Laboratory animal technician vs veterinary nurse

The differences between laboratory animal technicians and veterinary nurses 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 a veterinary nurse. Additionally, a veterinary nurse has an average salary of $34,511, 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 a veterinary nurse are patients, patient care, and PET.

Laboratory animal technician vs veterinary nurse overview

	Laboratory Animal Technician	Veterinary Nurse
Yearly salary	$30,382	$34,511
Hourly rate	$14.61	$16.59
Growth rate	20%	20%
Number of jobs	63,768	17,000
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	12	12

Laboratory animal technician vs veterinary nurse salary

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

	Laboratory Animal Technician	Veterinary Nurse
Average salary	$30,382	$34,511
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $40,000	Between $26,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Santa Cruz, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	California
Best paying company	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	CVS Health
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between laboratory animal technician and veterinary nurse education

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

	Laboratory Animal Technician	Veterinary Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Biology	Medical Assisting Services
Most common college	Ohio State University	University of Florida

Laboratory animal technician vs veterinary nurse demographics

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

	Laboratory Animal Technician	Veterinary Nurse
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%
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 veterinary nurse 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.

Veterinary nurse example responsibilities.

Place intravenous catheters manage iv lines and medication administration.
Monitor anesthesia and first-assist in surgical procedures -assist doctors in filling prescriptions, communicating with pet owners, and monitoring patients.
Prepare oxygen, fluid and catheter equipment for routine use and emergency situations.
Administer vaccinations, medications, catheter placement, surgery assisting and monitoring.
Collect laboratory speciments and run routine tests.place IV catheters and monitor fluids.
Prepare surgical suites, monitor anesthesia, maintain and sterilize equipment, recording patient history, prescription and laboratory information.

Laboratory animal technician vs veterinary nurse skills

Common laboratory animal technician skills

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

Common veterinary nurse skills

Patients, 21%
Patient Care, 8%
PET, 8%
Catheter, 6%
Medical Procedures, 6%
Vital Signs, 5%

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Laboratory Animal Technician
Laboratory Animal Technician vs Veterinary Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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