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Denver Zoo salary estimate

$16.69hourly

$34,716 yearly

Entry-level salary
$25,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Denver Zoo Salary Overview

The average salary at Denver Zoo stands at $34,716, reflecting a range of positions available within the organization. Employees can expect varying compensation based on their roles and departments. For instance, positions in hospitality and animal care showcase some of the best-paying opportunities, providing a unique chance to work closely with animals and engage with the public.

Additionally, the zoo offers various benefits that enhance employee satisfaction and retention. Key roles include zookeepers, administrative staff, and specialists in visitor services. Understanding the salary trends and job opportunities at Denver Zoo can help prospective employees make informed career decisions and align their skills with available roles.

Highest paying jobs at Denver Zoo

The highest paying jobs at Denver Zoo are senior director, master plumber, director of facilities, and journeyman electrician. Senior director jobs at Denver Zoo earn an average yearly salary of $54,671, Denver Zoo master plumber jobs average $52,022, and Denver Zoo director of facilities jobs average $51,073.

The lowest paying Denver Zoo roles include food server and bus boy. Denver Zoo food server average salary is $24,462 per year. So while the average Denver Zoo salary is $34,716 there is a big variation in pay depending on the role.

Highest paying jobs at Denver Zoo

RankJob titleAverage Denver Zoo salaryHourly rate
1Senior Director$54,671$26.28
2Master Plumber$52,022$25.01
3Director Of Facilities$51,073$24.55
4Journeyman Electrician$50,401$24.23
5Project Manager$49,974$24.03
6Educator$49,245$23.68
7Hvac Mechanic$46,858$22.53
8Supervisor$45,114$21.69
9Animal Care Specialist$44,557$21.42
10Operations Manager$43,569$20.95
11Carpenter$41,465$19.94
12Maintenance Technician$40,930$19.68
13Expert$40,689$19.56
14Painter$40,325$19.39
15Project Coordinator$38,712$18.61
16Facilitator$37,670$18.11
17Instructor$37,022$17.80
18Welder$36,538$17.57
19Research Assistant$35,195$16.92
20Security Officer$34,940$16.80

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Denver Zoo salaries by department

Salaries at Denver Zoo vary depending on the department you work in. Denver Zoo salaries in the healthcare department are the highest with an average salary of $47,373. Employees in the supply chain department at Denver Zoo receive relatively high salaries as well, with an average salary of $43,130 per year. Departments that don't pay as well at Denver Zoo include the retail and the hospitality/service organizational functions, with employees earning average salaries of $29,914 and $30,165, respectively.

Average Denver Zoo salary by department

RankDepartmentAverage Denver Zoo salaryHourly rate
1Healthcare$47,373$22.78
2Supply Chain$43,130$20.74
3Marketing$42,468$20.42
4Construction$42,174$20.28
5Education$40,439$19.44
6IT$39,561$19.02
7Plant/Manufacturing$39,391$18.94
8Administrative$37,430$18.00
9Non Profit/Government$36,971$17.77
10Facilities$34,856$16.76
11Sales$33,024$15.88
12Customer Service$31,077$14.94
13Hospitality/Service$30,165$14.50
14Retail$29,915$14.38

How much does Denver Zoo pay by department?

Best paying Denver Zoo hospitality/service salaries

RankPositionAverage Denver Zoo salaryHourly rate
1Hospitality Manager$49,342$23.72
2Restaurant Manager$42,591$20.48
3Chef/Catering$34,055$16.37
4Cook$31,467$15.13
5Food Service Associate$31,109$14.96
6Catering Assistant$30,964$14.89
7Dining Room Busser$30,134$14.49
8Child Care Provider$29,625$14.24
9Custodian Worker$29,606$14.23
10Dish Washer$29,335$14.10
11Shuttle Driver$29,308$14.09
12Guest Relations Representative$28,915$13.90
13Food Service Worker$28,784$13.84
14Guest Services$28,477$13.69
15Concession Cashier$28,367$13.64
16Server$28,265$13.59
17Camp Counselor$25,391$12.21
18Bus Boy$25,267$12.15

Best paying Denver Zoo facilities salaries

RankPositionAverage Denver Zoo salaryHourly rate
1Director Of Facilities$51,073$24.55
2Facilities Project Manager$48,142$23.15
3Maintenance Technician$40,930$19.68
4Electrical Manager$40,422$19.43
5Security Officer$34,940$16.80
6Security Specialist$34,098$16.39
7Ground Water Technician$32,888$15.81
8Maintenance Internship$30,884$14.85
9Animal Keeper$30,033$14.44
10Cleaner$29,923$14.39
11Golf Cart Mechanic$29,819$14.34
12Custodian Worker$29,606$14.23
13Zoo Keeper$29,555$14.21

Best paying Denver Zoo retail salaries

RankPositionAverage Denver Zoo salaryHourly rate
1Floor Manager$41,150$19.78
2Retail Supervisor$32,147$15.46
3Assistant Manager$31,294$15.05
4Retail Representative$30,883$14.85
5Associate Retailer$30,496$14.66
6Cashier$29,346$14.11

Denver Zoo competitors’ average salaries

Average salaries at Denver Zoo competitors, like National Audubon Society, Virginia Living Museum, and Wildlife Conservation Society, vary. National Audubon Society employees earn the highest salaries, with an average yearly salary of $42,568. The average salary at Virginia Living Museum is $38,552 per year, and the average salary at Wildlife Conservation Society is $38,473 per year.

Highest paying Denver Zoo competitors

RankCompany nameZippia scoreAverage salary
1National Audubon Society4.1$42,568
2Virginia Living Museum3.6$38,552
3Wildlife Conservation Society4.5$38,473
4Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens4.1$36,542
5Oregon Zoo3.8$35,773
6Denver Museum of Nature & Science4.2$35,231
7Indianapolis Zoo4.0$35,216
8Cheyenne Mountain Zoo3.8$34,880
9Sacramento Zoo3.9$34,855
10Fort Wayne Children's Zoo3.4$34,455
11San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance4.4$34,027
12Maymont3.7$33,953
13Stamford Museum & Nature Center3.7$33,780
14Lincoln Park Zoo4.1$30,934
15San Francisco Zoo4.2$29,747
16Phoenix Zoo3.9$29,455
17Dallas Zoo3.7$28,925
18Zoo Miami4.1$28,782
19Cincinnati Zoo4.1$28,656
20Columbus Zoo and Aquarium4.0$27,513

Recently added Denver Zoo salaries

JobLocationDate addedSalary
Journey-Level CarpenterDenver, CO06/28/2025$60,523
Environmental Services Coordinator (Custodial)Denver, CO06/26/2025$50,088
Security Coordinator-Day ShiftDenver, CO06/20/2025$54,262
Concierge-Guest Experience ExpertDenver, CO06/20/2025$39,653
Custodial Technician-Evening ShiftDenver, CO06/20/2025$39,653

Frequently asked questions about Denver Zoo salaries

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Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Denver Zoo, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Denver Zoo. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Denver Zoo. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Denver Zoo. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Denver Zoo and its employees or that of Zippia.

Denver Zoo may also be known as or be related to DENVER ZOOLOGICAL FOUNDATION, Denver Zoo, Denver Zoological Foundation, Denver Zoological Foundation Inc and Denver Zoological Foundation, Inc.