Also called: Zoo General Curator, Vice President of Animal Care
Senior leader in charge of an entire zoo's animal collection.
Decides which species the zoo will house for the next decade, approves transfers of animals between zoos, and oversees curators, keepers, and welfare standards.
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 or master's in zoology or biology plus 10+ years of zoo 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. Very few positions.
Low risk for 10 years. Software tracks collections and budgets; leading the whole animal program and making welfare calls stays human.
Classes: AP Biology, Business or economics, AP Environmental Science, Speech & debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-1023.
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