Zookeeper salary: what the data shows
If you are looking for a single figure for the zookeeper salary in Australia, the short answer is that the official statistics do not publish one. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) does not release median weekly earnings for the six-digit occupation of zookeeper (ANZSCO 361114). The Jobs and Skills Australia profile for zookeepers also lists median weekly earnings as not available. This is because the sample size is too small to produce a reliable estimate. There are about 1,500 zookeepers employed in Australia, according to the 2021 Census, and 63% work full-time. The average full-time hours are 40 per week, slightly below the all-occupations average of 44 hours. The median age is 31, and 64% of zookeepers are female.
How to read the pay as a year, week, and hour
Even without a published median, you can still compare the role to the national benchmarks. The site’s line is the national full-time adult ordinary-time average from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026: $2,083.70 per week, or about $108,352 per year when multiplied by 52. That figure is the average for all full-time adult employees, not the median. The full-time median across all occupations is lower, at about $90,532 per year. The all-employees median (including part-time and casual) is about $74,100 per year.
For a zookeeper, the actual pay will depend on the employer, location, experience, and the applicable award. The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week on a 38-hour week, which works out to about $52,255 per year. Award-covered zookeepers are likely to earn more than the minimum, under the Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award. That award sets minimum rates for different classifications, and those rates rose by 4.75% from 1 July 2026.
Where zookeeper pay sits against the national average
Because the ABS does not provide a median for zookeepers, we cannot say exactly where the role sits relative to the national full-time average. However, we can note that the occupation has a younger workforce (median age 31) and a high proportion of women (64%). Occupations with these characteristics sometimes have lower median earnings than the all-occupations average, but that is not a rule. The best approach is to look at the award rates for the relevant classification level. For example, a Level 1 employee under the Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award from 1 July 2026 would have a minimum hourly rate of around $26.44 (the national minimum) but higher levels would be more. A full-time zookeeper working 40 hours per week at a typical award rate might earn between $55,000 and $70,000 per year, but this is an estimate and not an official figure.
State and territory comparisons
The national full-time average varies by state and territory. For example, the full-time average in New South Wales is about $109,658 per year, in Victoria about $106,137, in Queensland about $106,064, in South Australia about $102,450, in Western Australia about $115,825, in Tasmania about $96,008, in the Northern Territory about $103,173, and in the Australian Capital Territory about $119,090. These are averages for all full-time adult employees, not specific to zookeepers. If you are a zookeeper in a state with a higher overall average, your pay may still be influenced by local labour market conditions, but the award rates are national.
Tax on a zookeeper salary
Once you have an estimate of your annual salary, you can work out the tax using the 2026–27 resident tax rates. The tax-free threshold is $18,200. Then 15% applies to income from $18,201 to $45,000, 30% from $45,001 to $135,000, 37% from $135,001 to $190,000, and 45% above $190,000. The Medicare levy is 2% of taxable income, though some people may be eligible for reductions. For example, on a salary of $60,000, the tax would be about $9,867 plus the Medicare levy of $1,200, leaving about $48,933 after tax. On $70,000, tax would be about $12,867 plus $1,400 Medicare levy, leaving about $55,733.
Where to find more information
For more details on how salaries are measured, see How the figures are set. To compare your salary to the national line, use Place a salary on the line. You can also explore Job medians for other occupations or States and territories for regional averages.
Summary
The zookeeper salary is not published as a median by the ABS, so a precise figure is unavailable. The best reference points are the national full-time average of $2,083.70 per week, the all-employees median of about $74,100 per year, and the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour. If you are a zookeeper, your actual pay will depend on your award classification, experience, and hours worked. Always check your award or employment agreement for the correct rate.