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The differences between vet assistants and veterinary technician assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a veterinary technician assistant has an average salary of $39,025, 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 veterinary technician assistant are patients, PET, and patient care.
| VET Assistant | Veterinary Technician Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $30,687 | $39,025 |
| Hourly rate | $14.75 | $18.76 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 20% |
| Number of jobs | 6,591 | 35,338 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 29 | 32 |
| Years of experience | - | 12 |
VET Assistants are in-charge of taking care of the well-being of animals in Veterinary clinics and hospitals. Most of the tasks involved are feeding, bathing, weighing, and providing overall nursing care of animals on a routine and sometimes daily basis. VET is short for Veterinary, and as the job title implies, one must also provide assistance to Veterinarians, Veterinary Technologists, or Animal Scientists during Procedures and even Surgeries. A VET Assistant is expected to be equipped with good communication skills and compassion towards animals, but above all, one must also have emotional strength as there are cases which might involve abuse and even euthanasia.
A veterinary technician assistant is primarily in charge of performing support tasks in a veterinary hospital or clinic. Their responsibilities include administering medication to animals in adherence to the veterinarian's directives and performing basic care tasks such as feeding, bathing, and walking animals. They may also clean cages, sterilize equipment, prepare and process documents, and answer calls and inquiries. Furthermore, as a veterinary technician assistant, it is essential to monitor the behavior of animals, reporting to the veterinarian or technician should there be any problems.
Vet assistants and veterinary technician assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| VET Assistant | Veterinary Technician Assistant | |
| Average salary | $30,687 | $39,025 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $38,000 | Between $30,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | Bakersfield, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Michigan State University | University of Wisconsin System |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a vet assistant and a veterinary technician assistant in terms of educational background:
| VET Assistant | Veterinary Technician Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | Ohio State University | Ohio State University |
Here are the differences between vet assistants' and veterinary technician assistants' demographics:
| VET Assistant | Veterinary Technician Assistant | |
| Average age | 29 | 32 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.1% Female, 83.9% | Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 10.9% Asian, 2.1% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |