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The differences between veterinary nurses and veterinarians 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 a veterinarian takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a veterinarian has an average salary of $109,524, 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 a veterinarian are PET, customer service, and diagnostic tests.
| Veterinary Nurse | Veterinarian | |
| Yearly salary | $34,511 | $109,524 |
| Hourly rate | $16.59 | $52.66 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 17,000 | 13,255 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 32 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
Veterinary nurses and veterinarians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Veterinary Nurse | Veterinarian | |
| Average salary | $34,511 | $109,524 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $44,000 | Between $58,000 And $205,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | California | Maine |
| Best paying company | CVS Health | Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between a veterinary nurse and a veterinarian in terms of educational background:
| Veterinary Nurse | Veterinarian | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Veterinary Medicine |
| Most common college | University of Florida | University of Georgia |
Here are the differences between veterinary nurses' and veterinarians' demographics:
| Veterinary Nurse | Veterinarian | |
| Average age | 32 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2% | Male, 37.1% Female, 62.9% |
| 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, 1.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 6.1% Asian, 4.8% White, 83.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 15% |