Does Chester Zoo pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Chester Zoo employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.9 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Chester Zoo. This rating has decreased by 15% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Chester Zoo?

63% of Chester Zoo employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Chester Zoo 3.4 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.6 for culture and values and 3.2 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Chester Zoo?

Food and Beverage Assistant (16) , Catering Assistant (7) , Retail Assistant (5) , Retail Artist (3) , Guest Experience (2) , Guest Experience Assistant (2) , Zoo Keeper (2)

What are the pros of working at Chester Zoo according to real employee reviews?

"Pay is good" ((in 8 reviews)); "Really friendly team, great palce to work" ((in 6 reviews)); "Friendly Staff and Customers" ((in 5 reviews)); "Free tickets when leave" ((in 4 reviews)); "Full of lovely people" ((in 4 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Chester Zoo according to real employee reviews?

"sometimes hours are long, which can impact on social/ family life" ((in 4 reviews)); "would start at 8.30 and get a 30 min break around 10.30/11 then work right through until 5" ((in 4 reviews)); "•Communication between different departments and managers can make the job more difficult than it needs to be" ((in 3 reviews)); "Long days during the summer, customers will be rude about not seeing a certain animal, the usual." ((in 3 reviews)); "You have to work during peak periods which means long hours and getting holidays is difficult." ((in 3 reviews))

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Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo Reviews

3.5

63% would recommend to a friend

(71 total reviews)

Jamie Christon

86% approve of CEO

44% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.6

Culture and values

3.4

Diversity and inclusion

3.4

Work/Life balance

3.3

Senior management

3.2

Career opportunities

2.9

Compensation and benefits

Chester Zoo has an employee rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, based on 71 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Chester Zoo employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Arts, entertainment and recreation industry (3.9 stars).

Reviews by job title

71 reviews

4.0

13 Apr 2026

General Review

It support assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Lots of non-financial benefits like free tickets / memberships

Cons

Wages can be on the lower end due to it being a charity

3.0

25 Feb 2026

Good for temporary job

Food and beverage assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

Shift flexibility and walking through the Zoo

Cons

Not enough notice between shifts (less than 24 hours)

5.0

18 Jan 2026

Brilliant

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business outlook

Pros

great place to work, nice people

Cons

nothing wrong with working here apart from maybe the pay but it is a charity

Viewing 1 - 3 of 71 Reviews

Jobs at Chester Zoo

Food & Beverage Assistant

Food & Beverage Assistant - Events

Food & Beverage Assistant