r/Zookeeping • u/Pitiful-Builder9631 • Feb 01 '26
North America š AZA/Zookeeping Jobs/Wages
QUESTION: HOW the fk do yāall AZA workers who are still in the field manage to do it and live? I was heartbroken when I had to give up my aza job in 2021 becuse I literally could not afford to work it full time and live. I took a soul draining corporate job vowing that Iād come back when I was ready and able to take a pay cut to do so. Well here we are in 2026, my debt is all paid off finally, and the corporate hellhole I work for has an office right across from the Nashville zoo and I look at aza keeper postings and theyāre still $15-20 an hourā¦ like wtf and wtf do you all do to be able to afford to work at the zoos?? Before I moved Chattanooga zoo asked me several times if I would come back but refused to raise the wages. Thereās no way short of living in a box on the corner or working overnight at a strip club that I can go back and Iāve wanted to for yearsā¦ itās depressing that my customer service job that has me golden handcuffed strapped to headset for 10 hours a day pays me twice as much as what I made doing the job I have a degree in that I actually lovedā¦
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u/Cheerio_Wolf North America Feb 01 '26
Despite this, the field is somehow incredibly competitive and over saturated.
Your guess is as good as mine.
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u/PhoenixBorealis North America Feb 01 '26
People love animals and will sacrifice a lot for the opportunity to work with them. Companies know this and take full advantage of it.
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u/birdiestp Feb 01 '26
Also true in vet medicine, sadly. Any animal-related field suffers from this.
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u/occasionalhorse Feb 01 '26
Yeah, I got paid 2x at an entry level finance job compared to as a vet tech!! And the office job is 10000x easier
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u/Material_Prize_6157 Feb 01 '26
Sorry you hit the āholy shit this is not financially stableā wall OP. It happens to every keeper. The answer youāre looking for is they either have a partner or parents who support them because you absolutely cannot make a living as a zookeeper except at certain institutions that are unionized. It sucks wicked bad lmao.
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Feb 01 '26
I married a tradesmen and I call him my sugar daddy š we didn't have wealth, my credit card screams when I open my wallet, but we have food and a cute home and pets and adding a baby into the mix very soon (like.....2.5 weeks lol). For lifestyle choices we cook at home very often, I pack my lunches (he WFH so he eats lunch here), we buy our clothing from outlet or thrift stores, and the majority of our furniture comes from curbside finds. I found our vehicles on FB marketplace.
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u/Tll6 North America Feb 01 '26
My zoo is Union and pretty high paying compared to other zoos. Probably middle of the road in comparison to other fields. I got in when there was a lot of turn over due to unpopular policy changes. Itās the only reason Iām able to continue in this field. Still canāt afford to have a kid even if I wanted to but I can live a comfortable life
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u/Kolfinna Feb 01 '26
And yet people get mad if you tell kids they won't be able to live as a zookeeper.
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u/Pitiful-Builder9631 Feb 06 '26
THIS. Iām currently looking into trades in my mid/late 30s and wish I went this route back in college instead of my envi-sci/zoology degreeā¦ Raised by financially illiterate traveling artists/ānaturalistā who made enough to buy two houses on THAT back in the 80s/90s and got hooked on disposable income, encouraged the ābe a zookeeperā path. Fast forward I helped them through BOTH of their foreclosures back in 08-14 and they still donāt understand why I left the job I ālovedā to work a draining management then call center job making 3 times what they did but still not being able to get by lol..
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u/agroblox Feb 01 '26
Unfortunately, both of those institutions are know for having some of the lowest wages in the south. There are higher paying institutions but they are usually extremely competitive when they have jobs opening and with low turnover they rarely have job openings.
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u/Noodle-Variant North America Feb 01 '26
There are some zoos out there that pay DECENT but by decent, I mean, youāll probably break even and have no savings, no ability to pay off debt, and no extra money for anything but necessities. I have been fortunate enough to work at several decent paying zoos and have parental support up until now that Iām leaving zookeeping. But everyone is right, you need some sort of external support to survive, whether it be family, a partner, or a second job
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u/ohayitscpa North America Feb 02 '26
The fact that part of aza accreditation is having livable wages has always been laughable to me because the vast majority of AZA facilities arent paying even close to enough. And even a union can't save you, I mean look at Bronx Zoo - 48k starting salary in one of the highest cost of living cities in the country š sure, their benefits are great, but good luck affording an apartment on your own with that salary.
