How Much Would Veterinary Technician Earnings Be?
TheLoudestVoice | August 29, 2011Veterinary 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.





