Laboratory animal technician vs animal health technician

The differences between laboratory animal technicians and animal health technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a laboratory animal technician and an animal health technician. Additionally, an animal health technician has an average salary of $37,267, which is higher than the $30,382 average annual salary of a laboratory animal 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 health technician are animal handling, IM, and laboratory animals.

Laboratory animal technician vs animal health technician overview

	Laboratory Animal Technician	Animal Health Technician
Yearly salary	$30,382	$37,267
Hourly rate	$14.61	$17.92
Growth rate	20%	20%
Number of jobs	63,768	89,376
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	12	12

What does a laboratory animal technician do?

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.

What does an animal health technician do?

Animal health technicians work primarily in an animal diagnostics laboratory, where they test specimens according to a veterinarian's requests. The animal health technician must be capable of operating all of the necessary diagnostics equipment for animal care. The animal health technician must provide accurate results on diagnostic requests coming from a veterinarian. Added responsibilities of an animal health technician are educating owners on taking care of their pets, ensuring that all equipment is working correctly, and providing accurate results for better diagnosis.

Laboratory animal technician vs animal health technician salary

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

	Laboratory Animal Technician	Animal Health Technician
Average salary	$30,382	$37,267
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $40,000	Between $23,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	Santa Cruz, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between laboratory animal technician and animal health technician education

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

	Laboratory Animal Technician	Animal Health Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Biology	Animal Science
Most common college	Ohio State University	Ohio State University

Laboratory animal technician vs animal health technician demographics

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

	Laboratory Animal Technician	Animal Health Technician
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%	Male, 29.6% Female, 70.4%
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, 2.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 2.1% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between laboratory animal technician and animal health technician duties and responsibilities

Laboratory animal technician example responsibilities.

Manage the crossing activities to meet the target number of F1 seed, including quality control and purity.
Conduct daily internal audits/inspections to ensure lab are in compliance with IACUC, GLP and FDA regulations.
Register animal lab technician and member of AALAS.
Maintain lab records in accordance to USDA standards.
Depend upon for movement of sows and gilts.
Perform husbandry duties for all species house according to ALLAC and USDA standards.

Animal health technician example responsibilities.

Manage tech appointments, suture removal, bandage removal and placement, CPR and emergency care when need.
Blood draws, lab work, suture removal, catheter placement.
Prepare media and other analytical processes in compliance with FDA regulations guidelines.
Inspect and maintain facilities organization and operations according to FDA and clinical standards.
Administer drug, fluid and respiratory therapy to critically-ill patients in an effort to provide optimal support during anesthesia.
Perform various administrative support functions including answering telephones, checking patients in/out and responding to any inquiries and taking appointments.

Laboratory animal technician vs animal health technician skills

Common laboratory animal technician skills

Animal Handling, 11%
Animal Husbandry, 10%
Research Animals, 5%
Cleanliness, 5%
Technical Procedures, 5%
Animal Species, 4%

Common animal health technician skills

Animal Handling, 12%
IM, 7%
Laboratory Animals, 6%
Medical Procedures, 6%
Husbandry, 5%
Euthanasia, 5%

Laboratory Animal Technician vs. similar jobs

Laboratory Animal Technician related careers

Laboratory Animal Technician related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Laboratory Animal Technician
Laboratory Animal Technician vs Animal Health Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs