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Veterinary technicians work as assistants of veterinary doctors. They are also called veterinary technologists or simply vet tech. Although the job of a vet tech might not sound very lucrative but the average veterinary technician salary might be reason enough to pursue a career in this field. The job of a vet tech includes the following:

• microscopy

• urinalysis

• microbiology

• hematology

• blood chemistry

• venipucture

• urine collection

• scraping skins,

• lab procedures

• radiograph processing

• administer anesthesia and medicine

• dressing wounds

• putting splints

• recording pulse, respiration, temperature

• catheterizations

• tube and intravenous feedings

It is necessary for a vet tech to know how to operate certain equipments like radiographic, ultrasonographic, electrocardiographic, gamma camera and other devices. Literally, vet techs are jack-of-all-trades. Individuals who want to become veterinary technicians must possess a certificate as one. Aspirants need to complete a 2-year or 3-year associate study on veterinary technology from schools recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) or the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA).

The bachelor’s degree takes 4 years to finish; however, those who are terminating their studies after 2 or 3 years receive an associate’s degree as veterinary technologists. Both AVMA and CVMA are responsible for certifying universities and colleges with Bachelor’s degrees or Associate’s degrees. However, some state in the United States do not require this anymore.

The accreditation is essential to ensure the quality of education through the curriculum being taught at school. All training programs have to be intensive so students learn all the skills and information needed to equip them as animal healthcare providers. Like any medical studies, veterinary technology also requires students to undergo on-the-job training as a final requirement. The practical training can be performed in animal clinics, supervised by certified veterinary technicians.

So how much is the veterinary technician salary? The average veterinary technician salary varies on many factors like the state where the vet tech practices his profession, his level of experience and number of years in service. A licensed veterinary technician receives an annual salary of $34,000 USD; at least for those with two to four years of experience. Hourly rate is around $10 – $18 USD, while overtime rate is around $14 – 28 USD. Animal laboratory technicians get an annual salary of $29,000 USD while veterinary research health technicians receive around $40,000 USD per annum.

There can be different job descriptions and job focus for vet techs. The veterinary technician salary scale also varies on what a vet technician does. Individuals who are yet starting with their vet tech careers are advised to secure accreditation or license to increase their average veterinary technician salary or to take further studies. The more experience and education upgrade are added in the value chain, the higher the salary goes.

Making a career in medicine is an excellent choice especially since it is one of the emerging areas of employment today. A genreal awareness of health and fitness is inescapable today, and people are all quite careful. Also, America’s largest population – the baby boomers – are now reaching old age which will also result in an increase in demand for medical professionals including doctors, nurses and home health care volunteers. Medicine is a field that offers a large number of options to those who start out on it. There are a variety of openings for medical students, whether on your own or part of an established organisation in pharmaceutical research or occupational medicine.

The only difficulty  is that you can’t just jump into a career in medicine without proper training. Those aspiring to get into medicine must enroll in medical career training which pre-requisites that you take a pre-medicine course at the university level. During the last year of medical school, it is common to see students participate in internships. To specialize in medical careers, students apply for residencies in their area of specialization which takes about three to six years to complete, depending on the enrolled program. The amount of time taken to complete a residency is determined by the curriculum for a speciality.

Medical career training centers are not too difficult to find in the United States. The internet provides a large number of resources to find the right medical career training center near you. Carefully evaluate the benefits of different medical career training programs from different medical career training centers and take up one that would benefit you most. The goal of a medical career training center is to impart necessary skills for graduates to be selected in leading hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacies and medical centers. To be able to function efficiently and be an effective member of a team, students who follow medical career training have to have a mixture of classroom knowledge and practical know-how. Medical billing is another area that is getting more attention now. This profession requires extensive amounts of training. Medical career training centers also have programs that can help graduates interested in becoming a medical biller.
Some of the very advanced and complex fields of medicine also require training beyond residencies. These professions include cardiology, endocrinology, cardiothoracic surgery, pediatric surgery, reproductive endocrinology and maternal-fetal medicine.