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Taxidermists


Overview

Taxidermists

Introduction

Taxidermists preserve and prepare animal skins and parts to create lifelike animal replicas. Taxidermists prepare the underpadding and mounting to which the skin will be attached, model the structure to resemble the animal's body, and then attach appropriate coverings, such as skin, fur, or feathers. They may add details, such as eyes or teeth, to make a more realistic representation. The animals they mount or stuff may be for private or public display. Museums frequently display creations from taxidermists to exhibit rare, exotic, ...

Quick Facts


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Median Salary

$44,756

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Employment Prospects

Fair

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Minimum Education Level

Some Postsecondary Training
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Experience

Apprenticeship or other experience required


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Skills

Business Management
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Personality Traits

Artistic
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Earnings

A taxidermist's level of experience, certification, speed, and quality of work are all factors that significantly affect income. Most taxidermists will charge by the inch or the weight of the animal. Fees can range from $100 to $2,500, depending on the size of the animal and the style of the mount. Difficult mounts or unusual background accessories may add significantly to the final price. For ...

Work Environment

Most taxidermists work 40 hours a week, although overtime is not uncommon during certain times of the year. Taxidermists with their own shops may have to work long hours, especially when first starting out. They often work with strong chemicals, glues, hand and power tools, and possibly diseased animals. They can sit or stand if working on smaller animals. However, creating larger mammal displa...

Outlook

The job outlook for taxidermists should be good over the next decade. There may be a slight slowdown in work into 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. On the other hand, more people may have spare time to hunt as well as the spare income to hire taxidermists to preserve their trophies. Although jobs in museums may be scarce, the demand for hunting and fishing trophies continues to provide work...