Zoo keeper vs pet care specialist

The differences between zoo keepers and pet care specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a zoo keeper and a pet care specialist. Additionally, a zoo keeper has an average salary of $33,617, which is higher than the $31,162 average annual salary of a pet care specialist.

The top three skills for a zoo keeper include animal husbandry, animal exhibits and AZA. The most important skills for a pet care specialist are PET, health issues, and customer service.

Zoo keeper vs pet care specialist overview

	Zoo Keeper	Pet Care Specialist
Yearly salary	$33,617	$31,162
Hourly rate	$16.16	$14.98
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	4,468	117,277
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	3	3

Zoo keeper vs pet care specialist salary

Zoo keepers and pet care specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Zoo Keeper	Pet Care Specialist
Average salary	$33,617	$31,162
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $49,000	Between $20,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between zoo keeper and pet care specialist education

There are a few differences between a zoo keeper and a pet care specialist in terms of educational background:

	Zoo Keeper	Pet Care Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Cornell University	Northwestern University

Zoo keeper vs pet care specialist demographics

Here are the differences between zoo keepers' and pet care specialists' demographics:

	Zoo Keeper	Pet Care Specialist
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%	Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.6% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between zoo keeper and pet care specialist duties and responsibilities

Zoo keeper example responsibilities.

Manage complicated water filtration systems, and implement nutrition plans for a variety of snake species.
Assist in producing illustrations and animation material to develop tutoring videos for math and physics.
Provide environmental enrichment for various mammal and raptor species.

Pet care specialist example responsibilities.

Achieve detailed grooming including skin, ear, nail care, coat clips and dental care.
Interact on a professional level with other pet food company representatives and honor their interaction with customers.
Handle cash and perform all transactions at customer checkout -inform customers on exceptional pet care while offering excellent customer service
Perform euthanasia once lab exercises are complete.
Complete and certify to administer euthanasia.
Assist in answering customer questions regarding grooming, scheduling grooming appointments and maintaining salon cleanliness and safety.

Zoo keeper vs pet care specialist skills

Common zoo keeper skills

Animal Husbandry, 17%
Animal Exhibits, 16%
AZA, 12%
USDA, 4%
Hoof, 4%
Animal Food, 4%

Common pet care specialist skills

PET, 64%
Health Issues, 27%
Customer Service, 3%
Work Ethic, 1%
CPR, 1%
Walkers, 0%