# How to get a job working with reptiles



## Jordb543

im 17 yrs old, andon my final year of A-levels, which im currently doin history As level, and a Retail full A level in 1 year.

reptiles and animals have held my interest all my life, nothing else ever has, so i was wondering what jobs there are that involve reptiles and pay a good wage? and how to get into them?


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## Zak

Jordb543 said:


> im 17 yrs old, andon my final year of A-levels, which im currently doin history As level, and a Retail full A level in 1 year.
> 
> reptiles and animals have held my interest all my life, nothing else ever has, so i was wondering what jobs there are that involve reptiles and pay a good wage? and how to get into them?


Good wage and animals = vet, anything else isnt great money. 

In terms of getting into them it now varies some places want a degree such as certain zoos and being a vet others prefer more hands on experience such as reptile shops and smaller zoo's. Id look at whats in your local area and has reptiles and contact them asking for voluntary work, work experience or even a job, an exotic vets and reptile shops are good places to start.


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## SiUK

its hard to get a good paid job working with animals, not impossible but very hard


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## ultimate_boides

For me the only way to work with animals on some level and still earn good money is as a licnesed animal technician however there are only a select few reptile/amphibians involved if at at some time points


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## rob-stl-07

you only work with animals if you love them (im hoping to) apart from vets NONE jobs are as good pay as say a teacher


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## RussianTort55

rob-stl-07 said:


> you only work with animals if you love them (im hoping to) apart from vets NONE jobs are as good pay as say a teacher


i agree, but being an animal lover cant be the only thing, you will have to be able to care for an animal and keep it on a work level and not to get attached to the animals.


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## Herpinfested

Its hard enough getting a job with animals with crap pay.

Finished my ND in animal management at full marks in july and still without an animal job lol and i dont care about the pay

If you've got any savings how bout going on a voluntary trip to work with reps? Real gap has some ace ones

seems like the only way is to have your own business


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## ultimate_boides

PHP:


you only work with animals if you love them (im hoping to) apart from vets NONE jobs are as good pay as say a teacher

Have to disagree with that, our seniors and team leaders are taking home 50+ and as licences are bringing home between 30 and 40k anually. :Na_Na_Na_Na:

I dont think thats too bad


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## Lee N

im 17 on my final year of a levels as well. I work in a reptile shop but im currently working with the fish. For a weekends work i get about £80 which i dnt think is bad money at all and its really good fun. Hoping to get into the reptile section at some point but im quite happy with where i am atm.

The way to get good pay in a shop is being able to know about everything in the shop so u can work in many different areas, then the shop needs you so therefore they will pay you more.


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## Zak

ultimate_boides said:


> PHP:
> 
> 
> you only work with animals if you love them (im hoping to) apart from vets NONE jobs are as good pay as say a teacher
> 
> Have to disagree with that, our seniors and team leaders are taking home 50+ and as licences are bringing home between 30 and 40k anually. :Na_Na_Na_Na:
> 
> I dont think thats too bad


Excuse my ignorance but what sort of job is that?

Lee - £80 a weekend is what, £40 a day. So 5 days a week is £200, a month = £800, so a year without any holidays is £9600. Not a great wage considering i could shelf stack at Tesco and get more.


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## basky

just read this and once again pay comes into animal jobs, so ive started a new thread asking ppl what they earn so we can see if there is a massive difference and if it's worth doing something you don't like because it pays more.


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## Zak

basky said:


> worth doing something you don't like because it pays more.


Thats all down to personal preference and sacrifices your willing to make. Ive changed degrees from something that would of been very well paid to something that will get me a back ill love.


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## Storm Python

Zak said:


> Excuse my ignorance but what sort of job is that?
> 
> Lee - £80 a weekend is what, £40 a day. So 5 days a week is £200, a month = £800, so a year without any holidays is £9600. Not a great wage considering i could shelf stack at Tesco and get more.


Its the sort of wage you would expect to get as a junior zoo keeper.
Very sh#t wages for a whole lot of work.
I did it for a while.then did a herptology course.it opens up a whole new avenue for jobs if you can specialise in a perticular species


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## Zak

Im under no disillusion of how little keepers are paid, even senior keepers with minimum 5/6 years experience arent breaking the 20k mark. 

