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The differences between animal care technicians and technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-3 months to become an animal care technician, becoming a technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a technician has an average salary of $38,045, 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 technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Animal Care Technician | Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $29,617 | $38,045 |
| Hourly rate | $14.24 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 96,973 | 596,842 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 32 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 2 |
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.
Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.
Animal care technicians and technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Animal Care Technician | Technician | |
| Average salary | $29,617 | $38,045 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $40,000 | Between $24,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Emory University | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between an animal care technician and a technician in terms of educational background:
| Animal Care Technician | Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | New York University | - |
Here are the differences between animal care technicians' and technicians' demographics:
| Animal Care Technician | Technician | |
| Average age | 32 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.1% Female, 68.9% | Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 2% |