Also called: Lead Keeper, Area Supervisor
Supervises a team of zookeepers in one section of the zoo.
Assigns daily keeper routes for the primate building, trains new staff, steps in for a tricky animal shift, and reports animal health concerns to vets and curators.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's in biology or zoology plus several years as a keeper.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Zoology, Biology, Animal Science.
Growing about average. Competitive, limited openings.
Low risk for 10 years. Scheduling software helps, but leading keepers and hands-on animal care in a zoo section stays human.
Classes: Biology, AP Environmental Science, Physical education, Speech & debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 39-1013.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.