Minnesota / Minnesota Zoological Garden

Agency file

Minnesota Zoological Garden

Source file: Minnesota — State Employee Payroll / ingested Jun 18, 2026

The Minnesota Zoological Garden is a government agency that delivers public services and programs within its jurisdiction.

In 2025, this agency had 487 employees with median total compensation of $46,651; the highest distinct record was $405,933.

Year: 2025
Total payroll: $21.6M
Employees: 487
Median total: $46,651
Highest record: $405,933

What the records show

Compensation analytics

These summaries compare pay within the agency before listing individual records.

Salary distribution

$389$129,641+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How 2025 total compensation is spread across the 487 employees. Each bar is a pay range; taller bars mean more people earn in that range. The amber line marks the median ($46,651) — half earn less, half more. The far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Average pay composition

Base — $42,388 (96%)
Overtime — $1,212 (3%)
Other — $716 (2%)
Benefits — $0 (0%)

What an average paycheck here is made of — base salary versus overtime, other pay (bonuses, allowances), and benefits. A large overtime or other-pay share means take-home often exceeds base salary.

Pay percentiles

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$3,509

$7,460

$46,651

$69,092

$89,050

The pay ladder for this department. Someone at the 90th percentile earns $89,050 — more than 90% of the department; the 10th percentile earns $3,509. The shaded band is the middle half of employees (25th–75th percentile).

Largest job titles

Student Worker Clerical

78 · $4,293

Zoo Keeper

66 · $59,763

Interpret Naturalist 1

51 · $10,022

Customer Services Specialist

35 · $23,323

General Maintenance Worker

19 · $25,372

The most common job titles in this department by headcount, with the median total compensation for each. Click a title to see everyone who holds it.

Trend

Year over year

How this department's total payroll, headcount, and median pay changed across the 2 published years.

Year	Total payroll	Employees	Median pay
2024	$19.6M —	500 —	$31,947 —
2025	$21.6M ▲ 10.1%	487 ▼ 2.6%	$46,651 ▲ 46.0%

Record list

Employees

Page 1

Kayla Geis

Customer Services Specialist Int/Minnesota Zoological Garden

2025 total comp

$37,512

Sub-department: Sales Box Office & Membership
Base pay: $36,440
Overtime: $1,063
Other pay: $9
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $37,512
Hire date: 2023-04-12
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 61
Union / bargaining unit: Clerical
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Dakota

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: E77
Bargaining Unit Number: 206
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Kayla Geis works as a Customer Services Specialist Int for Minnesota Zoological Garden within Sales Box Office & Membership. They have served since 2023 (about 2 years) as a full-time employee. Kayla earned $37,512 in 2025. Union affiliation: Clerical.

Catherine Schlegel

Zoo Keeper/Minnesota Zoological Garden

2025 total comp

$37,381

Sub-department: Tropics & MN Trail
Base pay: $36,605
Overtime: $776
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $37,381
Hire date: 1997-05-22
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 69
Union / bargaining unit: Technical
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Dakota

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: E77
Bargaining Unit Number: 207
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Catherine Schlegel holds the role of Zoo Keeper at Minnesota Zoological Garden within Tropics & MN Trail. Hired in 1997, they have about 28 years of service as a full-time employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $37,381. They are represented by Technical.

Heather Larock

Zoo Keeper/Minnesota Zoological Garden

2025 total comp

$36,988

Sub-department: Aquatics
Base pay: $33,979
Overtime: $2,963
Other pay: $47
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $36,988
Hire date: 2001-06-02
Employment type: Part-Time
Pay grade: 69
Union / bargaining unit: Technical
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 0.6
Work county: Dakota

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: E77
Bargaining Unit Number: 207
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Heather Larock works as a Zoo Keeper for Minnesota Zoological Garden within Aquatics. Hired in 2001, they have about 24 years of service as a part-time, 0.6 FTE employee. Heather earned $36,988 in 2025. Their bargaining unit is Technical.