What herpetology course did you do btw?


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## ultimate_boides

I am licensed primate technician at a pharmaceuticals company.


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## basky

my friend does that, it's good pay.


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## Storm Python

Zak said:


> What herpetology course did you do btw?


I did mine whilst working a a privatly run reptile park.(now closed)
but compass do herptology courses now.
Compass Education and Training - Herpetology


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## ultimate_boides

You can have all the peices of paper you want but typically when a reptile related Job comes up you can be sure there is someone who knows more or has the experience either commercially or privatly so would be offered the job before you.

A local livefood breeder (one of the largest in the country) employes all foriegn work, Y? because they pay them peanuts. 

For me my work or being a vet is the only money in animals unless you are a shop owner/large reptile breeder or importer and exporter people such as Jerry Cole and the likes make it but id say for every half a million keepers one or two may make it into a situation where they have enough supply and demand to live happily.

I may be wrong these are just my opinions.


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## Jordb543

Loads of mymates work in places lyk tesco sainburys etc, n they all fink its crap, ill try jobs in rep shops etc see how it goes lol


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## Lee N

Zak said:


> Excuse my ignorance but what sort of job is that?
> 
> Lee - £80 a weekend is what, £40 a day. So 5 days a week is £200, a month = £800, so a year without any holidays is £9600. Not a great wage considering i could shelf stack at Tesco and get more.


For a couple of hours on saturday and sunday no i dnt think its bad. Also i do not get the 18 minimum wage stuff also if you were over 21 there is the minimum wage for that as well. I don't think its bad at all. I would rather that then be working behind some shitty old desk all day looking at a computer screen lol


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## Zak

How many hours do you work? Im fully aware of minimum wage, but its not that much £5.52 per hour for workers aged 22 and over, £4.60 for workers aged 18 to 21 and £3.40 for workers under the age of 18.

You may currently enjoy working there now but when mortages, bills and women start wanting you money, £10k a year isnt going to pay for them and also buy the nicer things in life.


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## Lee N

if i enjoy it ill do it simple as lol a girl shouldn't want you for your money so if you have a girlfriend that does that then more fool you lol. i know all the reptile guys there and they are all doing fine so its fine for me.

whats your job then zakk?


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## Zak

Im currently a full time student and in the summer ive worked numerous jobs such as a theme park ride attendent and at a childs summer activity club. 

By all means do a job you enjoy but dont fool yourself theres a good wage in there or a career. Im doing a degree, racking up a fair amount of debt and fully well know i wont pay it off for ages because ill be going into a poorly paid job ie zoo keeper.

How many of those reptile guys drive new cars? How many own a house and not rent? How many go on holiday regularly? 

In regards to a girlfriend it was just an example, living in the UK isnt cheap anymore, especially with the very consumer based mindset.


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## Lee N

none of that stuff means anything to me lol if u have a car that gets u from a to b then fine. if you have a roof over your head then fine... they go on holiday quite abit.


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## SNAKESKINSUZIE

*Working With Reptiles*

Hi, I'm lucky enough to have been working with reptiles for quite a number of years now and can confirm that you will not "get rich" in the pet trade. There are some professions that are better paid than others..eg Vet. 

We get into these jobs because we like the animals, however you quickly learn that is not quite enough. It has got to be viable commercially or it just will not work. 

Still there's alot to be said for dedication and slogging your guts out in the right field. At least you make some pretty good contacts and may get a recognition, or a lucky break.


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## Tehanu

Fair do's I just couldn't get the conclusion till then 



Zak said:


> At no point did i say *i* was after a job with alot of money, im fully aware that the job sector im looking at working in has rubbish wages but im going into it because i love it.


I didn't think you were saying you wanted a job with a lot of money at any point. 

