Animal health technician vs veterinary laboratory technician

The differences between animal health technicians and veterinary laboratory technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an animal health technician and a veterinary laboratory technician. Additionally, an animal health technician has an average salary of $37,267, which is higher than the $34,460 average annual salary of a veterinary laboratory technician.

The top three skills for an animal health technician include animal handling, IM and laboratory animals. The most important skills for a veterinary laboratory technician are animal handling, laboratory procedures, and diagnostic tests.

Animal health technician vs veterinary laboratory technician overview

	Animal Health Technician	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$37,267	$34,460
Hourly rate	$17.92	$16.57
Growth rate	20%	20%
Number of jobs	89,376	90,066
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	12	12

Animal health technician vs veterinary laboratory technician salary

Animal health technicians and veterinary laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Animal Health Technician	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$37,267	$34,460
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $58,000	Between $27,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between animal health technician and veterinary laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between an animal health technician and a veterinary laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

	Animal Health Technician	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Animal Science	Medical Assisting Services
Most common college	Ohio State University	Ohio State University

Animal health technician vs veterinary laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between animal health technicians' and veterinary laboratory technicians' demographics:

	Animal Health Technician	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 29.6% Female, 70.4%	Male, 21.3% Female, 78.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 2.1% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 2.1% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between animal health technician and veterinary laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Animal health technician example responsibilities.

Manage tech appointments, suture removal, bandage removal and placement, CPR and emergency care when need.
Blood draws, lab work, suture removal, catheter placement.
Prepare media and other analytical processes in compliance with FDA regulations guidelines.
Inspect and maintain facilities organization and operations according to FDA and clinical standards.
Administer drug, fluid and respiratory therapy to critically-ill patients in an effort to provide optimal support during anesthesia.
Perform various administrative support functions including answering telephones, checking patients in/out and responding to any inquiries and taking appointments.

Veterinary laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage operational and administrative functions such as training/supervising new employees, issuing prescriptions, and documenting pet insurance applications and transactions.
Perform all animal technician functions for surgical and radiology procedures in compliance with pertinent regulations and guidelines as required by protocol.
Work closely with clients, other staff and Dr. Faulkner.

Animal health technician vs veterinary laboratory technician skills

Common animal health technician skills

Animal Handling, 12%
IM, 7%
Laboratory Animals, 6%
Medical Procedures, 6%
Husbandry, 5%
Euthanasia, 5%

Common veterinary laboratory technician skills

Animal Handling, 13%
Laboratory Procedures, 12%
Diagnostic Tests, 11%
Biomedical, 7%
Catheter, 7%
Laboratory Animals, 7%

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Animal Health Technician vs Veterinary Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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