Does Brookfield Zoo Chicago pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Brookfield Zoo Chicago employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.0 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. This rating has improved by 6% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Brookfield Zoo Chicago?

59% of Brookfield Zoo Chicago employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Brookfield Zoo Chicago 3.5 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.5 for culture and values and 2.8 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Brookfield Zoo Chicago?

Admissions Associate (10) , Guest Services (4) , Merchandise Associate (4) , Food Service Worker (3) , Park Safety Officer (3) , Seasonal Animal Care Specialist (3) , Banquet Server (2) , Cashier (2) , Customer Service Associate (2) , Director (2) , Food Service Associate (2) , Guest Service Representative (2) , Marketing (2) , Seasonal Zookeeper (2) , Zoo Keeper (2)

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

"The people are work with are great and I am fairly compensated." ((in 13 reviews)); "Good coworkers." ((in 8 reviews)); "Good benefits" ((in 7 reviews)); "Friendly staff" ((in 3 reviews)); "Friendly work environment and people." ((in 3 reviews))

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

"Low pay." ((in 11 reviews)); "Rude, ineffective management that chafes against the values the institution claims to espouse." ((in 10 reviews)); "Long hours" ((in 6 reviews)); "I had a great manager , strong leader that was very set in his ways but empowered his staff and i had a bad manager that had no leadership experience who said do what you think is right but would use it against you if you didn't do things the way she would and if she didn't have experience in a subject she would try to sound knowledgeable and get upset if anyone corrected her inaccuracies." ((in 5 reviews)); "Upper Management seems to be a bit hypocritical in there actions." ((in 5 reviews))

What are employees saying about Brookfield Zoo Chicago layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Brookfield Zoo Chicago layoffs and their outlook for job security at Brookfield Zoo Chicago in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Brookfield Zoo Chicago locations?

Brookfield , Chicago , Berwyn , Lyons , Oak Lawn , Oak Park , Wheaton , Stickney

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Brookfield Zoo Chicago

Brookfield Zoo Chicago reviews

3.6

59% would recommend to a friend

(135 total reviews)

Dr. Michael Adkesson

35% approve of CEO

42% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

3.8

Diversity & inclusion

3.5

Culture & values

3.5

Work/Life balance

3.0

Compensation and benefits

2.9

Senior management

2.8

Career opportunities

Brookfield Zoo Chicago has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 135 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Brookfield Zoo Chicago employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation industry (3.9 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

135 reviews

2.0

Feb 23, 2023

Amazing Coworkers, Poor Leadership

Seasonal animal care specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Most employees are kind and welcoming Great animal care Some new responsibility opportunities

Cons

Poor pay Horrible culture around entry level positions and required "grateful" attitude Supervisory promise of opening higher paid positions Over reliance on seasonal employees Guilt driven expectation to accept all overtime offers Very understaffed Poor HR management of budget and any paperwork Union dues/payments with very poor to no benefits for seasonal employees After a second season, the likelihood of being rehired is zero to none

5.0

Feb 6, 2023

Great Place to Work

Anonymous

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The people at Brookfield Zoo are very dedicated and talented, cooperative and hard-working. A joy to work with. They have a purposeful mission, so your work is making a difference. Leadership looks out for the staff and focuses on communicating and being transparent, with a focus on the animals, programs, and zoo experience for guests. They have events for their staff and a week dedicated to showing employee appreciation every year (in addition to every day). A very special, unique place to work.

Cons

Organization runs lean, so you have to be willing to work hard. No day is ever boring.

3.0

Dec 16, 2022

Okay

Admissions associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Easy especially when people aren't there

Cons

Management is patronizing a lot of the time

Viewing 34 - 36 of 135 Reviews

Jobs at Brookfield Zoo Chicago

Director of Guest Experience & Revenue

Life Support - Craftsworker (Aide)

Director, Learning & Development

Primates - Animal Care Specialist (Seasonal)

Admissions - Section Supervisor (Seasonal)

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Brookfield Zoo Chicago

Brookfield Zoo Chicago reviews

Ratings by category

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Amazing Coworkers, Poor Leadership

Great Place to Work

Okay

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