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The differences between laboratory animal technicians and animal care technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a laboratory animal technician, becoming an animal care technician takes usually requires 1-3 months. Additionally, a laboratory animal technician has an average salary of $30,382, which is higher than the $29,617 average annual salary of an animal care technician.
The top three skills for a laboratory animal technician include animal handling, animal husbandry and research animals. The most important skills for an animal care technician are patients, animal husbandry, and pigs.
| Laboratory Animal Technician | Animal Care Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $30,382 | $29,617 |
| Hourly rate | $14.61 | $14.24 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 63,768 | 96,973 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 3 |
A laboratory animal technician is responsible for conducting animal research studies by observing and analyzing animal nature and conditions. Laboratory animal technicians maintain the safety and cleanliness of animal cages, supply them food and water, and administer medications as needed. They also take samples for laboratory examinations, monitor the adequacy of inventories, and sterilize tools and equipment. A laboratory animal technician writes finding reports, logs information on the database, and coordinates with other animal experts for study validations.
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 technicians and animal care technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Animal Technician | Animal Care Technician | |
| Average salary | $30,382 | $29,617 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $40,000 | Between $21,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Cruz, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | Emory University |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a laboratory animal technician and an animal care technician in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Animal Technician | Animal Care Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Ohio State University | New York University |
Here are the differences between laboratory animal technicians' and animal care technicians' demographics:
| Laboratory Animal Technician | Animal Care Technician | |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5% | Male, 31.1% Female, 68.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 2.1% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 9% | 11% |