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The differences between animal care technicians and bathers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both an animal care technician and a bather. Additionally, a bather has an average salary of $31,051, which is higher than the $29,617 average annual salary of an animal care technician.
The top three skills for an animal care technician include patients, animal husbandry and pigs. The most important skills for a bather are PET, check-in, and customer satisfaction.
| Animal Care Technician | Bather | |
| Yearly salary | $29,617 | $31,051 |
| Hourly rate | $14.24 | $14.93 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 96,973 | 56,255 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | High School Diploma, 48% |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
An animal care technician is an animal medical professional who is responsible for providing care to animals in the clinical or research setting. Animal care technicians take blood or stool samples from animals and run laboratory tests to determine the cause of an ailment. They often take charge of bathing and grooming animals as well as administer anesthesia before procedures. Animal care technicians are also required to speak to the pet's owners to help them understand the diagnosis and administer medication.
A bather typically works at veterinary clinics and pet grooming establishments where they are primarily in charge of bathing animals, particularly cats and dogs. They are responsible for ensuring that the animals are comfortable with the water temperature, using particular soap and shampoo, drying fur, and adhering to the pet owner's other requests. They may also cut toenails, comb and brush coat, and administer particular products when necessary. Moreover, as a bather, it is essential to be proactive in dealing with issues and temperamental pets.
Animal care technicians and bathers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Animal Care Technician | Bather | |
| Average salary | $29,617 | $31,051 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $40,000 | Between $22,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | - |
| Best paying company | Emory University | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between an animal care technician and a bather in terms of educational background:
| Animal Care Technician | Bather | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | High School Diploma, 48% |
| Most common major | Biology | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | New York University | Vermont Technical College |
Here are the differences between animal care technicians' and bathers' demographics:
| Animal Care Technician | Bather | |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.1% Female, 68.9% | Male, 14.2% Female, 85.8% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |