Wild animal caretaker demographics and statistics in the US
Wild animal caretaker demographics research summary. Zippia estimates wild animal caretaker demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our wild animal caretaker estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about wild animal caretakers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 9,136 wild animal caretakers currently employed in the United States.
- 73.8% of all wild animal caretakers are women, while 26.2% are men.
- The average wild animal caretaker age is 31 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of wild animal caretakers is White (68.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.0%), Unknown (6.5%) and Black or African American (4.3%).
- In 2022, women earned 99% of what men earned.
- 11% of all wild animal caretakers are LGBT.
- Wild animal caretakers are 54% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
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Wild animal caretaker demographics by:
Wild animal caretaker gender statistics
73.8% of wild animal caretakers are women and 26.2% of wild animal caretakers are men.
- Female, 73.8%
- Male, 26.2%
Wild animal caretaker gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 73.8% |
| Male | 26.2% |
Wild animal caretaker gender pay gap
Women earn 99¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$28,187
Female income
$27,890
Wild animal caretaker gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in wild animal caretaker positions over time. Currently, 73.8% of wild animal caretakers are female.
Wild animal caretaker gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 25.51% | 74.49% |
| 2011 | 28.33% | 71.67% |
| 2012 | 31.08% | 68.92% |
| 2013 | 27.19% | 72.81% |
| 2014 | 29.16% | 70.84% |
| 2015 | 29.32% | 70.68% |
| 2016 | 28.99% | 71.01% |
| 2017 | 23.87% | 76.13% |
| 2018 | 26.98% | 73.02% |
| 2019 | 25.12% | 74.88% |
| 2020 | 27.08% | 72.92% |
| 2021 | 26.23% | 73.77% |
Wild animal caretaker related jobs gender ratio
We compared wild animal caretakers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, ringman and farrier have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Daycare Provider | 6% | 94% |
| Horse Show Judge | 6% | 94% |
| Pet Groomer | 14% | 86% |
| Wild Animal Caretaker | 26% | 74% |
| Farrier | 73% | 27% |
| Ringman | 88% | 13% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Wild animal caretaker demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among wild animal caretakers is White, which makes up 68.1% of all wild animal caretakers. Comparatively, 18.0% of wild animal caretakers are Hispanic or Latino and 6.5% of wild animal caretakers are Unknown.
- White, 68.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.0%
- Unknown, 6.5%
- Black or African American, 4.3%
- Asian, 2.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
Wild animal caretaker race
| Wild animal caretaker race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 68.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.0% |
| Unknown | 6.5% |
| Black or African American | 4.3% |
| Asian | 2.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
Wild animal caretaker race and ethnicity over time
See how wild animal caretaker racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Wild animal caretaker race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 77.92% | 3.99% | 1.48% | 14.42% |
| 2011 | 78.22% | 3.28% | 1.54% | 14.56% |
| 2012 | 75.71% | 3.86% | 1.65% | 15.59% |
| 2013 | 76.41% | 3.29% | 1.78% | 15.44% |
| 2014 | 75.06% | 4.49% | 2.24% | 14.76% |
| 2015 | 74.81% | 3.98% | 1.61% | 15.69% |
| 2016 | 75.60% | 3.99% | 1.76% | 15.25% |
| 2017 | 75.66% | 3.88% | 2.09% | 15.31% |
| 2018 | 73.66% | 3.81% | 2.72% | 15.94% |
| 2019 | 73.82% | 4.04% | 2.13% | 16.53% |
| 2020 | 70.22% | 3.72% | 2.52% | 17.22% |
| 2021 | 68.08% | 4.27% | 2.63% | 18.03% |
Wild animal caretaker wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino wild animal caretakers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american wild animal caretakers have the lowest average salary at $27,219.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $27,823 |
| White | $28,634 |
| Black or African American | $27,219 |
| Asian | $28,628 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $28,660 |
Average wild animal caretaker age
See how the average age of wild animal caretakers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Wild animal caretaker age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 24 | 30 |
| White | 29 | 29.5 |
| Black or African American | 38 | 25.5 |
| Asian | 38 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 33 | 27 |
Wild animal caretaker age breakdown
The average age of wild animal caretakers is 20-30 years years old, representing 45% of the wild animal caretaker population.
