How to Become a Vet Tech

By: Joey Bryant, DVM

Last Updated: Dec 22, 2018

Veterinary technicians (sometimes informally called vet techs) provide the front-line care animal patients need to recover from illness and injury and maintain good health. Working under the direction and supervision of a licensed veterinarian, veterinary technicians improve the welfare of dogs, cats, exotic pets, lab animals, farm animals and zoo animals by assisting in their healthcare and making them as comfortable as possible during medical procedures.

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The role of a veterinary technician combines elements of many disciplines such as nursing, imaging, lab work, and customer service.

For animal lovers with a passion for science, a career as a veterinary technician is extremely rewarding. Technicians often see the same patients throughout their entire lives and develop close, caring relationships with the animals and their owners. The care and education technicians provide make an immense difference in an animal’s quality of life, both in the medical setting and in the animal’s home environment.

Workplace Details

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 91% of veterinary technicians work in the veterinary services industry at:

• Private clinics
• Animal hospitals (general, specialty, or emergency practice)
• Boarding facilities
• Animal shelters
• Rescue leagues
• Zoos

Veterinary technicians are also employed in non-traditional settings such as livestock facilities, wildlife control services, research laboratories, government agencies, pharmaceutical sales, veterinary medical equipment sales, and the military.

A veterinary technician’s work schedule depends on the type and place of employment. For instance, those working at 24-hour facilities may work evenings, weekends and/or holidays. In private clinics, technicians are more likely to have regular business hours, although they may occasionally need to stay late or through lunch to work on a sick patient; come in some evenings and/or weekends to feed and care for hospitalized patients; or come in early to admit early-morning hospital or surgery patients.

Hover over any state to explore local income and job growth data.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual median salary for veterinary technicians is $31,800. The middle 80% earn between $21,890 and $47,410. According to the 2015 Firstline Career Path Survey, the average hourly wage for a credentialed veterinary technician is $17.40 (an average of $2-4 more per hour than a non-credentialed veterinary assistant).

Salaries are generally highest for veterinary technicians working in colleges, research laboratories and government agencies. Those in specialties such as dentistry, anesthesia, animal behavior or surgery also command above-average salaries. Earnings generally rise commensurate with education and experience.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, employment of veterinary technicians is expected to increase by 19% between 2014 and 2024, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is due to many factors, including the rise in status of pets as family members, novel medical advances in diagnostics and procedures, and the availability of specialized care within the veterinary profession (i.e. veterinary dentists, veterinary orthopedic surgeons, and veterinary cardiologists, to name a few). The result of the changing veterinary climate is a pet-owning population that seeks more complex procedures and specialized, personalized care for their animals. This, in turn, increases the demand for credentialed veterinary technicians and veterinary technician specialists to achieve the highest quality healthcare available. Now is an exciting time to become a credentialed veterinary technician!

This is the first step that you must do before pursuing your higher education degree.

The most accepted way to become a veterinary technician is to complete a two-year veterinary technician program that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), culminating in an associate degree. Only three states – Alaska, California and Wisconsin – allow on-the-job training (OJT) as an alternate pathway to becoming a credentialed veterinary technician.

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There are over 160 of these two-year associate degree programs across the United States at community colleges, colleges or universities. If it is inconvenient to physically attend an accredited campus, there are also currently nine distance learning programs that are accredited by the AVMA.

Alternatively, you can enter a four-year AVMA-accredited degree program to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in veterinary technology. Currently, twenty-three universities award four-year bachelor’s degrees in veterinary technology. This pathway is especially desirable for candidates who wish to work in research laboratories or eventually pursue veterinary school.

Credentialing of veterinary technicians is becoming mandatory in the majority of states. Depending on the state, the credentialed veterinary technician may be:

• “Licensed” (LVT) by a given authority such as the state veterinary medical board
• “Certified” (CVT) by a private or professional program
• “Registered” (RVT) by a governmental agency

In all but three states (currently Alaska, California and Wisconsin), a credentialed veterinary technician must complete a state-approved training program (all AVMA-accredited programs are state-approved) and pass an exam. The state test is often waived for those who have passed the Veterinary Technician National Exam.

