Animal handler vs animal care technician

The differences between animal handlers 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 handler and an animal care technician. Additionally, an animal care technician has an average salary of $29,617, which is higher than the $27,820 average annual salary of an animal handler.

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

Animal handler vs animal care technician overview

	Animal Handler	Animal Care Technician
Yearly salary	$27,820	$29,617
Hourly rate	$13.38	$14.24
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	28,040	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

Animal handler vs animal care technician salary

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

	Animal Handler	Animal Care Technician
Average salary	$27,820	$29,617
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $40,000	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 handler and animal care technician education

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

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

Animal handler vs animal care technician demographics

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

	Animal Handler	Animal Care Technician
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 38.8% Female, 61.2%	Male, 31.1% Female, 68.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.4% 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 handler and animal care technician duties and responsibilities

Animal handler example responsibilities.

Handle, dogs pigs, donkey, and horses.
Assist veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants in providing the best care possible for patients.
Provide environmental enrichment for various mammal and raptor species.

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 handler vs animal care technician skills

Common animal handler skills

Animal Handling, 55%
Goats, 13%
Animal Species, 8%
Exotic Animals, 4%
Zoo Animals, 3%
Animal Welfare, 3%

Common animal care technician skills

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

Animal Handler vs. similar jobs

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Animal Handler
Animal Handler vs Animal Care Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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