The mission of the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) is to create meaningful connections between people, animals and the natural world so all can thrive. The vision of the DZS is to be a force for positive change in a world where animals and nature are valued, understood and protected by all people. The DZS operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center.
Executive compensation, broken down
Form 990 · Schedule J · 12 reported individuals · Filing year 2023
| Base salary | Bonus | Other compensation | Benefits | Executive compensation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Executive Director/ceo director (operational) $550k $599k | |||||
VP of Development vice president $263k $286k | |||||
VP of Guest Services, Communications, and Marketing vice president $218k $237k | |||||
VP of Education vice president $207k $225k | |||||
Associate VP of Life Sciences vice president $199k $216k | |||||
VP of Human Resources vice president $182k $198k | |||||
Director of Individual Philanthropy highest compensated employee $168k $183k | |||||
VP of Life Sciences vice president $162k $176k | |||||
VP of Diversity and Community Engagement vice president $157k $171k | |||||
Chief of Staff highest compensated employee $155k $169k | |||||
Teal figures restate each filed amount in 2026 dollars.
Estimated with Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro-area CPI-U, restating filed pay into April 2026 dollars. A restatement of past pay, not current or projected pay.
Plus 49 unpaid individuals.
What Animal-Related executives earn in Michigan
Comparable animal-related organizations in Michigan pay their highest-earning executive a median of $57,549.
These are animal-related sector-wide figures, not this organization's reported pay. Based on 74 organizations across 74 filings (2022 – 2024).
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