💡 Why it matters: Good zoos protect rare species and teach people about nature. Keepers give the animals daily care and help conservation programmes, though jobs are few, so experience matters.
🌍 Around the world
- United States: Jobs for animal care and service workers are projected to grow 11% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦500k – ₦1M
- Mid-career
- ₦1M – ₦2.5M
- Senior
- ₦2.5M – ₦5M
≈ ₦83k – ₦208k a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇺🇸 United States
Closest US category: Animal caretakers (within Animal care and service workers). Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Closest Job Bank occupation: Animal Attendant, Zoo. Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Prepare food and feed the animals
- Clean enclosures and check animals' health
- Give animals puzzles and toys to keep them active
- Record behaviour and tell vets about problems
- Talk to visitors and school groups
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Caring for animals
- Observation
- Physical fitness
- Reliability
- Communication
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Volunteer at zoos and wildlife centres
- Start as a trainee or assistant keeper
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Animal care apprenticeships, then volunteering at zoos or farms
- Volunteer or work as a seasonal assistant keeper to build experience
🇺🇸 United States
- Internships and volunteering at zoos and aquariums
- Start as an animal care or keeper assistant
🇨🇦 Canada
- Internships and volunteering at zoos and wildlife centres
- Entry jobs as an assistant keeper
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Study Biology at school
- 2Volunteer with animals at a farm, shelter or zoo
- 3Take a college or degree course in animal care or zoology
- 4Get a trainee or assistant keeper job
- 5Become a senior keeper or specialise in one animal group
⏰ A day in the life
You arrive early to prepare the morning meals and check that every animal looks well. After cleaning the enclosures, you hide food in logs to keep the monkeys busy. In the afternoon you talk with visitors about the animals you look after.