Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Agriculture, Food and Natural ResourcesO*NET 29-2056.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $46,981
- Projected change
- +13.2%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 133.87K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
41.3% of the workforce
Growing to 151.58K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What veterinary technologists and technicians do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals' responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted.
- Care for and monitor the condition of animals recovering from surgery.
- Perform laboratory tests on blood, urine, or feces, such as urinalyses or blood counts, to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of animal health problems.
- Maintain controlled drug inventory and related log books.
- Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians.
- Restrain animals during exams or procedures.
- Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures.
- Clean and sterilize instruments, equipment, or materials.
- Provide veterinarians with the correct equipment or instruments, as needed.
- Perform dental work, such as cleaning, polishing, or extracting teeth.
- Observe the behavior and condition of animals and monitor their clinical symptoms.
- Fill prescriptions, measuring medications and labeling containers.
- Give enemas and perform catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings, or gavages.
- Collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination.
- Prepare animals for surgery, performing such tasks as shaving surgical areas.
- Take and develop diagnostic radiographs, using x-ray equipment.
- Discuss medical health of pets with clients, such as post-operative status.
- Take animals into treatment areas and assist with physical examinations by performing such duties as obtaining temperature, pulse, or respiration data.
- Prepare treatment rooms for surgery.
- Clean kennels, animal holding areas, surgery suites, examination rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.
- Maintain laboratory, research, or treatment records, as well as inventories of pharmaceuticals, equipment, or supplies.
- Maintain instruments, equipment, or machinery to ensure proper working condition.
- Dress and suture wounds and apply splints or other protective devices.
- Provide assistance with animal euthanasia and the disposal of remains.
- Schedule appointments and procedures for animals.
- Provide information or counseling regarding issues such as animal health care, behavior problems, or nutrition.
- Monitor medical supplies and place orders when inventory is low.
- Supervise or train veterinary students or other staff members.
- Perform a variety of office, clerical, or accounting duties, such as reception, billing, bookkeeping, or selling products.
- Bathe animals, clip nails or claws, and brush or cut animals' hair.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $35,042
- 25th percentile
- $38,444
- 50th percentile
- $46,981
- 75th percentile
- $57,316
- 90th percentile
- $63,890
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $46,981 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+13.2%faster than average
2025133,874 jobs
2035 projected151,575 jobs
17,701 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 41.3%
- Associate degree
- 26.4%
- Certificate
- 14.6%
- Some college
- 7.4%
- Doctoral degree or more
- 5.5%
- Bachelor's degree
- 4.9%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- 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.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Veterinary Technicians11,366 postings
- 02Licensed Veterinary Technicians3,316 postings
- 03Registered Veterinary Technicians2,722 postings
- 04Certified Veterinary Technicians2,236 postings
- 05Credentialed Veterinary Technicians1,450 postings
- 06Emergency Veterinary Technicians1,421 postings
- 07Animal Care Technicians1,039 postings
- 08Lead Veterinary Technicians737 postings
- 09Animal Technicians667 postings
- 10Veterinary Hospital Managers288 postings
- 11Veterinary Oncologists272 postings
- 12Veterinary Technician Externs268 postings
- 13Laboratory Animal Technicians210 postings
- 14Animal Health Technicians189 postings
- 15Veterinary Kennel Assistants166 postings
- 16Small Animal Veterinarians148 postings
- 17Kennel Technicians146 postings
- 18Animal Research Technicians142 postings
- 19Office Managers/Veterinary Technicians142 postings
- 20Student Externs140 postings
Top employers
- 01Ethos Veterinary Health1,224 postings
- 02VCA Animal Hospitals1,084 postings
- 03Veterinary Emergency Group908 postings
- 04BluePearl805 postings
- 05Medical Management International765 postings
- 06Banfield Pet Hospital662 postings
- 07PetVet Care Centers456 postings
- 08Thrive Pet Healthcare435 postings
- 09Metropolitan Veterinary Associates414 postings
- 10MedVet368 postings
- 11PetCo330 postings
- 12Veterinary Practice Partners316 postings
- 13Alliance Animal Health295 postings
- 14VetCor186 postings
- 15Community Veterinary Partners182 postings
- 16Goodvets182 postings
- 17Petfolk137 postings
- 18Pieper Veterinary Hospital128 postings
- 19Charles River Laboratories112 postings
- 20Veritas Veterinary Partners107 postings
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