Veterinary Technologists and Techs

Career Overview

Veterinary technologists and technicians work alongside veterinarians to care for animals and support diagnosis and treatment. They may perform lab tests, take X-rays, assist with surgery, monitor anesthesia, collect samples, and help with preventive care. Modern veterinary practices may also use digital imaging, advanced diagnostic equipment, and specialized technology.

Education

Veterinary technicians typically complete a 2- to 3-year college program in veterinary or animal health technology, while veterinary technologists may complete a four-year degree, depending on the jurisdiction. Registration, certification, or licensing may also be required.

Work Environment

Veterinary technologists and technicians work in veterinary clinics, animal hospitals, laboratories, shelters, zoos, research facilities, and other animal-care settings. The work is hands-on and can be physically demanding, with some positions requiring evenings, weekends, or holidays.

Future Outlook

The outlook is strong, with employment projected to grow faster than average in the coming years. Demand is supported by growing pet ownership, increased spending on animal care, and advances in veterinary medicine and treatment options. New diagnostic technology and specialized veterinary services may create additional opportunities.

Recommended High School Courses

Chemistry
Biology
Volunteer at an animal shelter!
Communication
Health science
Computer Studies

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.
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Extent Flexibility - The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Hold patients to ensure proper positioning or safety.
Give medications or immunizations.
Monitor patients to detect health problems.
Monitor patient progress or responses to treatments.
Control prescription refills or authorizations.
Clean patient rooms or patient treatment rooms.
Assess physical conditions of patients to aid in diagnosis or treatment.
Conduct diagnostic tests to determine patient health.
Assist practitioners to perform medical procedures.
Collect biological specimens from patients.
Perform clerical work in medical settings.
Clean medical equipment.
Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
Schedule patient procedures or appointments.
Record vital statistics or other health information.
Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
Prepare medical instruments or equipment for use.
Feed patients.
Prepare patient treatment areas for use.
Stock medical or patient care supplies.
Teach medical procedures or medical equipment use to patients.
Dispose of biomedical waste in accordance with standards.
Prepare medical reports or documents.
Assist patients with daily activities.
Inventory medical supplies or equipment.
Process medical billing information.
Order medical supplies or equipment.
Sell products or services.

Schools

Albion College

Alfred State College

Alvernia University

Angelo State University

Asbury University

Ashworth College- Norcros...

Assumption College

Auburn University

Augustana University

Austin Community College...

Bakersfield College- Pano...

Ball State University

Barry University

Baylor University

Belmont University

Berea College

Bismarck State College

Carrington College- Citru...

Carrington College- Mesa...

Carrington College- Phoen...

Carrington College- Pleas...

Carrington College- Portl...

Carrington College- Sacra...

Carrington College- San J...

Carrington College- San L...

Carrington College- Spoka...

Carrington College- Stock...

Carrington College- Tucso...

Carroll College

Central Texas College

Centre College

Coastal Alabama Community...

Coe College

Colby Community College

Davidson College

Eastern Florida State Col...

Eastern New Mexico Univer...

Eastern University

Eckerd College

Edinboro University

Elizabethtown College

Ferris State University

Fort Valley State Univers...

Franklin And Marshall Col...

Louisiana State Universit...

Matanuska-susitna College

Michigan State University

Miller-motte College- Ral...

New England Institute Of...

Nicholls State University

Ohio State University-mai...

Southern Technical Colleg...

Suny At Canton

Suny College Of Veterinar...

Suny Plattsburgh

Tarleton State University

University Of Delaware

University Of Georgia

University Of Maryland- C...

University Of Massachuset...

University Of Nebraska- L...

University Of Nevada- Ren...

Wesleyan College

Wofford College

Academy Of Learning- H...

Bow Valley College- Do...

Campion College

Canadian Mennonite Uni...

Cdi College- Richmond...

Cdi College- Surrey Ca...

Centre For Arts And Te...

Douglas College- Coqui...

Georgian College- Oril...

Granville College

Insignia College Of He...

Lakehead University- O...

Lakeland College- Verm...

Maritime Business Coll...

Olds College- Main Cam...

Oulton College- Main C...

Saskatchewan Polytechn...

Seneca College- King C...

Sprott Shaw Community...

Universite De Montreal...

Vancouver Career Colle...

USA

Canada

Potential Scholarships

5 Strong Scholarship

Agnes M. Lindsay Scholars...

Approx Salary Expectation

Low End:

$32,000.00 /yr

Avg/Med:

$46,000.00 /yr

High End:

$61,000.00 /yr

Related Careers

Biological Engineering

Occupational Therapist Assistant

Surgical Technologists

Radiologic and MRI Technologists

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Trend Analysis - Explorer the Market, Labour Market Information, Government of Canada https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/trend-analysis.
O*NET OnLine, National Center for O*NET Development, https://www.onetonline.org/.