Laboratory animal caretaker vs animal care technician

The differences between laboratory animal caretakers and animal care technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an animal care technician has an average salary of $29,617, which is higher than the $26,564 average annual salary of a laboratory animal caretaker.

The top three skills for a laboratory animal caretaker include ventilation, safety procedures and pigs. The most important skills for an animal care technician are patients, animal husbandry, and pigs.

Laboratory animal caretaker vs animal care technician overview

	Laboratory Animal Caretaker	Animal Care Technician
Yearly salary	$26,564	$29,617
Hourly rate	$12.77	$14.24
Growth rate	19%	28%
Number of jobs	45,979	96,973
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	29	32
Years of experience	-	3

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.

What does an animal care technician do?

An animal care technician is an animal medical professional who is responsible for providing care to animals in the clinical or research setting. Animal care technicians take blood or stool samples from animals and run laboratory tests to determine the cause of an ailment. They often take charge of bathing and grooming animals as well as administer anesthesia before procedures. Animal care technicians are also required to speak to the pet's owners to help them understand the diagnosis and administer medication.

Laboratory animal caretaker vs animal care technician salary

Laboratory animal caretakers and animal care technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Laboratory Animal Caretaker	Animal Care Technician
Average salary	$26,564	$29,617
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $36,000	Between $21,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Baltimore, MD	South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Oregon
Best paying company	Charles River Center	Emory University
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between laboratory animal caretaker and animal care technician education

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

	Laboratory Animal Caretaker	Animal Care Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Cornell University	New York University

Laboratory animal caretaker vs animal care technician demographics

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

	Laboratory Animal Caretaker	Animal Care Technician
Average age	29	32
Gender ratio	Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7%	Male, 31.1% Female, 68.9%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.7% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	10%	11%

Differences between laboratory animal caretaker and animal care technician duties and responsibilities

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.

Animal care technician example responsibilities.

Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
Train in safety procedures for blood borne pathogens, GLP and GMP certification, and ISO standards.
Familiarize with the strains of various animal species to include rats, mice, gerbils, guinea pigs.
Interview prospective adopting families while counseling on animal welfare and responsibilities of pet owners.
Maintain knowledge of CPR procedures and evacuation procedures.
Assist with minor emergency procedures, perform CPR.

Laboratory animal caretaker vs animal care technician skills

Common laboratory animal caretaker skills

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

Common animal care technician skills

Patients, 10%
Animal Husbandry, 9%
Pigs, 5%
Patient Care, 5%
Animal Handling, 5%
GLP, 4%

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Healthcare Support Industry
Laboratory Animal Caretaker
Laboratory Animal Caretaker vs Animal Care Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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