Wildlife technician vs research technician

The differences between wildlife technicians and research technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a wildlife technician and a research technician. Additionally, a research technician has an average salary of $43,034, which is higher than the $33,462 average annual salary of a wildlife technician.

The top three skills for a wildlife technician include GPS, hand tools and harvest. The most important skills for a research technician are patients, data collection, and cell culture.

Wildlife technician vs research technician overview

	Wildlife Technician	Research Technician
Yearly salary	$33,462	$43,034
Hourly rate	$16.09	$20.69
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	9,809	64,786
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

What does a wildlife technician do?

A wildlife technician is responsible for supporting wildlife biologists and management personnel on conducting research projects for habitat preservation and environmental welfare. Wildlife technicians create data reports, assist in laboratory examinations, collect biological samples, and maintaining the safety and security of the premises by observing surveillance equipment and adhering to safety policies and protocols. They also operate and inspect the efficiency of tools and equipment, provide routine maintenance, and request immediate repairs as necessary. A wildlife technician helps in planning wildlife programs and managing information dissemination to the public.

What does a research technician do?

A research technician is responsible for assisting in research studies and laboratory experiments. Research technicians operate laboratory tools and equipment, process data for experiments, collect samples for study, analyze existing research materials, analyze experiment results, manage inventories and stock supplies, record observations, and create reports for further examination. A research technician must have strong analytical and scientific knowledge, as well as a passion for research writing and investigations crucial for this kind of industry.

Wildlife technician vs research technician salary

Wildlife technicians and research technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Wildlife Technician	Research Technician
Average salary	$33,462	$43,034
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $44,000	Between $31,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	Pasadena, CA
Highest paying state	New Hampshire	Connecticut
Best paying company	Boulder County	GCP Applied Technologies
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between wildlife technician and research technician education

There are a few differences between a wildlife technician and a research technician in terms of educational background:

	Wildlife Technician	Research Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	Duke University	Cornell University

Wildlife technician vs research technician demographics

Here are the differences between wildlife technicians' and research technicians' demographics:

	Wildlife Technician	Research Technician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5%	Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 10.1% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 16.5% White, 49.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.4%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between wildlife technician and research technician duties and responsibilities

Wildlife technician example responsibilities.

Lead fish exclusion and relocation efforts, using backpack electro fishing gear.
Research new techniques to properly manage invasive species such a common carp.
Perform automated DNA and RNA extraction of clinical specimens.
Collect and process biological samples for epidemiology PCR and RT-PCR studies.
Work with other volunteers and sometimes independently to search for, identify and record GPS coordinates of invasive plant species.
Extract nematode specimens from soil samples, remount old nematode slides, and enter vital information into USDA nematode collection database.

Research technician example responsibilities.

Manage a DNA database and work with researchers to retrieve or send out samples and results.
Lead experiments to assess survivor behavior differences in zebrafish contaminate with dietary mercury.
Prepare reagents for use in processing samples, DNA and RNA extractions, and QC.
Investigate and validate various acute phase protein assays as OA biomarkers in rodent animal models.
Perform DNA extraction and analysis for the purpose of identifying bacterial strand for waste stream characterization.
Extend course knowledge of CRISPR to experiment.

Wildlife technician vs research technician skills

Common wildlife technician skills

GPS, 9%
Hand Tools, 8%
Harvest, 7%
Data Entry, 6%
Wildlife Habitat, 6%
GRASS, 5%

Common research technician skills

Patients, 9%
Data Collection, 6%
Cell Culture, 5%
Laboratory Equipment, 5%
Research Projects, 4%
Lab Equipment, 3%

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Life, Physical, and Social Science Industry
Wildlife Technician
Wildlife Technician vs Research Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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