Zookeeper vs Zoologist: pay, outlook, education and work, side by side.
Every row comes from one named source and says which career leads on that one dimension. There is no overall score.
Zookeeper vs Zoologist: BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 39-2021 and 19-1023). The national median annual wage is $35,360 for zookeepers and $76,780 for zoologists (BLS, May 2025). BLS projects national employment to change +12.1% for zookeepers and +3.6% for zoologists from 2025 to 2035. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent vs Bachelor's degree. Which fits better depends on what you value; the table shows who leads on each dimension, with no overall winner.
Side by side
Data Differences smaller than a stated threshold read “About the same” (pay 5%, growth 2 points, openings 10%, one education level, ORS 10 points, O*NET 0.2).
Pick what matters to you; the matching rows are highlighted. Nothing is combined into a score.
| Dimension · source | ZookeeperSOC 39-2021 | ZoologistSOC 19-1023 | Leads on this dimension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wageBLS OEWS, May 2025 (national) | $35,360 | $76,780 | Zoologist |
| EmploymentBLS OEWS, May 2025 | 266,910 | 18,120 | Not ranked |
| Projected employment change, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) | +12.1% | +3.6% | Zookeeper |
| Projected numeric change in jobs, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) · A count, not a rate: it scales with the size of the occupation. | +44,100 jobs | +700 jobs | Not ranked |
| Projected openings (annual average)BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35 | 62,800 a year | 1,400 a year | Zookeeper |
| Typical entry-level educationBLS Employment Projections · typical, not a legal requirement | High school diploma or equivalent | Bachelor's degree | Zookeeper |
| Typical work experience in a related occupationBLS Employment Projections | None | None | About the same |
| Typical on-the-job trainingBLS Employment Projections | Short-term on-the-job training | None | Not ranked |
| Pressure level (O*NET, 1–5; lower = less)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 3.27 | 2.92 | Zoologist |
| Social-contact level (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context · not ranked: neither direction is better | 4.29 | 3.91 | Not ranked |
| Freedom to make decisions (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 3.64 | 4.61 | Zoologist |
| Work styles O*NET rates most importantO*NET® 31.0 work styles (occupation ratings, not a personality test) | Dependability, Cooperation, Attention to Detail | Intellectual Curiosity, Dependability, Attention to Detail | Not ranked |
Choose based on what matters to you
Data Each line restates a measured difference from the table; nothing here predicts how you will feel about a job.
- faster projected national growth matters (+12.1% vs +3.6%)
- a shorter typical education path matters (High school diploma or equivalent vs Bachelor's degree)
- higher median pay matters most ($76,780 vs $35,360)
- a lower-pressure work environment matters (2.92 vs 3.27)
- more decision-making freedom matters (4.61 vs 3.64)
Which skills each one leans on
Data O*NET 31.0 skill ratings: level (0–7) and importance.
Skill-profile match: 0% (similarity of the two O*NET skill profiles, importance × level; 100% = identical).
- Equipment Selection (+0.6 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Troubleshooting (+0.5 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Equipment Maintenance (+0.5 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Science (+3.5 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Reading Comprehension (+2.1 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Systems Analysis (+2.0 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Operations Analysis (+2.0 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
What each career involves
Data Core tasks from O*NET 31.0.
Zookeeper
- Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.
- Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment.
- Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury.
- Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species.
Zoologist
- Inventory or estimate plant and wildlife populations.
- Disseminate information by writing reports and scientific papers or journal articles, and by making presentations and giving talks for schools, clubs, interest groups and park interpretive programs.
- Develop, or make recommendations on, management systems and plans for wildlife populations and habitat, consulting with stakeholders and the public at large to explore options.
- Study animals in their natural habitats, assessing effects of environment and industry on animals, interpreting findings and recommending alternative operating conditions for industry.
Largest employing industries
Data Share of all jobs in each occupation, BLS Employment Matrix 2025.
Zookeeper
- Personal and laundry services (39.9% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Professional, scientific, and technical services (9.9% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers (8.9% of all jobs in this occupation)
Zoologist
- Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals (65.7% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Professional, scientific, and technical services (14.8% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations (8.4% of all jobs in this occupation)
Moving between these careers
Data The comparison shows which; the career-change guides show how.
- Zookeeper → Zoologist: skills to build: Science, Reading Comprehension, Systems Analysis.
- Zoologist → Zookeeper: skills to build: Equipment Selection, Troubleshooting, Equipment Maintenance.
Go deeper
Common questions
Which pays more, Zookeeper or Zoologist?
Which is growing faster?
Which is better?
How this page is built
BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 39-2021 and 19-1023). Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025 national median for each occupation's SOC code. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (growth, numeric change and annual openings are separate metrics). Requirements rows: 2025 preliminary BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, shown only when both roles have detailed-occupation estimates. Work environment: O*NET 31.0 work context. This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. TryHired has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Searches this page answers include “zookeeper vs zoologist”, “zookeeper vs zoologist salary” (Ahrefs, U.S.).
- Any one employer's pay, schedule or culture.
- Job security, ease of hiring or work-life balance: these are not measured here.
- Which career you will prefer: the rows describe the occupations, not you.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 national projections (growth, openings, typical entry-level education and experience).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey, 2025 estimates (preliminary: two of the third wave's samples, collected August 2023 to July 2025; released January 16, 2026), public domain.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (all jobs, including self-employed).