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Animal Care Assistant Jobs in Ruthton, MN (NOW HIRING)

Pipestone (Emp Serv LLC)

Swine Technician-Bobcat

Elkton, SD · On-site

$14.75 - $19.75/hr

... piglet care, including feeding and processing. * Assist in breeding activities, including ... Maintain accurate records of animal health, treatments, and performance in a timely manner

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Animal Care Assistant information

See Ruthton, MN salary details

$8

$17

$29

How much do animal care assistant jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 5, 2026, the average hourly pay for animal care assistant in Ruthton, MN is $17.36, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $13.94 and $20.43 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an animal care assistant?

Animal care assistants are professionals who support the daily care and well-being of animals in settings like veterinary clinics, animal shelters, zoos, and research facilities. Their duties typically include feeding, grooming, exercising animals, cleaning enclosures, and monitoring animal health and behavior. They may also assist veterinarians or other staff with medical procedures and record-keeping. Compassion, attention to detail, and good communication skills are important traits for this role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an animal care assistant, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Animal Care Assistant, you need a basic understanding of animal health, handling, and husbandry, often supported by a high school diploma or animal care certification. Familiarity with animal management software, cleaning equipment, and medical or grooming tools is typically required. Compassion, reliability, and strong communication skills help build trust with animals and collaborate effectively with veterinary staff. These skills ensure the well-being of animals, maintain a safe environment, and support the smooth operation of animal care facilities.

What is the difference between Animal Care Assistant vs Veterinary Technician?

AspectAnimal Care AssistantVeterinary Technician
Required CredentialsHigh school diploma or equivalent; on-the-job trainingAssociate degree in veterinary technology; certification required
Work EnvironmentAnimal shelters, kennels, pet stores, clinicsVeterinary clinics, hospitals, animal clinics
Employer & Industry UsageAnimal care facilities, shelters, pet storesVeterinary practices, animal hospitals
Common Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding entry-level animal care rolesExploring technical veterinary roles and certifications

Animal Care Assistants typically perform basic animal handling, feeding, and cleaning tasks in shelters or pet stores, often with minimal formal education. Veterinary Technicians have more advanced responsibilities, including assisting veterinarians with medical procedures, requiring specialized training and certification. Both roles are essential in animal care, but Veterinary Technicians have a broader scope of medical duties and higher qualifications.

What does an animal care assistant do?

Animal care assistant help feed and care for one or more animals. In this role, you may provide obedience training for a pet, groom animals, or assist other caregivers as necessary. Many animal care assistants specialize in specific areas, such as farm animals, marine mammals, or horses. This is not a veterinary position, though some animal care assistants work with vets to provide additional services to clients and customers. Many of the specific job duties of this position depend on the employer. For example, animal care assistants who work at zoos may be responsible for feeding animals or cleaning habitats, while animal care assistants at pet stores may help clean and groom animals daily in preparation for adoption.

What are some common challenges animal care assistants face in their daily work, and how can they be addressed?

Animal Care Assistants often encounter challenges such as managing a high workload, handling stressed or uncooperative animals, and maintaining strict hygiene standards. These can be addressed by developing strong time-management and observation skills, following established safety protocols, and seeking guidance from more experienced staff. Building rapport with animals and learning to recognize signs of stress can also help create a safer and more comfortable environment for both pets and staff. Teamwork and clear communication with veterinarians and other assistants are essential for overcoming these daily challenges.
More about Animal Care Assistant jobs
What job categories do people searching Animal Care Assistant jobs in Ruthton, MN look for? The top searched job categories for Animal Care Assistant jobs in Ruthton, MN are:
What cities near Ruthton, MN are hiring for Animal Care Assistant jobs? Cities near Ruthton, MN with the most Animal Care Assistant job openings:
Animal Care Assistant jobs near you
Infographic showing various Animal Care Assistant job openings in Ruthton, MN as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 73% Full Time, 25% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $36,099 per year, or $17.4 per hour.

GDU Animal Care Technician

Christensen Farms

Lake Benton, MN • On-site

$20/hr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 3 days ago

Job description

Are you interested in working with pigs? Do you want to work for a company where excellence is recognized and advancement opportunities are earned?
Christensen Farms is seeking both entry level and experienced Animal Care Technicians to join our full-time gilt development team. We look forward to matching your abilities with our company's goals!
As an Animal Care Technician working in a Gilt Development Unit with Christensen Farms, you'll be a member of one of the nation's top producing teams. Every day you'll be a part of providing quality pork to help feed a growing world and doing hands on work that makes a difference for the pig herd and your team.
If selected for this job, you'll be responsible for upholding our high biosecurity and animal welfare standards. As an Animal Care Technician in a Gilt Development Unit, you'll receive training to provide outstanding animal care and handling and maintain pig herd health and vaccination programs across multiple gilt development sites. You'll be responsible to care for growing pigs and maintain required gilt records while executing the heat induction process. In addition, you'll assist in gilt blood testing and ventilation adjustments.
PAY AND BENEFITS
Christensen Farms is offering a Sign-On & Retention Bonus of $2,500 for all eligible newly-hired Animal Care Technicians.
This Animal Care Technician position starts at $20.00/hr. We also offer a great benefits package including health, dental, vision, a flexible spending account (FSA), life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, a 401(k) plan, paid holidays, a paid time off bank, and an employee assistance program (EAP).
REQUIREMENTS
This Animal Care Technician position requires site to site travel using your own vehicle. If you are selected for the position, you will need to submit a copy of a valid driver's license and current proof of auto insurance.
ABOUT CHRISTENSEN FARMS
We are one of the largest family-owned pork producers in the United States, marketing approximately 3 million pigs per year. Headquartered in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, we operate throughout the Midwest with facilities in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, and South Dakota. We own three feed mills, manage 148,000 sows on 44 sow farms and oversee more than 350 nursery and grow-finish sites. We employ nearly 1,000 people and maintain 1,500 contract partnerships. The company is vertically integrated with a strong presence across the pork value chain from farm to fork.
At Christensen Farms, we bring passion and pride to our daily work. We know every task contributes to our noble purpose of providing safe, nutritious food to nearly 15 million people around the world. Our dedicated team encompasses people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, working together with the utmost care, safety and integrity to produce high quality pork. We also assist employees in achieving their career goals through personal and professional development. Employee innovation is key to our industry leadership. Our employees are an essential element in our success their passion drives our purpose.
WORK SCHEDULE
Although hours may vary, the typical work schedule for an Animal Care Technician position is Monday through Friday, 7:00 am 3:30 pm and every other weekend. Depending on the pig load schedule, you may be required to start earlier or stay later. This full-time job averages 40-45 hours a week.
If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, apply today!
Christensen Farms is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy to select the most qualified person for each position in the organization. No employee of CF will discriminate against any applicant for employment or a fellow employee because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, citizenship status, genetic information, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, veteran status or any other prohibited basis under applicable local, state, or federal law.

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