Experienced veterinary technicians are often promoted to supervisory roles in which they train and/or direct the work of junior technicians and veterinary assistants. During their career, veterinary technicians are given many opportunities for continuing education (by attending events/conventions or participating in online education). This empowers the veterinary technician to take on new skills and perhaps choose an area of specialty within their practice or organization.

Today, there are many opportunities to pursue advanced specialization and certification beyond the credentialed veterinary technician. Becoming a veterinary technician specialist not only allows technicians to pursue and perform advanced skills they have mastered through their specialty training and education, but this advanced training allows veterinarians to focus their time and expertise on skills only they are licensed to perform. The outcome is a more efficient veterinary team, the best care for the patient, and a happier pet owner.

Finally, it is not uncommon for a veterinary technician to go on to become a veterinarian. Their certification and work experience are significant advantages during the highly competitive vet school admissions process.

Do you need a degree to become a vet tech? The answer is usually yes, but a few states have an alternate route to credentialing. For example, vet techs in Alaska, Wisconsin, and California can sit for the credentialing exam after training on the job and attending classes and conferences.

It’s also worth noting that some states don’t mandate the licensure of vet techs. In those states, it’s possible to train on the job and practice without a degree or license. However, licensure is usually preferred by employers - especially by those that pay well. Licensure may also be necessary to work in certain settings like research labs, government agencies, academic veterinary medicine, or pharmaceutical sales.

The most common pathway to becoming a veterinary technician is to earn an AS or AAS degree in veterinary technology. If your goal is to work in a private clinic, this is a great place to start.

There are currently over 160 vet tech associate degree programs in the United States. These are offered by two- and four-year universities and career schools. Nine accredited programs have a distance option, which can be helpful for working students and those in rural areas.

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Most state licensing bodies require vet techs to graduate from a program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association. (Some, like California, approve additional programs.) Credits from accredited programs are also easier to transfer if you later wish to complete your bachelor’s degree.

When choosing a vet tech school, watch out for non-accredited programs, including correspondence courses. These schools are subject to looser quality control, and the degree they award won’t qualify you for state licensure.

Associate-level vet tech coursework covers laboratory and imaging procedures, animal science and behavior, and specialty areas like anesthesiology and critical care. Here are some common courses for this level:

As a vet tech student, you’ll also rotate through a variety of clinical settings like small animal clinics, specialty hospitals, and shelters. This is a great opportunity to practice your new skills under supervision.

A veterinary technologist is a technician who holds a BS or BAS in veterinary technology. Technicians and technologists perform many of the same job functions, and in most states they hold the same license. However, having a bachelor’s degree can be useful if you want to work in:

• Behavioral counseling
• Research laboratories
• Specialty hospitals and practices
• Pharmaceutical and veterinary equipment sales
• Teaching
• Clinical leadership and management
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Zoo and shelter medicine

Bachelor’s programs typically cover the same technology courses as an AAS degree. However, bachelor’s students gain additional skills in leadership and case and project management. They also have more ability to specialize in an area of interest like small animals, large animals, zoo animals, or management.

Some courses available to bachelor’s level vet tech students:

Bachelor’s degree students also rotate through a variety of clinical settings in order to gain clinical experience.

There are currently 23 AVMA-accredited veterinary technology bachelor’s programs in the United States. All are at four-year universities. Some programs offer a distance option. Others offer a shorter degree-completion track for technicians who already hold an AAS.

The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) currently recognizes 14 specialty academies. Vet techs who spend 75 percent of their working hours in one of these areas may be eligible for designation as a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS).

Each specialty academy sets educational, experience, training and testing requirements for its credential. Candidates must typically be licensed, submit case logs, document experience hours and continuing education, and pass an exam.

The following is a list of NAVTA-approved specialty academies. Some offer subspecialty credentials, which are listed alongside.

• Anesthesia and analgesia
• Behavioral
• Clinical pathology
• Clinical practice – canine/feline; feline; exotic companion animal; production medicine
• Dental
• Dermatology
• Emergency and critical care
• Equine
• Internal medicine – small animal; large animal; cardiology; neurology; oncology
• Nutrition
• Opthalmic
• Surgical
• Zoological
• Laboratory animals

The American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) is a professional association that offers four additional credentials for technicians and lab managers:

• Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT)
• Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT)
• Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATG)
• Certified Manager of Animal Resources (CMAR)