Zoo section leader
Also called senior keeper, section leader, head of section
Zoo section leaders are responsible for managing and leading a team of zoo keepers. They will carry out daily care and management of animals as well as, in cooperation with colleagues, long term management and organisation of the species and exhibits in their section. They are also accountable for various aspects of staff management for the keepers in their section. Depending on the size of the zoo and animal section they may have additional responsibility for appointing staff and budgeting.
What you'd do
Pet groomers and animal care workers · ILO- Bathing and feeding animals
- Leading or carrying animals to treatment room and holding them during treatment
- Cleaning and sterilising veterinary surgical instruments
- Labelling drugs, chemicals and other pharmaceutical preparations and replenishing stock
- Sterilising bottles, beakers and other equipment
- Cleaning, organizing, and disinfecting animal quarters such as pens, stables, cages and yards, and animal equipment such as saddles and bridles
- Collecting and recording animal information such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given and food intake
- Training animals to develop and maintain desired behaviours for competition, entertainment, obedience, security, riding and other activities
- Grooming animals by performing tasks such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails and cleaning ears
- Indoors and outdoors
- On your feet most of the day
- Constant contact with people, including the public
- Some freedom to decide
- Usually 40 hours a week
- Deadlines now and then
- Some repetitive tasks
Will there be jobs?
Average prospectsA typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.
Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.
What does it pay?
Below averagePay depends a lot on the country: from about €900 a month (Bulgaria) to €3,900 (Denmark), before tax.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.
Among service and sales workers in the EU, women earn 3% less per hour than men. Service and sales workers · Eurostat
What do I need to study?
Upper secondary or vocationalUpper secondary or vocational training in veterinary is the usual route.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.
Will AI change it?
Very littleAI could help with only small parts of the tasks.
Average task score 0.14 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).
See the score for each of the 9 tasks
Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for pet groomers and animal care workers. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).