Carly Standish

Interpret Naturalist Aide/Minnesota Zoological Garden

2025 total comp

$36,896

Sub-department: Farm
Base pay: $36,107
Overtime: $483
Other pay: $307
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $36,896
Hire date: 2024-05-22
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 61
Union / bargaining unit: Technical
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Dakota

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: E77
Bargaining Unit Number: 207
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Carly Standish holds the role of Interpret Naturalist Aide at Minnesota Zoological Garden within Farm. They have served since 2024 (about a year) as a full-time employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $36,896. They are represented by Technical.

Nicholas Loher

General Maintenance Worker/Minnesota Zoological Garden

2024 total comp

$36,241

Sub-department: Building Services
Base pay: $31,364
Overtime: $2,352
Other pay: $2,526
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $36,241
Hire date: 2023-10-11
Employment type: Full-Time
Pay grade: 56
Union / bargaining unit: Service
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 1
Work county: Dakota

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2024: Yes
Agency Number: E77
Bargaining Unit Number: 203
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Nicholas Loher is a General Maintenance Worker at Minnesota Zoological Garden within Building Services. They have served since 2023 (about a year), working full-time. 2024 total compensation came to $36,241. Their bargaining unit is Service.

Heather Larock

Interpret Naturalist 1/Minnesota Zoological Garden

2024 total comp

$33,309

Sub-department: Behavioral & Wellbeing
Base pay: $30,247
Overtime: $2,668
Other pay: $395
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $33,309
Hire date: 2001-06-02
Employment type: Part-Time
Pay grade: 5
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 0.5
Work county: Dakota

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2024: No
Agency Number: E77
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Heather Larock works as a Interpret Naturalist 1 for Minnesota Zoological Garden within Behavioral & Wellbeing. They have served since 2001 (about 23 years) as a part-time, 0.5 FTE employee. Heather earned $33,309 in 2024. They are represented by MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Harold Forte

Special Events Coordinator/Minnesota Zoological Garden

2025 total comp

$33,258

Sub-department: Special Events
Base pay: $33,145
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $113
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $33,258
Hire date: 2023-02-15
Employment type: Part-Time
Pay grade: 11
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 0.75
Work county: Dakota

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: E77
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Harold Forte holds the role of Special Events Coordinator at Minnesota Zoological Garden within Special Events. They have served since 2023 (about 2 years) as a part-time, 0.75 FTE employee. In 2025, their total compensation was $33,258. They are represented by MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Julie Lanz-Gonsoski

Volunteer Services Coordinator/Minnesota Zoological Garden

2025 total comp

$33,110

Sub-department: Volunteer Services
Base pay: $33,110
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $33,110
Hire date: 2008-06-02
Employment type: Part-Time
Pay grade: 6
Union / bargaining unit: MN Assoc of Professional Empl
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 0.5
Work county: Dakota

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: E77
Bargaining Unit Number: 214
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Julie Lanz-Gonsoski is a Volunteer Services Coordinator at Minnesota Zoological Garden within Volunteer Services. Hired in 2008, they have about 17 years of service, working part-time, 0.5 FTE. 2025 total compensation came to $33,110. Union affiliation: MN Assoc of Professional Empl.

Jennifer Lacey

Emergency Medical Technician/Minnesota Zoological Garden

2025 total comp

$32,779

Sub-department: Health & Security
Base pay: $32,170
Overtime: $609
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $32,779
Hire date: 1997-10-06
Employment type: Part-Time
Pay grade: 64
Union / bargaining unit: Service
Pay basis: Hourly
Full-time equivalent (FTE): 0.75
Work county: Dakota

Source-specific fields

Active on June 30, 2025: Yes
Agency Number: E77
Bargaining Unit Number: 203
Branch: Executive
Branch Code: Executive
Classified Code: Classified
Classified Status: Classified
Compensation Frequency Code: Hourly

Jennifer Lacey is a Emergency Medical Technician at Minnesota Zoological Garden within Health & Security. They have served since 1997 (about 28 years), working part-time, 0.75 FTE. 2025 total compensation came to $32,779. They are represented by Service.