"but im going into it because i love it"
This is the real message for everyone, anyone considering a "fun" job working with reptiles because who wouldn't want an exotic job like that has to first consider, will the personal rewards and job satisfaction outweigh the woe of being poor? lol 

Working in the area you intend to go into, you will still have many difficult days where you feel your efforts are worthless or your little free time is endlessly stolen from you for no reward and no recognition. You will feel that way sometimes despite having worked towards that job perhaps your whole life already and having gone into it knowing and accepting that it would be long and hard with no financial reward. 

Just bear that in mind!  and prepare yourself lol
Lotte***


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## 9Red

Can I just point something out quickly? All those poeple who say vets earn a ton of money - well, if you've been doing it for years and run your own practice then yes.

If you're a newly qualified vet the average wage is only 17K - not that brilliant. This is why I decided not to bother and instead went on to train to be a Uni lecturer in veterinary science. Currently doing a working scholarship at the moment in the labs to pay off my tuition fees but expect to go into lecturing at entry level next year on 19K.

For me this is the perfect career - I get to carry out the research I want (AI and reproductive technologies in snakes), work with the animals on a daily basis, and get to share my knowledge and experience with some of the brightest young people in the country - dream come true if you can handle the staffroom politics and squabbling over budgets!


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## MrsP

I would love to work full time with animals but it really doesn't pay enough, and you have to put in a lot of hours often including working weekends.

I decided I'd rather do a job that pays me well enough to really enjoy my hobby - keeping reptiles - and gives me weekends free and lots of time to enjoy my animals, so I trained as a teacher. It's got to be one of the only jobs that pays well AND gives around 13 weeks holiday a year.

True it can be incredibly stressful and you lay yourself open to abuse on a daily basis, but it's worth putting up with it I reckon.


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## BecciBoo

What about teaching about animals .... Animal Studies Lecturers/Instructors in FE collages earn the same as any other lecturer! The wage is good, the holidays are good but you do have be prepared to work hard and take a lot of abuse, most colleges will put you through your 'certificate in education' while you work.

I wouldn't say that all Jobs working with animals are rubbish wage, it really depends what you wanna do. RSPCA and the PDSA pay a pretty decent wage. Animal behaviourests, lab technititions...anything specialised pays well.

I'm currently training to be a Veterinary Nurse and I get paid £14000+ a year, and that's for 9-5 Monday-Friday, the fully qualified nurses at our place start on £23000+ a year. 

You need to decide what it is you want to do...I would suggest continuing with your studies and doing something like a National Diploma in Animal Management or a HND (Higher National Diploma) in Animal Management, both offer a exotics module and some even do an Aquatics module and a chance to complete the 'city and guilds' pet store management. Then decied what you wish to specialise in...there are now tuns of 'animal related' uni courses. And get plenty of experience...even volounteer work....it all counts and shows you are determind to get a job with animals when you come to find work. Jobs are few and far between and hundreds of people go for them...you just have to stand out.


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## philipniceguy

when i left school i worked in a petshop looking after the reptiles/stock/sales of all reptiles stuff paid rubbish took home 700 a month but that was around 7 years ago was great fun worked with all women :lol2::2thumb: was best place i ever worked but left for a job that paid 3 times as much but is soooo rubbish but then i could afford my own reptiles which is now more than i used to look after at work. just depends how much you want to work with them, but if you wanted a nice car go on dates it was useless :lol2:


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## NXSmiggy

Lee N said:


> For a couple of hours on saturday and sunday no i dnt think its bad. Also i do not get the 18 minimum wage stuff also if you were over 21 there is the minimum wage for that as well. I don't think its bad at all. I would rather that then be working behind some shitty old desk all day looking at a computer screen lol



i work for eds looking after the dwp looking at a computer screen all day and i love it. make a nice wage too . there are alot of lucrative jobs in the IT industry if you look for them and dont belve a work computeach says lol.

best thing about it is the time plan. you can be you own boss and have as much time to play with your reps all day if you want to.

apart from that the only real way to make mony apart from specialist vet is to own a pet shop and charge silly prices im afraid


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## Ally

Zak said:


> Lee - £80 a weekend is what, £40 a day. So 5 days a week is £200, a month = £800, so a year without any holidays is £9600. Not a great wage considering i could shelf stack at Tesco and get more.


