Aquarist vs animal shelter worker

The differences between aquarists and animal shelter workers 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 shelter worker. Additionally, an animal shelter worker has an average salary of $33,011, which is higher than the $32,605 average annual salary of an aquarist.

The top three skills for an aquarist include animal husbandry, scuba and water chemistry. The most important skills for an animal shelter worker are crisis intervention, mental health, and direct care.

Aquarist vs animal shelter worker overview

	Aquarist	Animal Shelter Worker
Yearly salary	$32,605	$33,011
Hourly rate	$15.68	$15.87
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	737	72,185
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 84%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	3	3

Aquarist vs animal shelter worker salary

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

	Aquarist	Animal Shelter Worker
Average salary	$32,605	$33,011
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $48,000	Between $22,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between aquarist and animal shelter worker education

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

	Aquarist	Animal Shelter Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 84%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Biology	Psychology
Most common college	University of California, Berkeley	Texas A&M University - Commerce

Aquarist vs animal shelter worker demographics

Here are the differences between aquarists' and animal shelter workers' demographics:

	Aquarist	Animal Shelter Worker
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 43.3% Female, 56.7%	Male, 30.7% Female, 69.3%
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, 4.3% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between aquarist and animal shelter worker 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 shelter worker example responsibilities.

Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
Maintain an aquatic system of zebrafish and rotifers.
Assist veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants in providing the best care possible for patients.
Milk animals such as cows and goats, by hand or using milking machines.

Aquarist vs animal shelter worker skills

Common aquarist skills

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

Common animal shelter worker skills

Crisis Intervention, 15%
Mental Health, 14%
Direct Care, 11%
Emergency Shelter, 10%
Client Intake, 10%
Community Resources, 9%