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Aquarist vs pet care specialist

The differences between aquarists 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 aquarist and a pet care specialist. Additionally, an aquarist has an average salary of $32,605, which is higher than the $31,162 average annual salary of a pet care specialist.

The top three skills for an aquarist include animal husbandry, scuba and water chemistry. The most important skills for a pet care specialist are PET, health issues, and customer service.

Aquarist vs pet care specialist overview

AquaristPet Care Specialist
Yearly salary$32,605$31,162
Hourly rate$15.68$14.98
Growth rate28%28%
Number of jobs737117,277
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 84%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age3232
Years of experience33

Aquarist vs pet care specialist salary

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

AquaristPet Care Specialist
Average salary$32,605$31,162
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $48,000Between $20,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between aquarist and pet care specialist education

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

AquaristPet Care Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 84%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common majorBiologyBiology
Most common collegeUniversity of California, BerkeleyNorthwestern University

Aquarist vs pet care specialist demographics

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

AquaristPet Care Specialist
Average age3232
Gender ratioMale, 43.3% Female, 56.7%Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5%
Race ratioBlack 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, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.6% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between aquarist and pet care specialist 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.
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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.
  • Show more

Aquarist vs pet care specialist skills

Common aquarist skills
  • Animal Husbandry, 15%
  • Scuba, 14%
  • Water Chemistry, 7%
  • Food Preparation, 6%
  • Cleanliness, 6%
  • Life Support Systems, 5%
Common pet care specialist skills
  • PET, 64%
  • Health Issues, 27%
  • Customer Service, 3%
  • Work Ethic, 1%
  • CPR, 1%
  • Walkers, 0%

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