Animal behaviorist vs animal care technician

The differences between animal behaviorists and animal care technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an animal behaviorist, becoming an animal care technician takes usually requires 1-3 months. Additionally, an animal behaviorist has an average salary of $33,264, which is higher than the $29,617 average annual salary of an animal care technician.

The top three skills for an animal behaviorist include PET, customer service and . The most important skills for an animal care technician are patients, animal husbandry, and pigs.

Animal behaviorist vs animal care technician overview

	Animal Behaviorist	Animal Care Technician
Yearly salary	$33,264	$29,617
Hourly rate	$15.99	$14.24
Growth rate	8%	28%
Number of jobs	2,088	96,973
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	40	32
Years of experience	4	3

Animal behaviorist vs animal care technician salary

Animal behaviorists and animal care technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Animal Behaviorist	Animal Care Technician
Average salary	$33,264	$29,617
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $49,000	Between $21,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Emory University
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between animal behaviorist and animal care technician education

There are a few differences between an animal behaviorist and an animal care technician in terms of educational background:

	Animal Behaviorist	Animal Care Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Cornell University	New York University

Animal behaviorist vs animal care technician demographics

Here are the differences between animal behaviorists' and animal care technicians' demographics:

	Animal Behaviorist	Animal Care Technician
Average age	40	32
Gender ratio	Male, 18.2% Female, 81.8%	Male, 31.1% Female, 68.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 2.7% Hispanic or Latino, 5.9% Asian, 9.4% White, 78.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.7% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	19%	11%

Differences between animal behaviorist and animal care technician duties and responsibilities

Animal behaviorist example responsibilities.

Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
Assist veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants in providing the best care possible for patients.
Clean enclosures of several reptile and amphibian species including snakes and toads.

Animal care technician example responsibilities.

Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
Train in safety procedures for blood borne pathogens, GLP and GMP certification, and ISO standards.
Familiarize with the strains of various animal species to include rats, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs.
Interview prospective adopting families while counseling on animal welfare and responsibilities of pet owners.
Maintain knowledge of CPR procedures and evacuation procedures.
Assist with minor emergency procedures, perform CPR.

Animal behaviorist vs animal care technician skills

Common animal behaviorist skills

PET, 51%
Customer Service, 49%

Common animal care technician skills

Patients, 10%
Animal Husbandry, 9%
Pigs, 5%
Patient Care, 5%
Animal Handling, 5%
GLP, 4%

Animal Behaviorist vs. similar jobs

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Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Animal Behaviorist
Animal Behaviorist vs Animal Care Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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