Animal care
Animal caretaker / aquarium care pathway
Feed and care for animals, monitor their condition and maintain their environments.
BLS · May 2025
EDUCATION & ENTRY
Practical animal-care training
Aquarium work is one specialized route within a broad occupation. Aquarist employers may require additional science, diving or experience; occupation-wide wages are not aquarium-specific.
The state’s typical entry education classification is “Less than high school.” This describes the occupation broadly; employers, programs and licensing bodies set specific requirements.
CONNECT THE CAREER TO A PLACE TO LEARN
Oregon training options
These are related routes to investigate. Confirm the full preparation, current admissions and eligibility for your intended role with the provider.
Oregon Coast Community College
Aquarium Science
The aquarium program combines aquatic-animal care, water quality and life-support systems. The AAS differs from the one-year certificate and the separate WOU bachelor's partnership.
Ask: Which preparation, timetable and complete budget apply to my Aquarium Science plan?
Program page reviewed September 15, 2026
Take this question to a counselor.
Would I enjoy daily animal care, cleaning, observation and irregular schedules?
Before choosing a program, ask for prerequisites, the complete timeline, class and placement schedules, and a full cost estimate including supplies, exams, travel and living expenses.
Build a working cost estimate →Understand the numbers.
The median is the midpoint of estimated wages for Oregon workers in this occupation. The hourly median is $17.59. These figures describe workers across experience levels; they are not starting pay or the earnings of graduates from the programs below.
Oregon projects employment moving from 5,726 jobs in 2024 to 6,587 in 2034. The projected 11,199 openings over the decade include growth and replacement needs as workers leave an occupation. Dividing that total by ten gives the rounded annual average shown above. These are projections, not today’s vacancies.
How to read wage information →