What You Need to Know About Veterinary Technologist or Technician
Job Description: Perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals. Prepare vaccines and serums for prevention of diseases. Prepare tissue samples, take blood samples, and execute laboratory tests, such as urinalysis and blood counts. Clean and sterilize instruments and materials and maintain equipment and machines. May assist a veterinarian during surgery.
Life As a Veterinary Tech: What Do They Do?
- Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals’ responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted.
- Take animals into treatment areas and assist with physical examinations by performing such duties as obtaining temperature, pulse, or respiration data.
- Fill prescriptions, measuring medications and labeling containers.
- Prepare treatment rooms for surgery.
- Take and develop diagnostic radiographs, using x-ray equipment.
- Care for and monitor the condition of animals recovering from surgery.
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Things a Veterinary Tech Should Know How to Do
These are the skills Veterinary Technologists and Technicians say are the most useful in their careers:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Types of Veterinary Technologist or Technician
- Veterinary Laboratory Technician (Veterinary Lab Tech)
- Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)
- Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
- Veterinary Nurse
- Animal Technician
What Kind of Veterinary Tech Job Opportunities Are There?
In the United States, there were 102,000 jobs for Veterinary Technologist or Technician in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 20% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 20,400 new jobs for Veterinary Technologist or Technician by 2026. There will be an estimated 10,700 positions for Veterinary Tech per year.
The states with the most job growth for Veterinary Tech are Utah, Nevada, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Ohio, Maine, or District of Columbia. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Veterinary Tech Average Salary
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians make between $23,490 and $50,010 a year.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians who work in Nevada, New York, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
How much do Veterinary Technologists and Technicians make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $31,480 |
Alaska | $39,550 |
Arizona | $33,910 |
Arkansas | $29,990 |
California | $41,920 |
Colorado | $36,390 |
Connecticut | $43,340 |
Delaware | $34,670 |
District of Columbia | $37,140 |
Florida | $33,280 |
Georgia | $31,690 |
Hawaii | $35,950 |
Idaho | $31,660 |
Illinois | $36,750 |
Indiana | $32,030 |
Iowa | $35,500 |
Kansas | $33,920 |
Kentucky | $32,450 |
Louisiana | $26,410 |
Maine | $36,760 |
Maryland | $36,190 |
Massachusetts | $40,990 |
Michigan | $37,420 |
Minnesota | $38,740 |
Mississippi | $36,060 |
Missouri | $31,910 |
Montana | $31,580 |
Nebraska | $33,190 |
Nevada | $46,370 |
New Hampshire | $34,900 |
New Jersey | $37,630 |
New Mexico | $34,150 |
New York | $43,190 |
North Carolina | $32,760 |
North Dakota | $35,990 |
Ohio | $33,170 |
Oklahoma | $29,600 |
Oregon | $36,670 |
Pennsylvania | $36,860 |
Rhode Island | $35,670 |
South Carolina | $31,630 |
South Dakota | $33,720 |
Tennessee | $31,150 |
Texas | $31,010 |
Utah | $30,560 |
Vermont | $34,680 |
Virginia | $39,060 |
Washington | $38,220 |
West Virginia | $30,360 |
Wisconsin | $33,870 |
Wyoming | $31,620 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Veterinary Technologists and Technicians:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Word processing software
- FileMaker Pro
- McAllister Software Systems AVImark
Becoming a Veterinary Tech
Education needed to be a Veterinary Technologist or Technician:
What work experience do I need to become a Veterinary Tech?
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those thinking about becoming a Veterinary Technologist or Technician might also be interested in the following careers:
Those who work as a Veterinary Technologist or Technician sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Ryan Conroy via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.