Veterinary nurse vs office nurse

The differences between veterinary nurses and office nurses 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 office nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an office nurse has an average salary of $58,587, 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 office nurse are patients, vital signs, and patient education.

Veterinary nurse vs office nurse overview

	Veterinary Nurse	Office Nurse
Yearly salary	$34,511	$58,587
Hourly rate	$16.59	$28.17
Growth rate	20%	6%
Number of jobs	17,000	278,856
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Associate Degree, 39%
Average age	32	44
Years of experience	12	2

Veterinary nurse vs office nurse salary

Veterinary nurses and office nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Veterinary Nurse	Office Nurse
Average salary	$34,511	$58,587
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $44,000	Between $39,000 And $87,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Uniondale, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	CVS Health	Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between veterinary nurse and office nurse education

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

	Veterinary Nurse	Office Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Associate Degree, 39%
Most common major	Medical Assisting Services	Nursing
Most common college	University of Florida	Emory University

Veterinary nurse vs office nurse demographics

Here are the differences between veterinary nurses' and office nurses' demographics:

	Veterinary Nurse	Office Nurse
Average age	32	44
Gender ratio	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%	Male, 5.0% Female, 95.0%
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, 11.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between veterinary nurse and office nurse 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.

Office nurse example responsibilities.

Case manage FMLA cases on a daily basis regarding FMLA abuse and employees with attendance issues.
Recognize and manage maternal complications: hemorrhage, preeclampsia, endometritis.
Monitor patients status that are on telemetry.
Facilitate ADL's and assist patients with functional mobility to increase comfort and quality of life.
Assist with patients, obtain EKG's, screen phone calls, and relay information to the physician.
Collect patient vital signs; monitor fetal heartbeats/rate/monitore fetal monitors for premature labor patients.

Veterinary nurse vs office nurse skills

Common veterinary nurse skills

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

Common office nurse skills

Patients, 30%
Vital Signs, 7%
Patient Education, 5%
EKG, 4%
Exam Rooms, 4%
In-Office Procedures, 4%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Veterinary Nurse
Veterinary Nurse vs Office Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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