What You Need to Know About Veterinary Technologist or Technician
Occupation 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
- Maintain laboratory, research, or treatment records, as well as inventories of pharmaceuticals, equipment, or supplies.
- Schedule appointments and procedures for animals.
- Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians.
- Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures.
- Observe the behavior and condition of animals and monitor their clinical symptoms.
- Clean kennels, animal holding areas, surgery suites, examination rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.
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Veterinary Tech Required Skills
When polled, Veterinary Technologists and Technicians say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
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.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
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.
Other Veterinary Tech Job Titles
- Surgery Technician (Surgery Tech)
- Veterinary Laboratory Technician (Veterinary Lab Tech)
- Animal Health Technician
- Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
- Clinical Laboratory Scientist
What Kind of Veterinary Tech Job Opportunities Are There?
There were about 102,000 jobs for Veterinary Technologist or Technician in 2016 (in the United States). 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. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 10,700 job openings in this field each 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 Salary
The average yearly salary of a Veterinary Tech ranges between $23,490 and $50,010.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians who work in Nevada, New York, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians 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 |
What Tools do Veterinary Technologists and Technicians Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Veterinary Technologists and Technicians may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Word processing software
- FileMaker Pro
- McAllister Software Systems AVImark
How to Become a Veterinary Tech
Individuals working as a Veterinary Technologist or Technician have obtained the following education levels:
How many years of work experience do I need?
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians Sector
The table below shows the approximate number of Veterinary Technologists and Technicians employed by various industries.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those thinking about becoming a Veterinary Technologist or Technician might also be interested in the following careers:
Are you already one of the many Veterinary Technologist or Technician in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Ryan Conroy via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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