動物園飼育員 動物園飼育員
What 動物園飼育員 do
An English description is being prepared. Japanese description:
具体的には、担当する動物の毛のつや、動き、におい、餌の食べ残しや糞の状態を観察し、健康状態をチェックすることや、運動場に出して動物舎を掃除すること、動物の生育段階や健康状態に合わせて、飼料の配合・調理を行い、餌をつくることなどが業務である。なお、あらかじめ栄養を考えて調合された固形飼料（ペレット）が普及し、餌づくりの作業が簡単になっている。餌は夕方に与えることが多いが、朝夕２回与える動物もいる。
また、動物舎の修理をしたり、病気の治療や予防接種を獣医と一緒に行ったりするのも重要な業務である。午後３時過ぎには、餌を動物舎に置いて動物を入れ、運動場を掃除する。１日の終わりには飼育日誌を書き、特に体調の異常などは細かく記録する。
最近では、絶滅の危機に直面している「希少（きしょう）動物」を上手に繁殖させて、種の保存に努めるという役割も大きくなっている。また、動物が持つ野生本来の行動を引き出すことのできるような飼育環境を整える取組（環境エンリッチメント）も飼育員の大切な仕事になっている。更に来園者を増やすため、イベントを開催したり、動物本来の生態を見せる「行動展示」など様々な方法で展示したり、人気の高い動物や希少動物を前面に打ち出して動物園の特徴をPRするなど様々な企画・運営も行っている。
Employment type of workers
動物園飼育員 salary
The average annual pay for 動物園飼育員 in Japan is ¥3.61M (≈ $22,941; Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2025), national). The estimated median is ¥3.35M, the typical range is ¥2.60M–¥5.88M and the top 10% earn about ¥5.12M.
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The distribution is estimated from Japan's national wage statistics, including pay differences by age.
Pay by ageest.
Estimated from the average pay and average age (49.1) using the age-wage curve of the Basic Survey on Wage Structure.
Pay by experienceest.
Pay by employment typeest.
The average hourly wage of ¥1,708 is 1.5× Japan's national average minimum wage of ¥1,177 (fiscal 2026). Minimum wage by prefecture →
Japanese pay is shown in yen (¥5.57M = 5.57 million yen ≈ 557万円). Dollar figures use the current rate of 157.25 yen per dollar and are for reference only; purchasing power differs.
Pay over time
| Year | Average pay | Employment | Openings ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ¥3.44M | — | — |
| 2022 | ¥3.61M | — | — |
| 2023 | ¥3.74M | — | 1.08x |
| 2024 | ¥3.52M | — | 1.01x |
| 2025 | ¥3.61M | — | 0.94x |
Projected pay for 動物園飼育員 (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today ¥3.61M → in 3 years ¥3.92M → in 5 years ¥4.14M → in 10 years ¥4.76M (10-year range ¥4.09M–¥5.52M). The model assumes pay growth of +2.8% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (the job-openings-to-applicants ratio), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for 動物園飼育員
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace 動物園飼育員? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using the MHLW job tag survey on work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for 動物園飼育員
A ratio above 1.0 means there are more job openings than applicants (a labor shortage). The 5- and 10-year figures are estimates from the openings ratio, wage momentum and AI replacement risk.
The same job in the United States
| 動物園飼育員 Japan | Animal Caretakers United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | ¥3.61M ≈ $22,941 | $35,360 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | ¥4.76M | $49,900 |
| Outlook score | 53 | 65 |
| AI replacement risk | 4% Very low | 27% Low |
| Workers | — | 267K |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for 動物園飼育員
Key skills
Skill levels from the MHLW job tag worker survey.
Key knowledge areas
Licenses and certifications (Japan)
No specific license or certification is required.
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience, licenses)
How to become 動物園飼育員
The typical path in Japan is shown by the education, training and experience of current workers above and in the Japanese guidance below. A detailed English guide for this occupation is being prepared.
Guidance from job tag (Japanese)
公営の動物園の場合は、地方自治体の人事部局が採用試験を行っている。地方公務員採用試験で採用する場合と、動物園飼育職員募集として別に試験を行う場合がある。民営や自治体から委託を受けた法人の場合は、独自に採用試験を行っている。いずれの場合も定期採用を行うことは少なく、欠員が生じた場合に募集を行うことが多い。
動物に対する愛情、異常や変化を見逃さない注意力や観察力が必要である。また、地球環境の変化により、多くの動物が絶滅の危機にある現在、絶滅危惧種の保存において動物園が果たす役割は大きく、その役割への使命感も求められる。
Career path and how to earn more as 動物園飼育員
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by experience is shown in the Pay section.