Kennel technician vs laboratory animal caretaker

The differences between kennel technicians and laboratory animal caretakers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a kennel technician has an average salary of $26,664, which is higher than the $26,564 average annual salary of a laboratory animal caretaker.

The top three skills for a kennel technician include PET, facility laundry and administer medications. The most important skills for a laboratory animal caretaker are ventilation, safety procedures, and pigs.

Kennel technician vs laboratory animal caretaker overview

	Kennel Technician	Laboratory Animal Caretaker
Yearly salary	$26,664	$26,564
Hourly rate	$12.82	$12.77
Growth rate	19%	19%
Number of jobs	30,123	45,979
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	29	29
Years of experience	-	-

What does a kennel technician do?

Kennel technicians are employees who work in animal boarding houses, veterinary clinics, and shelters. Primarily, they take care of and maintain animals living in a kennel. They are responsible for the upkeep of animals under their supervision and ensure they are healthy, happy, and clean. Often, they work with cats and dogs, although they may also care for other domestic animals. They should have skills in handling animals, sanitation, cleaning, friendly office help, and primary animal care.

What does a laboratory animal caretaker do?

A laboratory animal caretaker is in charge of monitoring and taking care of animals in a research facility or similar setting, ensuring to handle them properly and humanely. Their responsibilities include feeding the animals, examining them for any diseases or injuries, gathering and preparing samples, and maintaining the cleanliness of work areas. Furthermore, as a laboratory animal caretaker, it is essential to provide research and clerical assistance to staff, all while upholding the laboratory's safety policies and regulations.

Kennel technician vs laboratory animal caretaker salary

Kennel technicians and laboratory animal caretakers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Kennel Technician	Laboratory Animal Caretaker
Average salary	$26,664	$26,564
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $35,000	Between $19,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	North Dakota	North Dakota
Best paying company	VetCor	Charles River Center
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between kennel technician and laboratory animal caretaker education

There are a few differences between a kennel technician and a laboratory animal caretaker in terms of educational background:

	Kennel Technician	Laboratory Animal Caretaker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Medical Assisting Services	Biology
Most common college	Northwestern University	Cornell University

Kennel technician vs laboratory animal caretaker demographics

Here are the differences between kennel technicians' and laboratory animal caretakers' demographics:

	Kennel Technician	Laboratory Animal Caretaker
Average age	29	29
Gender ratio	Male, 24.0% Female, 76.0%	Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.9% Asian, 3.2% White, 69.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between kennel technician and laboratory animal caretaker duties and responsibilities

Kennel technician example responsibilities.

Manage, and safely operate the MWD explosive program.
Place iv catheters in dogs and cats.
Maintain and update website and FaceBook page.
Restrain animals for various procedures such as blood draws and catheter placement.
Operate autoclaves for the sterilization of clean supplies as well as potentially infectious waste for disposal.
Perform animal grooming duties such as washing, and brushing coats, trimming nails, and cleaning ears.

Laboratory animal caretaker example responsibilities.

Manage pigs, sheep, chickens, horses, etc.-fed/groom animals-Assisted with animal theme events-Assured customers' safe positive interactions with animals
Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
Care for animals involve in laboratory research such as rats, mice, pigs, rabbits, toads, and squirrels.
Perform grooming duties such as; washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails and cleaning ears.
Complete physical checks and monitor patients to detect unusual or harmful behavior and report observations to professional staff.
Keep animals account update through Avimark.

Kennel technician vs laboratory animal caretaker skills

Common kennel technician skills

PET, 27%
Facility Laundry, 10%
Administer Medications, 10%
Scheduling Appointments, 5%
Animal Handling, 4%
Front Desk, 4%

Common laboratory animal caretaker skills

Ventilation, 19%
Safety Procedures, 15%
Pigs, 12%
Animal Species, 6%
Insemination, 6%
Research Animals, 5%

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Healthcare Support Industry
Kennel Technician
Kennel Technician vs Laboratory Animal Caretaker

Updated January 8, 2025

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