Wildlife rehabilitator vs pet care specialist

The differences between wildlife rehabilitators and pet care specialists 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 a pet care specialist. Additionally, a wildlife rehabilitator has an average salary of $37,928, which is higher than the $31,162 average annual salary of a pet care specialist.

The top three skills for a wildlife rehabilitator include wild animals, rehabilitation and diet preparation. The most important skills for a pet care specialist are PET, health issues, and customer service.

Wildlife rehabilitator vs pet care specialist overview

	Wildlife Rehabilitator	Pet Care Specialist
Yearly salary	$37,928	$31,162
Hourly rate	$18.23	$14.98
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	11,399	117,277
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	3	3

Wildlife rehabilitator vs pet care specialist salary

Wildlife rehabilitators and pet care specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Wildlife Rehabilitator	Pet Care Specialist
Average salary	$37,928	$31,162
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $53,000	Between $20,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between wildlife rehabilitator and pet care specialist education

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

	Wildlife Rehabilitator	Pet Care Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Duke University	Northwestern University

Wildlife rehabilitator vs pet care specialist demographics

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

	Wildlife Rehabilitator	Pet Care Specialist
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 20.3% Female, 79.7%	Male, 25.5% Female, 74.5%
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, 6.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 2.6% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between wildlife rehabilitator and pet care specialist 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.

Pet care specialist example responsibilities.

Achieve detailed grooming including skin, ear, nail care, coat clips and dental care.
Interact on a professional level with other pet food company representatives and honor their interaction with customers.
Handle cash and perform all transactions at customer checkout -inform customers on exceptional pet care while offering excellent customer service
Perform euthanasia once lab exercises are complete.
Complete and certify to administer euthanasia.
Assist in answering customer questions regarding grooming, scheduling grooming appointments and maintaining salon cleanliness and safety.

Wildlife rehabilitator vs pet care specialist skills

Common wildlife rehabilitator skills

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

Common pet care specialist skills

PET, 64%
Health Issues, 27%
Customer Service, 3%
Work Ethic, 1%
CPR, 1%
Walkers, 0%

Wildlife Rehabilitator vs. similar jobs

Wildlife Rehabilitator related careers

Wildlife Rehabilitator related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Personal Care and Attendants Industry
Wildlife Rehabilitator
Wildlife Rehabilitator vs Pet Care Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse personal care and attendants jobs