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The differences between veterinary technicians and animal care technicians 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 technician, becoming an animal care technician takes usually requires 1-3 months. Additionally, a veterinary technician has an average salary of $38,441, which is higher than the $29,617 average annual salary of an animal care technician.
The top three skills for a veterinary technician include PET, patients and anesthesia. The most important skills for an animal care technician are patients, animal husbandry, and pigs.
| Veterinary Technician | Animal Care Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $38,441 | $29,617 |
| Hourly rate | $18.48 | $14.24 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 28% |
| Number of jobs | 41,022 | 96,973 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 3 |
A Veterinary Technician, also known as Vet Tech, specializes in performing laboratory tasks and providing immediate and necessary care to animals in a Hospital Clinic or Research Facility under the supervision of a Veterinarian. Moreover, a Veterinary Technician is in charge of administering medicines or treatments, gathering samples such as blood and urine for analysis, monitoring a patient's condition and learning its history, and conducting hygienic procedures such as dental and welfare. There also instances where a Veterinary Technician must communicate with pet owners, sharing extensive knowledge on how to take better care of them.
An animal care technician is an animal medical professional who is responsible for providing care to animals in the clinical or research setting. Animal care technicians take blood or stool samples from animals and run laboratory tests to determine the cause of an ailment. They often take charge of bathing and grooming animals as well as administer anesthesia before procedures. Animal care technicians are also required to speak to the pet's owners to help them understand the diagnosis and administer medication.
Veterinary technicians and animal care technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Veterinary Technician | Animal Care Technician | |
| Average salary | $38,441 | $29,617 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $48,000 | Between $21,000 And $40,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Oregon |
| Best paying company | Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute | Emory University |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a veterinary technician and an animal care technician in terms of educational background:
| Veterinary Technician | Animal Care Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 39% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Biology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | New York University |
Here are the differences between veterinary technicians' and animal care technicians' demographics:
| Veterinary Technician | Animal Care Technician | |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 17.8% Female, 82.2% | Male, 31.1% Female, 68.9% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 2.7% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |