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Wild animal caretaker vs groomer assistant

The differences between wild animal caretakers and groomer assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a wild animal caretaker and a groomer assistant. Additionally, a groomer assistant has an average salary of $30,725, which is higher than the $27,846 average annual salary of a wild animal caretaker.

The top three skills for a wild animal caretaker include animal handling, facility laundry and general care. The most important skills for a groomer assistant are PET, customer service, and appointment scheduling.

Wild animal caretaker vs groomer assistant overview

Wild Animal CaretakerGroomer Assistant
Yearly salary$27,846$30,725
Hourly rate$13.39$14.77
Growth rate28%28%
Number of jobs11,7359,294
Job satisfaction3-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 51%High School Diploma, 39%
Average age3232
Years of experience33

Wild animal caretaker vs groomer assistant salary

Wild animal caretakers and groomer assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Wild Animal CaretakerGroomer Assistant
Average salary$27,846$30,725
Salary rangeBetween $20,000 And $37,000Between $21,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between wild animal caretaker and groomer assistant education

There are a few differences between a wild animal caretaker and a groomer assistant in terms of educational background:

Wild Animal CaretakerGroomer Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 51%High School Diploma, 39%
Most common majorBiologyBusiness
Most common collegeNew York UniversityVermont Technical College

Wild animal caretaker vs groomer assistant demographics

Here are the differences between wild animal caretakers' and groomer assistants' demographics:

Wild Animal CaretakerGroomer Assistant
Average age3232
Gender ratioMale, 26.2% Female, 73.8%Male, 16.6% Female, 83.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between wild animal caretaker and groomer assistant duties and responsibilities

Wild animal caretaker example responsibilities.

  • Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
  • Assist with surgery and run in house blood work.
  • Assist veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants in providing the best care possible for patients.
  • Help with incoming pets as well as with the adoption of the pet by their forever home families.

Groomer assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage all breeding, whelping, raising of puppies, grooming and showing of dogs for owners in the AKC.
  • Perform animal grooming duties such as washing, brushing, clipping and trimming coats.
  • Bath animals: clean ears, express anal glands, trim nails, dry & brush coats.
  • Wash, dry, and brush dogs of various breed and temperament, as well as clipping nails and cleaning ears.
  • Bath dogs and perform related activities, including nail clipping and grinding, ear cleaning and plucking, and gland expression.
  • Maintain electronic record of pet information and file paper documents.
  • Show more

Wild animal caretaker vs groomer assistant skills

Common wild animal caretaker skills
  • Animal Handling, 24%
  • Facility Laundry, 11%
  • General Care, 8%
  • Administer Medications, 8%
  • Husbandry, 6%
  • Rabbits, 4%
Common groomer assistant skills
  • PET, 39%
  • Customer Service, 19%
  • Appointment Scheduling, 12%
  • Coats, 5%
  • Teeth, 4%
  • Front Desk, 3%

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