Aquarist vs animal caregiver

The differences between aquarists and animal caregivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both an aquarist and an animal caregiver. Additionally, an aquarist has an average salary of $32,605, which is higher than the $27,665 average annual salary of an animal caregiver.

The top three skills for an aquarist include animal husbandry, scuba and water chemistry. The most important skills for an animal caregiver are pigs, PET, and animal handling.

Aquarist vs animal caregiver overview

	Aquarist	Animal Caregiver
Yearly salary	$32,605	$27,665
Hourly rate	$15.68	$13.30
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	737	57,251
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 84%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	3	3

Aquarist vs animal caregiver salary

Aquarists and animal caregivers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Aquarist	Animal Caregiver
Average salary	$32,605	$27,665
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $48,000	Between $20,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between aquarist and animal caregiver education

There are a few differences between an aquarist and an animal caregiver in terms of educational background:

	Aquarist	Animal Caregiver
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 84%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of California, Berkeley	Stanford University

Aquarist vs animal caregiver demographics

Here are the differences between aquarists' and animal caregivers' demographics:

	Aquarist	Animal Caregiver
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 43.3% Female, 56.7%	Male, 23.5% Female, 76.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.3% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 2.8% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between aquarist and animal caregiver duties and responsibilities

Aquarist example responsibilities.

Manage complicated water filtration systems, and implement nutrition plans for a variety of snake species.
Prepare and assist with an AZA accreditation.
Assist with first AZA accreditation process of the zoo.
Maintain facility cleanliness to meet and exceed all USDA standards.
Exceed all minimum requirements set by USDA, and assist USDA personnel during facility inspections.
Complete physical checks and monitor patients to detect unusual or harmful behavior and report observations to professional staff.

Animal caregiver example responsibilities.

Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
Educate pet owners about illnesses, medications, and general care, and answer their questions and concerns.
Walk all dogs, and occasionally strange animals such as pigs.
Create neighborhood service providing in-home pet care including; leash walks, off leash socials, and cat care.
Assist veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants in providing the best care possible for patients.
Provide routine grooming including brushing and clipping claws.

Aquarist vs animal caregiver skills

Common aquarist skills

Animal Husbandry, 15%
Scuba, 14%
Water Chemistry, 7%
Food Preparation, 6%
Cleanliness, 6%
Life Support Systems, 5%

Common animal caregiver skills

Pigs, 51%
PET, 19%
Animal Handling, 5%
Animal Shelter, 3%
General Care, 3%
Facility Laundry, 2%