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The differences between animal care technicians and dog walkers 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 dog walker. Additionally, a dog walker has an average salary of $30,893, 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 dog walker are PET, walkers, and clients homes.
| Animal Care Technician | Dog Walker | |
| Yearly salary | $29,617 | $30,893 |
| Hourly rate | $14.24 | $14.85 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 96,973 | 5,474 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| 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 dog walker provides dog walking services to pet owners at scheduled times, ensuring their safety. They first meet with pet owners to discuss their preferred schedule and use this opportunity to learn more about the dog and understand its needs. There are instances where a dog walker may walk multiple dogs, consider weather conditions, pick-up and dispose of waste properly, and feed dogs with water or food. Moreover, a dog walker regularly updates pet owners with the duration or location of walks, including the dog's behavior.
Animal care technicians and dog walkers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Animal Care Technician | Dog Walker | |
| Average salary | $29,617 | $30,893 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $40,000 | Between $21,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Emory University | CARE |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between an animal care technician and a dog walker in terms of educational background:
| Animal Care Technician | Dog Walker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Biology | Psychology |
| Most common college | New York University | University of Massachusetts Amherst |
Here are the differences between animal care technicians' and dog walkers' demographics:
| Animal Care Technician | Dog Walker | |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.1% Female, 68.9% | Male, 29.2% Female, 70.8% |
| 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, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 2.6% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |