Veterinary Assistant/Technician
Veterinary assistants and technicians play crucial roles in the field of veterinary medicine, contributing to the care and treatment of animals. Veterinary technicians are more advanced in their training and responsibilities, performing tasks like physical exams, diagnostic testing, assisting in surgeries, and administering anesthesia, often requiring state credentialing. In contrast, veterinary assistants support these professionals by handling basic animal care, cleaning, and maintaining equipment, without the need for formal credentials.
Both roles are typically found in various settings, including animal hospitals, veterinary clinics, zoos, and research laboratories, where they may work with domesticated pets or exotic animals. Individuals interested in these careers should have a passion for animal care and strong interpersonal skills, as they frequently interact with both animals and their owners. Educational paths differ; veterinary technicians must complete an accredited program, while veterinary assistants often receive on-the-job training. Some may pursue certification through the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America. These roles are essential for maintaining the health and well-being of animals in diverse environments.
Veterinary Assistant/Technician
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources, Health Science
Interests: Animals, animal care, animal physiology, animal behavior, customer service
Earnings (Yearly Median): $29,780-$36,850 per year $14.32-$17.72 per hour
Employment & Outlook: 19-20% (Much faster than average)
Entry-Level Education High school diploma or equivalent; technicians need an associate's degree and state licensing
Related Work Experience None
On-the-job-Training Short-term on-the-job training
Overview
Veterinary technicians are more highly skilled than veterinary assistants and carry out tasks such as performing physical exams and diagnostic testing, assisting in surgery, and administering anesthesia. Most US states require veterinary technicians to be credentialed.
Veterinary assistants are involved with animal handling and feeding, kennel maintenance, examination and operating room cleanup, and equipment setup. Veterinary assistants do not need to be credentialed.
Sphere of Work. Veterinary technicians assist veterinarians in providing medical care for animals. They are the equivalent of nurses and medical technicians at human medical facilities, whereas veterinarians are comparable to doctors. They are not qualified, however, to diagnose medical conditions, perform surgery, or prescribe medications. Veterinary technicians can specialize in a number of fields, including anesthesia, surgery, dentistry, emergency care, and animal behavior. Where they work may be determined by their specialty.
Veterinary assistants aid veterinarians and veterinary technicians by tending to the daily needs of the animals under veterinary supervision and by setting up and cleaning equipment.
Work Environment. Veterinary technicians and assistants are usually employed at independent animal hospitals and veterinary clinics, but other facilities such as zoos, wildlife parks, humane societies, boarding kennels, and research laboratories need their services as well. At zoos and wildlife parks, veterinary technicians and assistants tend to many species of animals, including exotic animals. At veterinary clinics, animal hospitals, humane societies, and boarding kennels, they typically encounter domesticated animals such as dogs, cats, and rodents.
Occupation Interest. Anyone considering a career in the field of veterinary medicine, whether as a technician or an assistant, should enjoy being around animals since their daily responsibilities center around animal care. Good people skills are also necessary; veterinary technicians and assistants regularly interact with other staff members and, in the case of veterinary technicians, animal owners.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. At a veterinary clinic or animal hospital, the veterinary technician’s daily responsibilities are manifold. They may include taking patients’ temperature and pulse; performing diagnostic imaging; obtaining and testing blood, urine, and fecal samples; preparing and administering medications, fluids, and anesthesia; monitoring patients under anesthesia; assisting with surgery by passing instruments and suctioning and suturing incision sites; providing post-surgery wound care; and explaining home-care instructions to animal owners.
The daily responsibilities of a veterinary assistant at a veterinary clinic or hospital may consist of bathing, grooming, and feeding patients; cleaning and disinfecting cages, bedding, examination rooms, and operating rooms; stocking shelves and maintaining inventory; and assisting the veterinarian or veterinary technician by restraining and positioning patients.
Some veterinary technicians and assistants may be expected to do basic clerical tasks such as filing and retrieving veterinary medical records, making phone calls, and preparing invoices.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Veterinary technicians and assistants work in veterinary clinics and hospitals, which may be independent businesses or associated with zoos or wildlife parks. They also work at research laboratories, boarding kennels, and animal rescue shelters.
Human Environment. As a general rule, veterinary technicians and assistants are supervised by veterinarians. Those who work at research facilities may also be supervised by scientists. Veterinary technicians at research facilities help scientists by administering anesthesia to laboratory animals and collecting blood and tissue samples, while veterinary assistants tend to the laboratory animals’ daily needs.
In clinical settings, veterinary technicians meet with human clients to take animal histories and explain home-care instructions. Both veterinary technicians and assistants interact with support staff.
Technological Environment. Veterinary technicians are trained to use the diagnostic and surgical equipment typically found in clinics, such as digital X-ray machines, ultrasound machines, microscopes, pulse oximeters, electrocardiograph machines, monitoring systems, and anesthetic machines. Veterinary assistants do not use this equipment. Veterinary technicians and assistants may both be called on to do clerical tasks on a computer, such as handling scheduling and billing.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. High school students planning on applying to veterinary technician schools after graduation should maintain a high overall grade point average. Veterinary technician schools select applicants with an aptitude for science, so it is especially important that students not only take but do extremely well in classes like biology and chemistry.
Some high schools offer animal-care classes for credit. These classes, which teach animal anatomy and physiology, nutrition, and veterinary terms, prepare students for careers as veterinary technicians and assistants.
Postsecondary. The first step toward becoming a veterinary technician is enrolling in an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)-accredited veterinary technician program. To be credentialed in most states and therefore legally able to practice, veterinary technicians must graduate from one of these programs, which are offered at community colleges, universities, and specialized institutes around the United States. An AVMA-accredited veterinary technician program can be completed in two or four years and award either an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree.
Veterinary assistants do not need to be credentialed or have a college degree. Most, in fact, receive on-the-job training. They do have the option, however, to enroll in programs via the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA). Graduates are eligible to take the NAVTA-approved veterinary assistant exam, and those who pass the exam become "Approved Veterinary Assistants."
Related Occupations
Bibliography
“Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022: 31-9096 Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.” Occupational Employment Statistics. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 8 Sept. 2022, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes319096.htm. Accessed 5 Sept. 2023.
“Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 6 Sept. 2023, www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/veterinary-assistants-and-laboratory-animal-caretakers.htm. Accessed 28 Sept. 2023.