Animal handler vs pet care specialist

The differences between animal handlers and pet care specialists 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 specialist. Additionally, a pet care specialist has an average salary of $31,162, 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 specialist are PET, health issues, and customer service.

Animal handler vs pet care specialist overview

	Animal Handler	Pet Care Specialist
Yearly salary	$27,820	$31,162
Hourly rate	$13.38	$14.98
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	28,040	117,277
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 specialist salary

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

	Animal Handler	Pet Care Specialist
Average salary	$27,820	$31,162
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $40,000	Between $20,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between animal handler and pet care specialist education

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

	Animal Handler	Pet Care Specialist
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 specialist demographics

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

	Animal Handler	Pet Care Specialist
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 38.8% Female, 61.2%	Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5%
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, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.6% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between animal handler and pet care specialist 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 specialist example responsibilities.

Achieve detailed grooming including skin, ear, nail care, coat clips and dental care.
Interact on a professional level with other pet food company representatives and honor their interaction with customers.
Handle cash and perform all transactions at customer checkout -inform customers on exceptional pet care while offering excellent customer service
Perform euthanasia once lab exercises are complete.
Complete and certify to administer euthanasia.
Assist in answering customer questions regarding grooming, scheduling grooming appointments and maintaining salon cleanliness and safety.

Animal handler vs pet care specialist 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 specialist skills

PET, 64%
Health Issues, 27%
Customer Service, 3%
Work Ethic, 1%
CPR, 1%
Walkers, 0%