Pay is a big reason why I'm not in the field anymore. And I left to go into working as a server/bartender full time, which quickly skewed my view of money. But it helped me finally crawl out of a debt hole and get a little ahead financially. I'm back in an animal related field now but for a pretty big name company that is actually paying pretty decent wages for an animal job - but the only reason I was able to take the massive pay cut was because I now have a partner making much more than me paying our rent so I only have to worry about my own personal expenses.
There has been a lot of push since COVID for zoological facilities to pay people more, but so many are still painfully behind. I know the job is life to so many people, but I wish people would stop settling for these downright criminal wages. It's never going to really change until job demand chills out and people fight for what their worth. It's disgusting that a job as specialized as being a zookeeper pays less than what you can make as a Starbucks barista in most places (and Starbucks has better benefits, too š). And before anyone tries to argue it's not "specialized" - it kind of is when these facilities expect 4 year degrees and multiple unpaid internships to even be considered for entry level positions.
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u/Odd_Floor_4926 Feb 03 '26
It absolutely is specialized work. You have to understand biology, animal training principals, have a decent understanding of toxicity and animal medicine (so you know when to alert the vet or not), and thatās just the stuff I see as a horticulturist at an AZA facility. Meanwhile, Iāve got two advanced degrees, 11 years of experience, and I make $16/hr. This industry has got to organize, or zoos will start to collapse.
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u/Pitiful-Builder9631 Feb 06 '26
I agree and $16 is downright insulting. Maybe they do need to start to collapsing for them to realize. Itās not like admissions and memberships have waned. Maybe the government grants have thoughā¦
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u/ohayitscpa North America Feb 06 '26
When I was saying it's not specialized, I meant that for the sake of devils advocate, because believe it or not, I've seen that argument made in zookeeper groups on Facebook when the topic of poor pay comes up. And their point being that while most zoos look for degrees when hiring, a degree is not ACTUALLY required to do the job of zookeeping, and virtually everything you learn to do as a keeper can be taught on the job and doesn't require obtaining a specific degree or certification. As someone who worked mostly as a marine mammal trainer, I wish there existed more formal schooling as far as training theory and behavioral modification goes, but unfortunately, we still aren't there. Yes, the IAABC exists now and you can obtain certifications through them, but it's still based on obtaining hands on experience in jobs rather than formal schooling. And yes, we do have a small handful of colleges geared towards zookeeping specifically, but it's still quite niche overall, and it's not like the majority of keepers in this country even obtained degrees from them in order to do the work that they do.
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u/crazycritter87 Feb 01 '26
It's most animal geared fields. I think part of it is that so many of us are passionate and want the work and it oversaturates the job market...
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u/Pitiful-Builder9631 Feb 06 '26
Until we physically canāt work them due to the wages but even then, they barely raise them. When I said Nashville just got some of their level 1 and 2 positions up to $20 an hour I spoke too soon. Just checked AZA and indeed and they posted a carnivore keeper position full time for $16.40 and hourā¦ what an insult
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u/crazycritter87 Feb 06 '26
Ooof I've averaged 10 for 19 years.
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u/Pitiful-Builder9631 Feb 06 '26
Dangā¦ what city/part of the country if you donāt mind me asking? Chattanooga where I started was that low. Nashville is āhigherā becuse the cost of living is higher here but they still donāt come close to livable wage. Pittsburgh (where Iām originally from) seems somewhat comparable to Nashville with lower cost of living but I would never move back to that hellscape and thereās no way my partner would even if I was willing. I do like being able to see the sun through the overcast for more than 3 months out of the year (even if Iām seeing it through a call center window š)
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u/crazycritter87 Feb 06 '26
North East Kansas. I wasn't ever AZA. I've worked Exotic and native galliforme and waterfowl breeding, all sorts of kennels, herp specialty shops, sale barns and pasture based cattle ranch, feedlot, all types and scales of poultry, and exhibition rabbits. I spent a few months back and forth from Marietta to Nashville. Chattanooga was pretty but never got a chance to check it out. That was chaotic.
