← Career directory · Personal care and service
Animal Caretakers
Feeds, cares for and trains animals in zoos, shelters and kennels.
Read the full guide
Animal caretakers feed and clean up after animals, watch their health, and keep them active. Zookeepers also design enrichment and teach visitors; dog trainers and groomers often run their own businesses.
Open the zookeeper or animal caretaker guide
The guide checks the courses against your plan, with things to try each year. Free account needed.
High school courses that build toward it
- English 10 · English
Builds reading and writing, which this job uses.
- Physical Education · Health and PE
Builds working with customers and clients, which this job uses.
- Child Development · Career and Technical
Builds teaching and training, which this job uses.
- Pre-Algebra · Math
Builds math, which this job uses.
- Chemistry · Science
Builds chemistry, which this job uses.
- Computer Science Principles · Computer Science
Builds computers and electronics, which this job uses.
Ranked by how much the job relies on what each course teaches, from O*NET's knowledge ratings. Your school's own courses and the counselor have the final word.
Animal Caretakers on O*NET OnLine · O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections 2025.