Zoos and Botanical Gardens — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the zoos and botanical gardens industry earns $41,865 per year ($20.13/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Zoos and Botanical Gardens Workers Earn?
At $41,865/year (equivalent to $20.13/hour for a full-time worker), zoos and botanical gardens wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.
Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.
The typical zoos and botanical gardens business employs 52 people. These are larger operations where staffing represents a major cost center and management complexity.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average zoos and botanical gardens business generating $5.3M/year with 52 employees at $41,865 each, total payroll represents roughly 41.1% of revenue. Labor is a significant cost but leaves room for other expenses and profit.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a zoos and botanical gardensbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $54,425/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 52 employees = ~$2,176,980/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $20.13/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $5.3M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Zoos and Botanical Gardens revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do zoos and botanical gardens employees make?
- The average zoos and botanical gardens employee earns $41,865 per year, which is equivalent to $20.13/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the zoos and botanical gardens industry?
- The zoos and botanical gardens industry employs 46,728 workers across 891 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 52 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).