Also called: Cephalopod Husbandry Technician, Octopus and Squid Aquarist (Research)
Raises octopuses, squid and cuttlefish in research labs, keeping these clever, fragile animals healthy for brain and behavior studies.
Checks a row of tanks of baby cuttlefish no bigger than a fingernail, feeding them live shrimp and recording growth. You clean filters, test seawater, enrich octopus tanks with puzzles and watch closely for escape attempts. Researchers rely on your animals to study camouflage and learning.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in marine biology or zoology, plus aquarium experience.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Marine Biology, Zoology, Biology.
Growing about average. Tiny niche at a few research centers and aquariums.
Low risk for 10 years. Sensors monitor water, but feeding, cleaning and caring for clever animals stays hands-on.
Classes: Biology, Chemistry, Marine science.
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.