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The differences between veterinary technician assistants and animal 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 technician assistant and an animal technician. Additionally, a veterinary technician assistant has an average salary of $39,025, which is higher than the $31,378 average annual salary of an animal technician.
The top three skills for a veterinary technician assistant include patients, PET and patient care. The most important skills for an animal technician are animal handling, autoclaves, and euthanasia.
| Veterinary Technician Assistant | Animal Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $39,025 | $31,378 |
| Hourly rate | $18.76 | $15.09 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 20% |
| Number of jobs | 35,338 | 39,917 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
An animal technician is responsible for ensuring the animals' welfare under the supervision and guidance of a licensed veterinarian. Animal technicians maintain an organized record of animal information, assisting in medical surgeries and procedures, administering medications, collecting laboratory samples, and sending examination reports to the animal owners. They also keep the cages clean, inspecting the clinic's tools and equipment, and sterilizing laboratory materials to avoid contamination. An animal technician must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in responding to the owners' inquiries and concerns and monitoring the animals' conditions.
Veterinary technician assistants and animal technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Veterinary Technician Assistant | Animal Technician | |
| Average salary | $39,025 | $31,378 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $49,000 | Between $19,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bakersfield, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | University of Wisconsin System | Harvard University |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a veterinary technician assistant and an animal technician in terms of educational background:
| Veterinary Technician Assistant | Animal Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Biology |
| Most common college | Ohio State University | Ohio State University |
Here are the differences between veterinary technician assistants' and animal technicians' demographics:
| Veterinary Technician Assistant | Animal Technician | |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2% | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% |
| 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% |