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The differences between veterinary nurses and assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a veterinary nurse, becoming an assistant takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an assistant has an average salary of $37,363, 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 assistant are patients, customer service, and patient care.
| Veterinary Nurse | Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $34,511 | $37,363 |
| Hourly rate | $16.59 | $17.96 |
| Growth rate | 20% | -8% |
| Number of jobs | 17,000 | 557,900 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 32 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
Veterinary nurses and assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Veterinary Nurse | Assistant | |
| Average salary | $34,511 | $37,363 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $44,000 | Between $16,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | CVS Health | Latham & Watkins |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Education |
There are a few differences between a veterinary nurse and an assistant in terms of educational background:
| Veterinary Nurse | Assistant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Business |
| Most common college | University of Florida | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between veterinary nurses' and assistants' demographics:
| Veterinary Nurse | Assistant | |
| Average age | 32 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2% | Male, 40.7% Female, 59.3% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 3.8% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |