Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between clinical technicians and licensed veterinary technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a clinical technician and a licensed veterinary technician. Additionally, a licensed veterinary technician has an average salary of $40,369, which is higher than the $35,760 average annual salary of a clinical technician.
The top three skills for a clinical technician include patients, vital signs and phlebotomy. The most important skills for a licensed veterinary technician are PET, patients, and anesthesia.
| Clinical Technician | Licensed Veterinary Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,760 | $40,369 |
| Hourly rate | $17.19 | $19.41 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 20% |
| Number of jobs | 161,812 | 29,983 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Associate Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 44 | 32 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A clinical technician is responsible for operating and maintaining clinical equipment, ensuring the proper sterilization of all laboratory tools and kits to avoid contamination during medical procedures. Clinical technicians assist the patients with their medical inquiries and needs, collecting samples for laboratory, and helping medical professionals on surgeries and other medical operations. They also maintain medical charts, update patients' information on the database, and administer patients' medication. A clinical technician must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry, as well as strictly following internal guidelines and safety procedures during operations.
A licensed veterinary technician serves as the assistant of the veterinarian who is responsible for doing clinical work inside a clinic or a veterinary hospital. They monitor and observe the current health situation of an animal and also give them first aid when needed. They are also tasked to collect specimens and conduct different laboratory tests, then give it to the veterinarian to determine the pet's health condition. Vet techs can also perform vaccination or prepare sick animals for tests or surgery.
Clinical technicians and licensed veterinary technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Technician | Licensed Veterinary Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,760 | $40,369 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $48,000 | Between $31,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Diego, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Brigham and Women's Hospital | Zoetis |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a clinical technician and a licensed veterinary technician in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Technician | Licensed Veterinary Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 40% | Associate Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | University of Connecticut | University of Virginia |
Here are the differences between clinical technicians' and licensed veterinary technicians' demographics:
| Clinical Technician | Licensed Veterinary Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 32 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4% | Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 11.2% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 2.1% White, 77.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 9% |