Animal caregiver vs animal care technician

The differences between animal caregivers and animal care technicians 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 care technician. Additionally, an animal care technician has an average salary of $29,617, which is higher than the $27,665 average annual salary of an animal caregiver.

The top three skills for an animal caregiver include pigs, PET and animal handling. The most important skills for an animal care technician are patients, animal husbandry, and pigs.

Animal caregiver vs animal care technician overview

	Animal Caregiver	Animal Care Technician
Yearly salary	$27,665	$29,617
Hourly rate	$13.30	$14.24
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	57,251	96,973
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	3	3

What does an animal caregiver do?

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.

What does an animal care technician do?

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.

Animal caregiver vs animal care technician salary

Animal caregivers and animal care technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Animal Caregiver	Animal Care Technician
Average salary	$27,665	$29,617
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $36,000	Between $21,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Emory University
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between animal caregiver and animal care technician education

There are a few differences between an animal caregiver and an animal care technician in terms of educational background:

	Animal Caregiver	Animal Care Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Stanford University	New York University

Animal caregiver vs animal care technician demographics

Here are the differences between animal caregivers' and animal care technicians' demographics:

	Animal Caregiver	Animal Care Technician
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5%	Male, 31.1% Female, 68.9%
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, 4.3% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.7% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between animal caregiver and animal care technician duties and responsibilities

Animal caregiver example responsibilities.

Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
Educate pet owners about illnesses, medications, and general care, and answer their questions and concerns.
Walk all dogs, and occasionally strange animals such as pigs.
Create neighborhood service providing in-home pet care including; leash walks, off leash socials, and cat care.
Assist veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants in providing the best care possible for patients.
Provide routine grooming including brushing and clipping claws.

Animal care technician example responsibilities.

Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
Train in safety procedures for blood borne pathogens, GLP and GMP certification, and ISO standards.
Familiarize with the strains of various animal species to include rats, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs.
Interview prospective adopting families while counseling on animal welfare and responsibilities of pet owners.
Maintain knowledge of CPR procedures and evacuation procedures.
Assist with minor emergency procedures, perform CPR.

Animal caregiver vs animal care technician skills

Common animal caregiver skills

Pigs, 51%
PET, 19%
Animal Handling, 5%
Animal Shelter, 3%
General Care, 3%
Facility Laundry, 2%

Common animal care technician skills

Patients, 10%
Animal Husbandry, 9%
Pigs, 5%
Patient Care, 5%
Animal Handling, 5%
GLP, 4%

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Animal Caregiver
Animal Caregiver vs Animal Care Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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