Wild animal caretaker vs laboratory animal caretaker

The differences between wild animal caretakers and laboratory animal caretakers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a wild animal caretaker has an average salary of $27,846, which is higher than the $26,564 average annual salary of a laboratory 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 laboratory animal caretaker are ventilation, safety procedures, and pigs.

Wild animal caretaker vs laboratory animal caretaker overview

	Wild Animal Caretaker	Laboratory Animal Caretaker
Yearly salary	$27,846	$26,564
Hourly rate	$13.39	$12.77
Growth rate	28%	19%
Number of jobs	11,735	45,979
Job satisfaction	3	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	32	29
Years of experience	3	-

What does a wild animal caretaker do?

A wild animal caretaker is responsible for administering care to animals at pet shops, kennels, aquariums, zoos, and research labs. They are tasked with grooming, feeding, giving water to, and exercising animals. They monitor animals, record their health conditions, and report any problems. They must have excellent communication, interpersonal, and time-management skills to excel in this role.

What does a laboratory animal caretaker do?

A laboratory animal caretaker is in charge of monitoring and taking care of animals in a research facility or similar setting, ensuring to handle them properly and humanely. Their responsibilities include feeding the animals, examining them for any diseases or injuries, gathering and preparing samples, and maintaining the cleanliness of work areas. Furthermore, as a laboratory animal caretaker, it is essential to provide research and clerical assistance to staff, all while upholding the laboratory's safety policies and regulations.

Wild animal caretaker vs laboratory animal caretaker salary

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

	Wild Animal Caretaker	Laboratory Animal Caretaker
Average salary	$27,846	$26,564
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $37,000	Between $19,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	-	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Charles River Center
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between wild animal caretaker and laboratory animal caretaker education

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

	Wild Animal Caretaker	Laboratory Animal Caretaker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	New York University	Cornell University

Wild animal caretaker vs laboratory animal caretaker demographics

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

	Wild Animal Caretaker	Laboratory Animal Caretaker
Average age	32	29
Gender ratio	Male, 26.2% Female, 73.8%	Male, 28.3% Female, 71.7%
Race ratio	Black 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, 2.7% Unknown, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 68.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	11%	10%

Differences between wild animal caretaker and laboratory animal caretaker 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.

Laboratory animal caretaker example responsibilities.

Manage pigs, sheep, chickens, horses, etc.-fed/groom animals-Assisted with animal theme events-Assured customers' safe positive interactions with animals
Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
Care for animals involve in laboratory research such as rats, mice, pigs, rabbits, toads, and squirrels.
Perform grooming duties such as; washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails and cleaning ears.
Complete physical checks and monitor patients to detect unusual or harmful behavior and report observations to professional staff.
Keep animals account update through Avimark.

Wild animal caretaker vs laboratory animal caretaker skills

Common wild animal caretaker skills

Animal Handling, 24%
Facility Laundry, 11%
General Care, 8%
Administer Medications, 8%
Husbandry, 6%
Rabbits, 4%

Common laboratory animal caretaker skills

Ventilation, 19%
Safety Procedures, 15%
Pigs, 12%
Animal Species, 6%
Insemination, 6%
Research Animals, 5%

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Wild Animal Caretaker vs Laboratory Animal Caretaker

Updated January 8, 2025

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