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Image of career: Aquarist

Aquarist

Overview

Aquarists are responsible for caring for aquarium animals and maintaining their tanks.

Description

  • Prepare food and feed marine life.
  • Monitor animals’ behaviours.
  • Keep track of water quality and temperature.
  • Clean tanks and repair equipment.
  • Design exhibits and share information about aquatic animals to visitors.

Entry requirements

  • You will need minimally a Diploma in Life Sciences or similar course work in Marine Biology.

Salary

$3,400 – 4,900

/mo

Salary ranges are estimated based on public information found on Singaporean job portals, including MyCareersFuture, MySkillsFuture. Updated as of 2026.

Trivia

Smaller tanks aren't always easier to clean. At Singapore Oceanarium’s Coral Garden, rocks and corals limit space for divers, so they use surface-supplied air instead of air cylinders.

What to expect

You’ll need a scuba diving certification to care for the marine creatures and clean their environments.

Soft
skills

Problem-Solving

Capable of identifying issues and implementing their solutions in various situations.

Creative Thinking

Ability to generate innovate ideas for both animal care and exhibitions.

Attention to Detail

Meticulous in handling tanks to ensure accuracy and safety.

Animal Care

Able to ensure wellbeing and health of marine animals.

Marine Biology

Deep understanding of marine organisms and their ecosystems to support conservation efforts.

Scuba Diving

Adept at underwater diving with breathing apparatus for research and maintenance tasks.

Hard
skills

Kenneth, Aquarist
"We still keep top priority on all of the animals' well being, exhibit cleaning and maintenance."

Kenneth, Aquarist

Mothership

Frequently asked questions

There are very limited jobs for aquarists in Singapore, making it quite competitive. The main companies hiring are River Wonders and Singapore Oceanarium.

Aquarists face risks when diving into tanks with venomous marine life, but safety precautions are in place. At Singapore Oceanarium, they prevent injury by feeding jellyfish with pipettes.

While not always strictly required, diving skills can be beneficial and even necessary for certain roles. No, a scuba certification is not a strict prerequisite for entry-level roles. Aquarists do dive frequently to maintain habitats, but many organisations will provide the necessary on-the-job training to get you certified

No. While aquarists have broad knowledge of aquatic life, there are too many species to specialise in everything.

They should change the water daily to ensure it remains in good condition.