Wildlife rehabilitator vs animal shelter worker

The differences between wildlife rehabilitators and animal shelter workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-3 months to become both a wildlife rehabilitator and an animal shelter worker. Additionally, a wildlife rehabilitator has an average salary of $37,928, which is higher than the $33,011 average annual salary of an animal shelter worker.

The top three skills for a wildlife rehabilitator include wild animals, rehabilitation and diet preparation. The most important skills for an animal shelter worker are crisis intervention, mental health, and direct care.

Wildlife rehabilitator vs animal shelter worker overview

	Wildlife Rehabilitator	Animal Shelter Worker
Yearly salary	$37,928	$33,011
Hourly rate	$18.23	$15.87
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	11,399	72,185
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	3	3

Wildlife rehabilitator vs animal shelter worker salary

Wildlife rehabilitators and animal shelter workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Wildlife Rehabilitator	Animal Shelter Worker
Average salary	$37,928	$33,011
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $53,000	Between $22,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between wildlife rehabilitator and animal shelter worker education

There are a few differences between a wildlife rehabilitator and an animal shelter worker in terms of educational background:

	Wildlife Rehabilitator	Animal Shelter Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Biology	Psychology
Most common college	Duke University	Texas A&M University - Commerce

Wildlife rehabilitator vs animal shelter worker demographics

Here are the differences between wildlife rehabilitators' and animal shelter workers' demographics:

	Wildlife Rehabilitator	Animal Shelter Worker
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 20.3% Female, 79.7%	Male, 30.7% Female, 69.3%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 2.6% White, 68.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between wildlife rehabilitator and animal shelter worker duties and responsibilities

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.

Animal shelter worker example responsibilities.

Assist in managing shelter for animals and arranging for adoption or euthanasia of confiscate animals.
Maintain an aquatic system of zebrafish and rotifers.
Assist veterinarians, veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants in providing the best care possible for patients.
Milk animals such as cows and goats, by hand or using milking machines.

Wildlife rehabilitator vs animal shelter worker skills

Common wildlife rehabilitator skills

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

Common animal shelter worker skills

Crisis Intervention, 15%
Mental Health, 14%
Direct Care, 11%
Emergency Shelter, 10%
Client Intake, 10%
Community Resources, 9%

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Wildlife Rehabilitator
Wildlife Rehabilitator vs Animal Shelter Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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