Animal handler vs pet care associate

The differences between animal handlers and pet care associates 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 a pet care associate. Additionally, a pet care associate has an average salary of $35,635, 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 a pet care associate are PET, customer service, and sales floor.

Animal handler vs pet care associate overview

	Animal Handler	Pet Care Associate
Yearly salary	$27,820	$35,635
Hourly rate	$13.38	$17.13
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	28,040	84,256
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	3	3

Animal handler vs pet care associate salary

Animal handlers and pet care associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Animal Handler	Pet Care Associate
Average salary	$27,820	$35,635
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	Minneapolis, MN
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Purr'n Pooch
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between animal handler and pet care associate education

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

	Animal Handler	Pet Care Associate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Northwestern University	Northwestern University

Animal handler vs pet care associate demographics

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

	Animal Handler	Pet Care Associate
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 38.8% Female, 61.2%	Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2%
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, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 2.6% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between animal handler and pet care associate 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.

Pet care associate example responsibilities.

Achieve detailed grooming including skin, ear, nail care, coat clips and dental care.
Prepare foods for various animals to include reptiles, snakes, hamsters, and birds etc.
Communicate with customers about events/concerns in which include their pet.
Assist patients in meeting their personal care needs and provide individualized interventions while encouraging patient involvement and promoting independence.
Used touch point and SMS and can quickly adapt to other computer software's.

Animal handler vs pet care associate skills

Common animal handler skills

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

Common pet care associate skills

PET, 55%
Customer Service, 21%
Sales Floor, 4%
Quality Care, 3%
Administer Medications, 2%
Fish Tanks, 2%