Aquariums & Marine Animals

Caring for, training, healing, and studying sea creatures in aquariums, rescue centers, and the wild.

Top pay: highest pay, longest training

• Aquatic Animal Veterinarian: A veterinarian who treats dolphins, sea lions, sharks, sea turtles, and fish. Typical pay $125k.
• Aquarium Director / VP of Animal Care: Leads animal care, conservation, and exhibits at a major public aquarium. Typical pay $130k.

Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship

• Marine Mammal Scientist: Studies whales, dolphins, seals, and manatees in the wild. Typical pay $85k.
• Aquarium Curator: Manages an aquarium's animal collection and the team that cares for it. Typical pay $82k.
• Aquarium Life Support Systems Operator: Runs the giant pumps, filters, and chemistry systems that keep aquarium water perfect. Typical pay $56k.
• Aquatic Animal Nutritionist: Designs diets for sea otters, sharks, penguins, and fish at aquariums. Typical pay $72k.
• Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator: Responds when whales, dolphins, or seals wash up stranded on beaches. Typical pay $58k.
• Aquarium Exhibit Designer: Designs the tanks, habitats, and interactive displays visitors see at aquariums. Typical pay $68k.
• Aquarium Dive Safety Officer: Runs the dive program at a public aquarium, training staff and volunteers who dive in exhibits. Typical pay $62k.
• Custom Aquarium Builder: Designs and builds custom aquariums, from home reef tanks to giant acrylic windows for public aquariums. Typical pay $58k.

Starter: fastest way in

• Aquarist: Cares for fish, invertebrates, and other aquatic animals at an aquarium. Typical pay $42k.
• Marine Mammal Trainer: Trains and cares for dolphins, sea lions, and other marine mammals. Typical pay $40k.
• Aquarium Diver: Dives inside giant aquarium tanks to clean, feed animals, and entertain visitors. Typical pay $38k.
• Aquatic Veterinary Technician: Assists veterinarians caring for aquarium and rescued marine animals. Typical pay $45k.
• Coral Farmer: Grows colorful corals in tanks to sell to hobbyists, sparing wild reefs. Typical pay $42k.
• Aquarium Maintenance Technician: Installs and services fish tanks for homes, offices, and restaurants. Typical pay $40k.
• Marine Animal Rehabilitation Technician: Nurses sick and injured seals, sea lions, turtles, and otters back to health. Typical pay $40k.
• Aquarium Fish Collector: Dives or boats out to collect fish and invertebrates for aquariums and research. Typical pay $42k.
• Aquarium Store Manager: Runs a store that sells aquarium fish, corals, and supplies, and advises hobbyists. Typical pay $49k.
• Jellyfish Aquarist: Raises jellyfish from tiny polyps to adults for aquarium exhibits. Typical pay $42k.
• Ornamental Fish Breeder: Breeds colorful aquarium fish like guppies, clownfish, and discus for pet stores. Typical pay $37k.
• Aquarium Educator: Teaches visitors and school groups about ocean animals at a public aquarium. Typical pay $42k.
• Live Food Culturist: Grows tiny living foods like algae, rotifers, brine shrimp and copepods to feed baby fish, seahorses and corals. Typical pay $42k.
• Acrylic Aquarium Window Fabricator: Casts, bonds, polishes and installs the giant clear acrylic windows and tunnels that hold back millions of gallons in aquariums. Typical pay $52k.

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.