How to hire a wild animal caretaker

How to hire a wild animal caretaker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step wild animal caretaker hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a wild animal caretaker job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new wild animal caretaker
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your wild animal caretaker job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a wild animal caretaker for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect wild animal caretaker also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of wild animal caretaker salaries for various roles:

   Type of Wild Animal Caretaker	Description	Hourly rate
   Wild Animal Caretaker	Animal care and service workers provide care for animals. They feed, groom, bathe, and exercise pets and other nonfarm animals... Show more	$9-17
   Pet Groomer	A pet groomer typically works with pets and other animals in pet grooming boutiques and pet stores. As a pet groomer, you will perform a few tasks that may include cleaning and taking care of pets such as dogs, maintaining the cleanliness of the work area for the next client, and working with the cash registers... Show more	$10-23
   Pet Sitter	A pet sitter is responsible for taking care of household pets while their owners are away. Pet sitters perform services for pet maintenance, including taking them to the veterinarian, monitoring their food, walk them in the park, and administer medications, if any... Show more	$4-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Animal Handling
   • Facility Laundry
   • General Care
   • Administer Medications
   • Husbandry
   • Rabbits
   • Animal Enclosures
   • Animal Shelter
   • Farm Animals
   • Adoption Process
   • Behavior Problems
   • Pigs
   • Exotic Animals
   • Scheduling Appointments

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
   • Assist with surgery and run in house blood work.
   • Assist veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants in providing the best care possible for patients.
   • Help with incoming pets as well as with the adoption of the pet by their forever home families.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your wild animal caretaker job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A wild animal caretaker salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, wild animal caretakers' average salary in tennessee is 45% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level wild animal caretakers earn 46% less than senior-level wild animal caretakers.
   • Certifications. A wild animal caretaker with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a wild animal caretaker's salary.

   Average wild animal caretaker salary

   $13.39hourly

   $27,846 yearly

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   Entry-level wild animal caretaker salary

   $20,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a wild animal caretaker job description

   A wild animal caretaker job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a wild animal caretaker job description:

   Wild animal caretaker job description example

   TITLE: Sow Farm Animal Caretaker
   
   REPORTS TO: Sow Farm Department Head
   
   PURPOSE OF POSITION: To work as a team member caring for and administering to sows and piglets to assure optimum productivity. This person will assist where needed working with animals and light facility repair and maintenance.
   
   KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
   
   Adhere to ISF bio-security policy at all times and report to management team any violation.
   Adhere to ISF animal wellbeing policy at all times and know reporting procedures when incident occurs.
   Adhere to ISF safety policies and procedures and wear appropriate safety equipment (PPE) for appropriate tasks and work in a safe manner.
   The 3 key responsibilities listed above are all tracked via audits, you play a critical role in the success of audits for the entire farm which also impacts incentive payouts.
   Care and management of animals to ensure that:
   Animals are properly fed.
   Water is available.
   Observation of all animals daily and ensuring sick animals are properly treated.
   Overall animal conditions are evaluated and maintained.
   Follow proper steps for timely euthanasia and be able to identify when it is needed.
   Care and management of facilities to ensure that:
   Fans, curtains, heaters and other equipment are working properly.
   Ventilation equipment is adjusted to provide proper environment.
   Facilities are kept clean, including power washing and disinfecting.
   Maintain accurate records using ISF forms and protocols.
   Procure, administer and dispense medications and vaccinations according to ISF protocols.
   Perform heat detection, artificial insemination and pregnancy checks.
   Monitor and assist in the farrowing process.
   Process, vaccinate and castrate piglets at appropriate times.
   Proper handling of chemicals (storage and application).
   Setting litters to ISF protocols.
   Wean pigs according to farm protocols.
   Follow dead removal protocols and ensure safety and biosecurity procedures are being followed.
   Move animals (sows, boars and piglets) using safe handling practices.
   Provide feedback to department heads and farm manager.
   Demeanor should be positive and professional at all times.
   Daily focus should be on welfare of animals, not personal issues.
   Attendance is critical. Be at work on scheduled days and be ready to walk into barns by start time given.
   Be friendly, positive, helpful, team-oriented and respectful to co-workers and management team.
   Flexibility in hours during health and staffing challenges is required.
   
   Education/ Experience: None required
   
   MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   This person must be motivated and be able to follow directions and complete tasks effectively. Thus, they must have initiative, organization, and dependability. Physical requirements include the ability to lift up to 40 pounds and to climb over gates up to 48 inches in height as well as pushing, pulling, bending and kneeling. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk and stand, use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, controls, or animals. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and talk or hear.
   
   This position requires the employee to work closely with managers, supervisors, production staff and other employees, so teamwork and effective communication skills are very important. Direct contact with animals will occur, so good stockmanship and bio-security practices must be understood and practiced at all times. The employee must be able to, with or without accommodation, work in all facilities within the requirements of this job description.
   
   #AC

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find wild animal caretakers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any wild animal caretakers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level wild animal caretakers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your wild animal caretaker job on Zippia to find and recruit wild animal caretaker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit wild animal caretakers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new wild animal caretaker

   Once you've selected the best wild animal caretaker candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new wild animal caretaker first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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