Becoming a Veterinary Technician as a Viable Career

In the animal care profession, a veterinary technician can be compared to a nurse in the medical field. A veterinary technician works in assisting a veterinarian in providing expert care to the animals under supervision of the veterinarian. He also provides assistance to the owners of these animals in various capacities and requirements.

Roles of a Veterinary Technician

A veterinary technician performs tasks such as administering medicine through oral means or injection, taking blood samples and tests, taking tissue samples, administering anaesthesia, and the like. A veterinary technician is also expected to perform patient-care procedures, such as taking of blood pressure and pulse rate, dressing of wounds, cleaning of teeth, and other things that might be expected from a nurse and a nurse’s assistant in a human setting. A veterinary technician also assists the veterinarian during surgical procedures.

Apart from the medical side of the profession, a veterinary technician is also expected to handle administrative matters of the clinic’s practice, whenever necessary. For example, the veterinary technician can handle the veterinary doctor’s appointments and operative schedules, in the absence of a veterinarian’s assistant. He also takes inventory of medicines, supplies and equipment, and will take care of replenishing these as necessary. A vet tech would also have to take care of cleaning out animal habitats, as the need arises.

Risks Faced by Veterinary Technicians

Just like a veterinary doctor, a veterinary technician will also face certain risks. In practicing one’s profession in a daily setting, a veterinary technician is exposed to injured or sick animals. In some cases, the job will also be physically demanding—a vet tech would sometimes have to restrain an animal, which might expose him to scratches, bumps and bites.

Training Requirements

Obtaining a license in veterinary medicine would usually require a four-year college degree and a four-year veterinary medicine degree. Becoming a veterinary technician is not as rigorous, though, and is an ideal career course for animal lovers who might not have the resources to go to vet med school. Entry-level requirements will include a two-year associate degree from a college program accredited by the American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA). Most US states will also require certification for a candidate to be able to practice his profession as a veterinary technician.

Career Outlook

Employment statistics indicate that the demand for veterinary technicians is expected to grow through 2016. This is partly due to the fast growth of the number of affluent pet owners expected to seek medical treatment, aid and assistance for their animals. Approximately 30,000 new positions are expected to be added in the next six years.

Typical Salary

The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the average income for a veterinary technician in the United States is $28,920 in 2007, with an hourly wage at about $14. Vet techs working in federal offices earned the highest wages, at $43,380 annually, while those working in pharmaceutical and medical production earned $42,240 annually.