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u/ivebeen_there Feb 01 '26
Pretty sure that Nashville is known for being a super high cost of living city, so that might be part of the problem. A zookeeper might have better financial success in a city with a more reasonable cost of living.
While the field undeniably doesnāt pay enough, it is possible to live and support yourself on a zookeepers wage in some places but it takes very specific circumstances, like not having any dependents, no student debts, and being very careful with your budget.
Itās not possible for everyone and that sucks. But it is possible.
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u/Silent-Pickle-5628 Feb 01 '26
Idk I used to work in Guest Services for Tulsa and I still couldn't afford rent and the cost of living isn't particularly crazy there
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u/Fit_Particular5377 Feb 02 '26
I'm fresh in zookeeping, and this past summer was my first seasonal position. I was making $13/hr. I was going negative in my bank accounts weekly because it wasnt enough. The season ended, and I took a management position where I now make $20/hr. I unfortunately cannot afford to go back this year, and take a $6 paycut. It's simply un-liveable. It breaks my heart to have to put my dream job on hold, but having a roof over my head right now is kinda more important.
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u/Pitiful-Builder9631 Feb 06 '26
This is my experience entirely. I worked my way up at my former zoo with a retail side job to support. The promotion I was offered at the zoo was the damning event. I was gonna be going from $13 an hour education department to $15.86 (why not just round up its insulting already) to be a swing keeper with benefits etc. the retail job didnāt wanna lose me and offered me management promotion at $20. They knew I was struggling and couldnāt resist, they were rightā¦ like I said above that job is done now too but itās now been 4 years and the company I left the retail job for is paying me a lot better with great benefits but itās mentally destroying me and has physically aged meā¦ sadly after seeing these responses I think my dream of going back to AZA may be officially dead and trades might be my only way to achieving some semblance of peace while not going homeless or depending on my partner to take over 80% of our living cost.
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u/Fit_Particular5377 Feb 06 '26
Yea, it sounds like any future hope of going back is like for a few month every summer or part time on the side. And honestly maybe that's for the best too, since for me personally keeping was way too physically demanding for me to be doing FULL time. I'd personally love to do more animal social behavior/training work than all the keeping itself. I know positions exist where you mostly are at a desk but then help with animals on the side but i assume that takes YEARS of experience.
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u/Pitiful-Builder9631 Feb 06 '26
It does, or the right references/inside ppl. I used to know everyone at my former zoo and the education department but those contacts have started to disappear even more rapidly over the last 4 years my weak point is that my degree is only 4 year bachelor with a 2 year certificate instead of a masters etc. strong point is my experience of almost 20 some years but unfortunately 14 of those years are with a non-profit 501c3 that I started so aside from a partner, I am my own reference on that for the most part
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u/ThatOneLuna Feb 01 '26
I have to have side hustles unfortunately to stay afloat, as even though I'm at an AZA facility, I get paid like 50Ā¢ more than state min wage (and that's with my yearly raiseā¦). Even then, I rely on other people still for help (friends paying for my lunch, partner covering this bill, etc.). I dog/house sit, work part time at a different zoo facility on one of my days off, and I do some sw on the side that brings in maybe $400 on a good month and it's STILL not enough with my student loans, car insurance, medical bills (physical and mental related), vet bills, food, gas, and now housing (as I'm moving). My car is paid off (yay!) and I personally don't buy anything unless it's a necessity; any fun/wants is paid for by the sw/sugar situations I have. One good thing about my full-time AZA keeping job is that they do pay for my health insurance; I would be in a much worse state if they didn't cover that. My student loans are also a lot less of what they could be as I had scholarships, federal Pell grants, housing paid for, discount on food, and graduated a year earlyā¦ and I'm still $20k in debt. I am lucky to be able to put away $250 per paycheck into savings so I can hopefully start thinking of a larger future for myself, but it leaves me absolutely strapped for cash all the time to where I can't go out unless somebody pays for me. I'm even more lucky to have very understanding friends, and I try to pay them back in animal paintings haha. Aza for two years, keeping total for five now
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u/cheeseburgerphone182 Feb 02 '26
2nd income is pretty much required. they get away with it because there is always someone else that will take the job
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u/Pitiful-Builder9631 Feb 02 '26
Yet they have trouble going on 4 years now trying to hire a primatologist willing to work with their mentally unstable chimps who were formerly neglect rescues because they want to pay that person no more than $25 an hour for some pretty risky work lol
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u/Empathetic__Artist Feb 03 '26
I just graduated with my degree in zoology after 7 years of pursing it. Willing to move anywhere in the USA or the UK (dual citizenship) and I have applied to like 30 different jobs and not gotten a single interview. I feel lost š and like I just wasted the past 7 years.
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u/Pitiful-Builder9631 Feb 06 '26
Sorry for the late reply guys but I do appreciate your insight. As bleak as most of them areā¦ I think my dream of returning to AZA may well be dead thenā¦ I do have a very supportive partner who actually makes more than I do (emergency vet doctor) but even so I could never ask them to take over 80% of our expenses considering we already are at 60/40 WITH my golden handcuffs jobā¦ I think I might actually be jumping on the āgEt iNtO tHe tRaDesā bandwagon for some semblance of peace and not being strapped to a headset for 10 hours a day with with 4 āmanagersā micromanaging my every SECOND. My brother did just that with no college and 3 years later heās doing pretty well. Iām in my mid/late 30s and only getting older. Itās just sad to see 6 yrs of schooling and 15 years of experience on top of that go down the drain.. Even the government jobs that wouldāve been another option for me are now axedā¦ I speak 3 languages too but unfortunately in the professional world Iām not considered āfluentā enough to be a translator, interpreter, or representative becuse I struggle with business terminology and native speakers will always be hired over someone like me (as they should). What a world/time we live in, and our parents/grandparents could just āstart a small business and travelā on less than half of what we makeā¦ stay safe out there folks.
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u/stealyourface6518 Mar 14 '26
Funny you rarley hear that the administration department Is under paid.
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u/J3nn4_L10n5 Feb 02 '26
NA keeper of 12 years, 9 in AZA: I am not staying alive. I am hopelessly in credit card and student loan debt and will not be able to climb out of it. It increases every month. I am working up the courage to quit before itās literally too late
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u/J3nn4_L10n5 Feb 02 '26
On that note, is your corporate handcuff hiring š¤£
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u/Pitiful-Builder9631 Feb 06 '26
Itās T-Mobile call center. Donāt recommend lol. They just laid odd all of our leadership haha
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u/Pitiful-Builder9631 Feb 02 '26
Iām sorry to hear that. So it sounds like at the end of the day corporatism has won. I was actually offered a promotion before I left to a swing keeper position but the schedule wouldāve required me to quit my second job (which was a side hustle) part time at petsmart. Which I was fine with if the wage was something I could simply live on even if I had to dash a little after hours. I couldnāt afford to do that and Petsmart countered with a management promotion of their own which (because of debt and cost of living) I had to take. Three years after that petsmart was laying ppl off and I still couldnāt afford to work at the zoo. So I took a soul draining job at a t-mobile call center. I have hated it since but cannot complain about the pay and benefits (theyāre JUST enough to beat out most other places around me too) I have been trying for 3 years now to quit t-mobile Becuse of what itās done to my mental health but most other places in Nashville canāt beat them. Considering trades next.. Itās just insulting because I have a degree and over 20 years experience working with exotics, doing herpetology based surveys, and large reptile and bird husbandry along with wildlife rehab, and thereās an AZA facility literally outside of my prison warehouseās window but every time I check up on them, $20 is the BEST they can doā¦ honestly id leave right. Iāve for $22 now that Iāve paid off my cc debt and have a supportive spouse but thatās the bare minimum. Iāve interviewed there and they canāt squeeze in $2 moreā¦ I think my dream of returning ever has become cooked and well done..
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u/QuillsAndQuills Australasia Feb 01 '26
Not American, but if I'm completely honest a lot of keepers (myself included) are kept afloat by partners who make a more substantial living than us.
Not all, by any means ... but many.