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The differences between animal technicians and technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an animal technician, becoming a technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a technician has an average salary of $38,045, which is higher than the $31,378 average annual salary of an animal technician.
The top three skills for an animal technician include animal handling, autoclaves and euthanasia. The most important skills for a technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Animal Technician | Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $31,378 | $38,045 |
| Hourly rate | $15.09 | $18.29 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 39,917 | 596,842 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 32 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
An animal technician is responsible for ensuring the animals' welfare under the supervision and guidance of a licensed veterinarian. Animal technicians maintain an organized record of animal information, assisting in medical surgeries and procedures, administering medications, collecting laboratory samples, and sending examination reports to the animal owners. They also keep the cages clean, inspecting the clinic's tools and equipment, and sterilizing laboratory materials to avoid contamination. An animal technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in responding to the owners' inquiries and concerns and monitoring the animals' conditions.
Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.
Animal technicians and technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Animal Technician | Technician | |
| Average salary | $31,378 | $38,045 |
| Salary range | Between $19,000 And $51,000 | Between $24,000 And $58,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Harvard University | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between an animal technician and a technician in terms of educational background:
| Animal Technician | Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | Ohio State University | - |
Here are the differences between animal technicians' and technicians' demographics:
| Animal Technician | Technician | |
| Average age | 32 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% | Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 2% |