Wildlife health specialist vs wildlife rehabilitator

The differences between wildlife health specialists and wildlife rehabilitators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a wildlife health specialist, becoming a wildlife rehabilitator takes usually requires 1-3 months. Additionally, a wildlife health specialist has an average salary of $44,267, which is higher than the $37,928 average annual salary of a wildlife rehabilitator.

The top three skills for a wildlife health specialist include ladders, GPS and wild animals. The most important skills for a wildlife rehabilitator are wild animals, rehabilitation, and diet preparation.

Wildlife health specialist vs wildlife rehabilitator overview

	Wildlife Health Specialist	Wildlife Rehabilitator
Yearly salary	$44,267	$37,928
Hourly rate	$21.28	$18.23
Growth rate	1%	28%
Number of jobs	52,222	11,399
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	40	32
Years of experience	2	3

Wildlife health specialist vs wildlife rehabilitator salary

Wildlife health specialists and wildlife rehabilitators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Wildlife Health Specialist	Wildlife Rehabilitator
Average salary	$44,267	$37,928
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $63,000	Between $26,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Escondido, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Rollins	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between wildlife health specialist and wildlife rehabilitator education

There are a few differences between a wildlife health specialist and a wildlife rehabilitator in terms of educational background:

	Wildlife Health Specialist	Wildlife Rehabilitator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of California - Davis	Duke University

Wildlife health specialist vs wildlife rehabilitator demographics

Here are the differences between wildlife health specialists' and wildlife rehabilitators' demographics:

	Wildlife Health Specialist	Wildlife Rehabilitator
Average age	40	32
Gender ratio	Male, 72.9% Female, 27.1%	Male, 20.3% Female, 79.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 10.4% White, 71.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 2.7% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	11%

Differences between wildlife health specialist and wildlife rehabilitator duties and responsibilities

Wildlife health specialist example responsibilities.

Utilize ArcGIS to create navigational maps, as well as uploading, managing and analyzing data for habitat suitability.
Volunteer weekly and gain experience that aid in obtaining a state license in wildlife rehabilitation.
Prepare the database and used ArcView GIS to prepare maps.
Utilize GPS receivers to map plot locations for wildlife census work.
Test water pH and conductivity, conduct water sampling with the EPA.
Trap types consist of havahearts, foot holds, snares and body catches.

Wildlife rehabilitator example responsibilities.

Organize volunteers for capture or pickup of wild injure raptor species.
Deal mostly with feeding and cleaning of songbird habitats, but occasionally help to handle raptor and mammal subjects.
Provide nursing care for temporary and permanent resident animals at accredit rehabilitation facility.
Aid in vaccinations, wind treatment, artificial insemination procedures, castrations, tagging and tattoos.

Wildlife health specialist vs wildlife rehabilitator skills

Common wildlife health specialist skills

Ladders, 27%
GPS, 12%
Wild Animals, 10%
GIS, 10%
Natural Resources, 8%
Management Practices, 6%

Common wildlife rehabilitator skills

Wild Animals, 37%
Rehabilitation, 30%
Diet Preparation, 17%
Acute Medical Care, 11%
Educational Programs, 5%

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Wildlife Health Specialist
Wildlife Health Specialist vs Wildlife Rehabilitator

Updated January 8, 2025

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