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The differences between animal caregivers and animal attendants 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 caregiver and an animal attendant. Additionally, an animal caregiver has an average salary of $27,665, which is higher than the $26,394 average annual salary of an animal attendant.
The top three skills for an animal caregiver include pigs, PET and animal handling. The most important skills for an animal attendant are PET, patients, and animal handling.
| Animal Caregiver | Animal Attendant | |
| Yearly salary | $27,665 | $26,394 |
| Hourly rate | $13.30 | $12.69 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 57,251 | 53,000 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Years of experience | 3 | 3 |
An animal caretaker is primarily in charge of the welfare and safety of animals in a particular area. They may work at veterinary shops and clinics, private institutions, kennels, animal shelters, and even zoos. Although their responsibilities vary on the animals and their place of employment, it typically includes feeding, bathing, grooming, exercising, and petting. There are also instances where they must clean and sanitize cages, prepare meals, administer vitamins and medication, and monitor their behavior.
An animal attendant is responsible for administering high-quality care for the animals in a shelter, clinic, or wildlife preserve. Animal attendants monitor the health conditions of the animals, manage their food intake and medications, maintain the adequacy of animal stock inventories, and report any critical findings and unusual observations to the veterinarians. They also ensure the cleanliness and orderliness of all the facilities and cages, as well as the efficiency of tools and equipment to support daily animal operations.
Animal caregivers and animal attendants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Animal Caregiver | Animal Attendant | |
| Average salary | $27,665 | $26,394 |
| Salary range | Between $20,000 And $36,000 | Between $20,000 And $34,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Ithaca, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Baylor College of Medicine |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between an animal caregiver and an animal attendant in terms of educational background:
| Animal Caregiver | Animal Attendant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Ohio State University |
Here are the differences between animal caregivers' and animal attendants' demographics:
| Animal Caregiver | Animal Attendant | |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5% | Male, 29.2% Female, 70.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 2.8% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |