Also called: Zoo Curator, Curator of Mammals
Manages a zoo's animal collection: which species live there, how they're cared for, and breeding plans.
Plans with other zoos to bring in a new male cheetah for a breeding program, supervises a team of keepers, and designs care standards. Often specializes in mammals, birds, reptiles, or fish.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's in biology or zoology (master's common) plus 10+ years of keeper experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Zoology, Biology, Animal Science.
Growing about average. Few positions; long career ladder.
Low risk for 10 years. Databases track animal records; deciding which species to keep, breed and how to care for them needs human expertise.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, AP Statistics, Speech & debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-1023.
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