How To Become A Certified Veterinary Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a certified veterinary technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

A certified veterinary technician is an individual who has completed a veterinary technology program and passed a national exam. They work alongside veterinarians to provide medical care to animals. Certified veterinary technicians can perform a wide range of tasks, including administering medication, taking X-rays, performing lab tests, and assisting with surgeries. Overall, they play an essential role in ensuring the health and well-being of animals in veterinary clinics and hospitals.

ScoreCertified Veterinary TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $40,449

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.7

Growth rate 20%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.27%

Asian 2.06%

Black or African American 2.66%

Hispanic or Latino 10.86%

Unknown 6.84%

White 77.31%

Gender

female 92.09%

male 7.91%

Age - 31

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 31

Stress level

9.7

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.9

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a certified veterinary technician?

Pros

Opportunity to work with animals
Ability to make a difference in the lives of animals
Job stability and growth potential
Variety of tasks and responsibilities
Opportunity to work in a fast-paced environment

Cons

Emotional stress of working with sick or injured animals
Physical demands of the job, including long hours on your feet and lifting heavy objects
Potential for workplace injuries, such as bites or scratches from animals
Need for ongoing education and certification requirements
High levels of responsibility for patient care and outcomes

Key steps to become a certified veterinary technician

Explore certified veterinary technician education requirements

Most common certified veterinary technician degrees

Associate

77.1 %

Bachelor's

18.0 %

Diploma

1.7 %

Start to develop specific certified veterinary technician skills

Skills	Percentages
PET	20.52%
Patients	11.85%
Anesthesia	6.31%
Patient Care	6.28%
Exam Rooms	5.73%

Complete relevant certified veterinary technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New certified veterinary technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a certified veterinary technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real certified veterinary technician resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed certified veterinary technician usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed certified veterinary technician in most of states. 30 states require certified veterinary technicians to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	-	-	Licensed Veterinarian Technician
Kansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Veterinary Technicians
Kentucky	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Veterinary Technologist/Technician
Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Veterinary Technician
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Veterinary Technician

Research certified veterinary technician duties and responsibilities

Place intravenous catheters manage iv lines and medication administration.
Skil in catheter placement, blood transfusions, bandaging, and all areas of animal nursing.
Qualify in anesthesia, surgical preparation, monitoring patients under anesthesia & preparing & sterilizing surgical packs.
Perform CPR and assist with other high pace emergencies.

Prepare your certified veterinary technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your certified veterinary technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a certified veterinary technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable certified veterinary technician resume templates

Build a professional certified veterinary technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your certified veterinary technician resume.