Wild animal caretaker age breakdown
| Wild Animal Caretaker Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 23% |
| 30-40 years | 25% |
| 20-30 years | 45% |
Wild animal caretaker educational attainment
The most common degree for wild animal caretakers is bachelor's degree, with 51% of wild animal caretakers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 27% and high school diploma degree at 15%.
- Bachelor's, 51%
- High School Diploma, 27%
- Associate, 15%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Wild animal caretakers by degree level
| Wild animal caretaker degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 51% |
| High School Diploma | 27% |
| Associate | 15% |
| Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Wild animal caretaker jobs you might like
Wild animal caretaker wage gap by degree level
According to the data, wild animal caretakers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $29,454 annually. With a Associate degree, wild animal caretakers earn a median annual income of $28,333 compared to $27,136 for wild animal caretakers with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $27,136 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $29,454 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $28,333 |
Wild animal caretaker employment statistics
Most wild animal caretakers work for a private in the non profits industry.
Company size where wild animal caretakers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where wild animal caretakers work.
Wild animal caretaker jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 15% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 21% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 36% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 12% |
| > 10,000 employees | 8% |
Wild animal caretaker jobs by company type
Employees with the wild animal caretaker job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most wild animal caretakers prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Wild animal caretaker jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 15% |
| Public | 8% |
| Private | 54% |
| Government | 23% |
Wild animal caretaker jobs by industry
The most common industries for wild animal caretakers are non profits, government and education.
Wild animal caretaker industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Non Profits | 19% |
| Government | 15% |
| Education | 11% |
| Health Care | 10% |
| Retail | 9% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Finance | 4% |
| Hospitality | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Technology | 3% |
| Internet | 2% |
| Media | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Wild animal caretaker turnover and employment statistics
Wild animal caretaker unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for wild animal caretakers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Wild animal caretaker unemployment rate by year
| Year | Wild animal caretaker unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 8.28% |
| 2011 | 9.88% |
| 2012 | 8.97% |
| 2013 | 7.70% |
| 2014 | 7.03% |
| 2015 | 6.82% |
| 2016 | 6.68% |
| 2017 | 5.67% |
| 2018 | 6.03% |
| 2019 | 5.39% |
| 2020 | 8.94% |
| 2021 | 7.82% |
Average wild animal caretaker tenure
The average wild animal caretaker stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 702 wild animal caretakers resumes in Zippia's database.
Wild animal caretaker tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 37% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Wild animal caretaker LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of wild animal caretakers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Runner | 3.67% | 15,501 |
| Racehorse Trainer | 10.68% | 20,856 |
| Wild Animal Caretaker | 10.70% | - |
| Slot Attendant | 11.36% | 45,107 |
| House Parent | 11.45% | 25,144 |
| Note Taker | 14.79% | 1,167 |
| Funeral Director | 15.24% | 5,746 |
Similar wild animal caretaker jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Runner | 3.67% | 15,501 |
| Racehorse Trainer | 10.68% | 20,856 |
| Slot Attendant | 11.36% | 45,107 |
| House Parent | 11.45% | 25,144 |
| Note Taker | 14.79% | 1,167 |
| Funeral Director | 15.24% | 5,746 |
Foreign languages spoken by wild animal caretakers
The most common foreign language among wild animal caretakers is Spanish at 68.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.0% and Dutch is the third-most popular at 8.0%.
- Spanish, 68.0%
- French, 12.0%
- Dutch, 8.0%
- Romanian, 4.0%
- Mandarin, 4.0%
- Other, 4.0%
Wild animal caretaker languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 68.0% |
| French | 12.0% |
| Dutch | 8.0% |
| Romanian | 4.0% |
| Mandarin | 4.0% |
| Other | 4.0% |
