an exhibit happens around animals that have to be shifted and secured first, so it stays manual work.30%low
- Health and behaviour observationCameras and sensors are starting to log activity and temperature, but deciding that an animal is off colour still comes from knowing it well.30%moderate
- Feeding and diet preparationPortions are weighed for each animal and often carry medication or training rewards, which automated feeders cannot manage at this scale.25%low
- Keeper talks and visitor questionsStandard presentations and common visitor questions are the easiest part of the job to script or automate, though a keeper handling a live animal still draws the crowd.15%high
Common questions about becoming a zookeeper
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do zookeepers earn in Australia?
Zookeepers earn a median of $66,400 per year before tax, based on full-time workers. The employer makes most of the difference: large public zoos and aquariums generally pay under enterprise agreements with graded keeper levels, while smaller wildlife parks and sanctuaries often pay less. Penalty rates for weekend and public holiday shifts add to the annual figure for many keepers.
How do you become a zookeeper?
Most keepers start by volunteering with animals, then complete the Certificate III in Captive Animals or a degree in zoology or animal science before applying for entry roles. Experience counts for as much as the qualification, and zoos often hire people who have already volunteered or worked casually on site. Check what the organisations you are targeting ask for, because larger zoos and aquariums set the bar higher.
Are zookeepers in demand in Australia?
Zookeepers are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 11% over the decade to 2035, from a base of about 1,500 people nationally. It is a small occupation with a limited number of employers, so openings depend more on turnover at individual zoos than on a broad hiring push. Volunteering and casual work at a site remain the most reliable way in.
Will AI replace zookeepers?
AI is unlikely to replace zookeepers, because the core of the job is physical care of individual animals in enclosures. Records, diet planning and breeding data are increasingly handled by software, and visitor talks can be scripted or assisted by it. Species knowledge, safe handling and reading an animal's condition stay with the keeper.
What can zookeepers move into?
Zookeepers and animal attendants move between the two roles easily, since about 73% of the skills carry across and pay is about the same. Moving into veterinary nursing pays $20,300 more, but it needs further study in clinical care because the overlap between the two jobs is limited.
What qualifications do zookeepers usually have?
The qualification zookeepers hold most often is Bachelor degree, at about 35% of the current workforce, with certificates III and IV the next largest group. These figures describe what keepers already working hold rather than what every employer requires. In practice a degree opens more aquarium and large-zoo roles, while a Certificate III in Captive Animals is enough for many wildlife park positions.
Related roles
Not sure this is you? Take the career quiz and get a ranked shortlist of roles that fit how you like to work.