I manage a reptile shop with 10 years reptile keeping experience and 12 years pet retail experience. I'd easily earn more as a low-to-mid level manager at Tesco.

I tried doing an pen-pushing job with my pets at home for a couple of years but it wasn't for me. I need to be working with them 24/7 to be a happy bunny.


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## Zak

So 12 years experience and on £30-40k?? 12 years in Tesco and you'd have been on more than that if you'd had risen through the ranks.

Anyway whys this thread been dragged up today. Was dead for 9 months?!


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## Ally

Zak said:


> So 12 years experience and on £30-40k??


I'd be so lucky.


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## Zak

Store manager is 40K and id deem that a medium level manager.


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## rob-stl-07

lol i remember this thread back in feb. It's still going?!


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## Ally

Zak said:


> Store manager is 40K and id deem that a medium level manager.


Not bad - I never realised it was so well paid (I've never worked for Tesco, wouldn't have a clue!)



rob-stl-07 said:


> lol i remember this thread back in feb. It's still going?!


It happens all the time on here for some reason.


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## Zak

Aldi had a graduate programme for store managers that pays 40-50k a year and they give you an Audi A4. BT and other supermarkets also do the same, quite mad really.

Is crazy that threads resurface but ah wells.


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## rob-stl-07

its from all the searching i think...


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## Tehanu

Zak said:


> Im currently a full time student and in the summer ive worked numerous jobs such as a theme park ride attendent and at a childs summer activity club.
> 
> By all means do a job you enjoy but dont fool yourself theres a good wage in there or a career. Im doing a degree, racking up a fair amount of debt and fully well know i wont pay it off for ages because ill be going into a poorly paid job ie zoo keeper.
> 
> How many of those reptile guys drive new cars? How many own a house and not rent? How many go on holiday regularly?
> 
> In regards to a girlfriend it was just an example, living in the UK isnt cheap anymore, especially with the very consumer based mindset.


I know this is an old post of yours Zak, but I'm struggling to figure out your viewpoint? I'm not at all sure what you're saying. On one hand you're discouraging others because of the poor money on offer, on the other you're suggesting everyone should work in tescos for 40K instead? and on the other! you're saying that you fully intend to go into zookeeping knowing you'll be starting on around 14K.

Help me out here 
Lotte***


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## Zak

Saedcantas said:


> I know this is an old post of yours Zak, but I'm struggling to figure out your viewpoint? I'm not at all sure what you're saying. On one hand you're discouraging others because of the poor money on offer, on the other you're suggesting everyone should work in tescos for 40K instead? and on the other! you're saying that you fully intend to go into zookeeping knowing you'll be starting on around 14K.
> 
> Help me out here
> Lotte***





> wondering what jobs there are that involve reptiles and pay a good wage?


Was the OP. It got into the discussion of money within the reptile/animal industry. At no point did i say *i* was after a job with alot of money, im fully aware that the job sector im looking at working in has rubbish wages but im going into it because i love it.

I think some teenagers struggle to see the difference between a hobby and a job and that because X and Y shop sell snakes for £xxx its a worthwhile industry getting into. If someone wants money the reptile industry just isn't the way forward (for the majority). I wasnt telling people to get jobs in Tesco's it was simple an example of an easily attainable job that pays well and could therefore fund someones reptile hobby.

Hope that clears things up.


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## Jamz

:2thumb:


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## smokey progg

well im only 14 and i plan on going into a animal management job after collage but then after working in that industry for a while i will look into ways of going into a higher paying job i know it will be hard but hopefully i will ending up working with animals and being payed enough but im very optimistic


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## Joshuashaw

Just out of interest, any of the guys who've been in the business long enough to make a living from it, ever considered moving out to the us and maybe finding jobs over there as it's obvious the hobby is miles bigger than it is in the uk plus, there are more and more attractions around in the us which we don't have over here. I suppose it'd be a b!tch getting a visa when essentially you don't really have a trade behind your back which they value such as construction etc.


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## TomDavies147

But the difference is, your love isn't shelf stacking is it


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