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Vet assistant vs veterinarian assistant

The differences between vet assistants and veterinarian assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a veterinarian assistant has an average salary of $54,915, which is higher than the $30,687 average annual salary of a vet assistant.

The top three skills for a vet assistant include PET, patients and exam rooms. The most important skills for a veterinarian assistant are patients, surgery room, and PET.

Vet assistant vs veterinarian assistant overview

VET AssistantVeterinarian Assistant
Yearly salary$30,687$54,915
Hourly rate$14.75$26.40
Growth rate19%19%
Number of jobs6,59110,867
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age2929
Years of experience--

Vet assistant vs veterinarian assistant salary

Vet assistants and veterinarian assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

VET AssistantVeterinarian Assistant
Average salary$30,687$54,915
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $38,000Between $21,000 And $139,000
Highest paying CitySanta Rosa, CA-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyMichigan State University-
Best paying industryManufacturing-

Differences between vet assistant and veterinarian assistant education

There are a few differences between a vet assistant and a veterinarian assistant in terms of educational background:

VET AssistantVeterinarian Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common majorMedical Assisting ServicesBiology
Most common collegeOhio State UniversityNew York University

Vet assistant vs veterinarian assistant demographics

Here are the differences between vet assistants' and veterinarian assistants' demographics:

VET AssistantVeterinarian Assistant
Average age2929
Gender ratioMale, 16.1% Female, 83.9%Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 3.2% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 3.2% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between vet assistant and veterinarian assistant duties and responsibilities

Vet assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage tech appointments, suture removal, bandage removal and placement, CPR and emergency care when need.
  • Provide care of hospitalize animals taking vital signs, administer medications and explaining discharge medications to pet owners.
  • Monitor multiple patients in ICU.
  • Assist in triage, gathering medical history and client education.
  • Qualify to administer medications, perform blood draws, proper radiology techniques and all other aspects of a veterinary technician.
  • Provide exceptional veterinary care to companion animal patients, while professionally serving clients and pet owners.
  • Show more

Veterinarian assistant example responsibilities.

  • Talk with DVM about patient.
  • Assist with blood draws, examinations, setting iv catheters, etc.
  • Provide all aspects of daily care for USDA cover large animal species.
  • Assist license DVM's with veterinary medicine procedures to include surgeries, radiographs or emergency care.
  • Develop and maintain an archiving process for expire records, to include GLP employee record keeping.
  • Assist certified veterinarians with multiple surgeries and perform pet vaccinations individually.
  • Show more

Vet assistant vs veterinarian assistant skills

Common vet assistant skills
  • PET, 34%
  • Patients, 24%
  • Exam Rooms, 12%
  • Patient Care, 6%
  • Compassion, 4%
  • Customer Service, 3%
Common veterinarian assistant skills
  • Patients, 16%
  • Surgery Room, 11%
  • PET, 10%
  • Routine Laboratory Tests, 7%
  • Scheduling Appointments, 6%
  • Exam Rooms, 5%

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