What is an animal care technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Chase Runyan

An animal care technician ensures the health and well-being of animals in various settings, such as shelters, zoos, and research facilities. Their duties include feeding, bathing, exercising, and monitoring animals. They also clean and maintain the animals' living areas and provide enrichment activities. Animal care technicians may administer medication and assist with procedures. They must have knowledge of animal behavior and recognize signs of illness or distress. Their essential skills include communication and compassion for animals.

What's a day at work look like for an animal care technician?

Dr. Chase Runyan

Associate Professor, Department Chair, Director of MIR/Research Scientist, Angelo State University

Because agriculture industries are so diverse in their nature, it is nearly impossible to gauge what a work day might look like.

ScoreAnimal Care TechnicianUS Average

Salary

2.3

Avg. Salary $29,617

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.7

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.45%

Asian 2.65%

Black or African American 4.35%

Hispanic or Latino 18.51%

Unknown 6.30%

White 67.75%

Gender

female 68.94%

male 31.06%

Age - 29

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 29

Stress level

6.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an animal care technician?

Pros

Opportunities for career advancement within animal care and related fields
Interacting with fellow animal lovers and passionate professionals
Ability to work outdoors and be physically active
Rewarding experience of seeing animals thrive under your care
Opportunity to educate the public about responsible pet ownership and animal welfare

Cons

Physically demanding work, including lifting heavy objects and cleaning up animal waste
Working in high-stress environments, such as during natural disasters or emergencies
Potential for minimal pay or limited benefits in some positions
Working long hours, including holidays and weekends
Limited opportunities for upward mobility or salary growth in some organizations

Key steps to become an animal care technician

Explore animal care technician education requirements

Most common animal care technician degrees

Bachelor's

45.2 %

High School Diploma

22.3 %

Associate

20.6 %

Start to develop specific animal care technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	10.17%
Animal Husbandry	8.63%
Pigs	5.40%
Patient Care	5.03%
Animal Handling	5.01%

Complete relevant animal care technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New animal care technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an animal care technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real animal care technician resumes.

Research animal care technician duties and 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.

Prepare your animal care technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your animal care technician resume.

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