Veterinary nurse vs animal health technician

The differences between veterinary nurses 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 veterinary nurse and an animal health technician. Additionally, an animal health technician has an average salary of $37,267, which is higher than the $34,511 average annual salary of a veterinary nurse.

The top three skills for a veterinary nurse include patients, patient care and PET. The most important skills for an animal health technician are animal handling, IM, and laboratory animals.

Veterinary nurse vs animal health technician overview

	Veterinary Nurse	Animal Health Technician
Yearly salary	$34,511	$37,267
Hourly rate	$16.59	$17.92
Growth rate	20%	20%
Number of jobs	17,000	89,376
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	12	12

Veterinary nurse vs animal health technician salary

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

	Veterinary Nurse	Animal Health Technician
Average salary	$34,511	$37,267
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $44,000	Between $23,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	CVS Health	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between veterinary nurse and animal health technician education

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

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

Veterinary nurse vs animal health technician demographics

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

	Veterinary Nurse	Animal Health Technician
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%	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 veterinary nurse and animal health technician duties and responsibilities

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.

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.

Veterinary nurse vs animal health technician skills

Common veterinary nurse skills

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

Common animal health technician skills

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

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Veterinary Nurse
Veterinary Nurse vs Animal Health Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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