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The differences between animal care technicians and veterinary technician assistants 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 veterinary technician assistant takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a veterinary technician assistant has an average salary of $39,025, 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 veterinary technician assistant are patients, PET, and patient care.
| Animal Care Technician | Veterinary Technician Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $29,617 | $39,025 |
| Hourly rate | $14.24 | $18.76 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 20% |
| Number of jobs | 96,973 | 35,338 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 12 |
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 veterinary technician assistant is primarily in charge of performing support tasks in a veterinary hospital or clinic. Their responsibilities include administering medication to animals in adherence to the veterinarian's directives and performing basic care tasks such as feeding, bathing, and walking animals. They may also clean cages, sterilize equipment, prepare and process documents, and answer calls and inquiries. Furthermore, as a veterinary technician assistant, it is essential to monitor the behavior of animals, reporting to the veterinarian or technician should there be any problems.
Animal care technicians and veterinary technician assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Animal Care Technician | Veterinary Technician Assistant | |
| Average salary | $29,617 | $39,025 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $40,000 | Between $30,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | Bakersfield, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Emory University | University of Wisconsin System |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an animal care technician and a veterinary technician assistant in terms of educational background:
| Animal Care Technician | Veterinary Technician Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Biology | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | New York University | Ohio State University |
Here are the differences between animal care technicians' and veterinary technician assistants' demographics:
| Animal Care Technician | Veterinary Technician Assistant | |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.1% Female, 68.9% | Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2% |
| 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, 2.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 2.1% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |