How to hire a licensed veterinary technician

How to hire a licensed veterinary technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step licensed veterinary technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a licensed veterinary technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new licensed veterinary technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a licensed veterinary technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The licensed veterinary technician hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A licensed veterinary technician's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, licensed veterinary technicians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of licensed veterinary technician salaries for various roles:

   Type of Licensed Veterinary Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Licensed Veterinary Technician	Veterinary technologists and technicians perform medical tests under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian to assist in diagnosing the injuries and illnesses of animals.	$14-25
   Technician	Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with... Show more	$11-27
   Laboratory Animal Technician	A laboratory animal technician is responsible for conducting animal research studies by observing and analyzing animal nature and conditions. Laboratory animal technicians maintain the safety and cleanliness of animal cages, supply them food and water, and administer medications as needed... Show more	$10-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PET
   • Patients
   • Anesthesia
   • Patient Care
   • Catheter
   • Venipuncture
   • Radiology
   • Catheter Placement
   • Compassion
   • Surgery
   • Exam Rooms
   • Laboratory Tests
   • Triage
   • Phlebotomy

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Place intravenous catheters manage iv lines and medication administration.
   • Perform venipuncture for catheter placement, urinary catheter placement and lab diagnostics.
   • Induce and monitor anesthesia during surgery and diagnostic procedures.
   • Perform venipuncture from various sites for necessary laboratory tests.
   • Job responsibilities include assisting the veterinary surgeon and veterinary assistant with admitting patients for routine spay/ neuter surgery.
   • Perform daily tests on autoclaves.

   More licensed veterinary technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the licensed veterinary technician job description is a good way to get more applicants. A licensed veterinary technician salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a licensed veterinary technician in Louisiana may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level licensed veterinary technician. Additionally, a licensed veterinary technician with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average licensed veterinary technician salary

   $40,369yearly

   $19.41 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level licensed veterinary technician salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average licensed veterinary technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$56,667	$27
   2	Virginia	$46,616	$22
   3	Alaska	$46,462	$22
   4	New York	$45,729	$22
   5	Washington	$45,408	$22
   6	Nevada	$45,110	$22
   7	Pennsylvania	$39,544	$19
   8	Alabama	$36,940	$18
   9	Michigan	$35,791	$17
   10	Texas	$35,231	$17
   11	South Carolina	$34,726	$17
   12	Georgia	$31,705	$15
   13	Tennessee	$30,894	$15

   Average licensed veterinary technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Zoetis	$63,478	$30.52	3
   2	City of Seattle	$50,375	$24.22
   3	Wells Fargo	$46,824	$22.51
   4	Acc Of Nyc	$46,527	$22.37	7
   5	Shannon Medical Center	$46,094	$22.16
   6	Cornell University	$45,975	$22.10	46
   7	Riverside Community Hospital	$44,866	$21.57	30
   8	Virginia Beach SPCA	$44,284	$21.29	2
   9	Neuralink IT Solutions	$44,273	$21.29	1
   10	ASPCA	$43,760	$21.04	16
   11	DuPont	$43,290	$20.81
   12	Oneida Indian Nation	$43,040	$20.69
   13	Michigan Humane	$42,960	$20.65	6
   14	Kitsap Humane Society	$42,864	$20.61
   15	Ethos Veterinary Health	$42,808	$20.58	205
   16	VCA Animal Hospitals	$42,428	$20.40	1,875
   17	Eurofins	$42,257	$20.32
   18	BluePearl Vet	$42,146	$20.26	84
   19	River Oaks Hospital	$42,012	$20.20
   20	The Animal Medical Center	$41,909	$20.15	35

4. Writing a licensed veterinary technician job description

   A licensed veterinary technician job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a licensed veterinary technician job description:

   Licensed veterinary technician job description example

   Licensed Veterinary Technician -Anchorage, AK - SAGE Veterinary Centers- $5,000 Sign-On Bonus!
   
   Who we are:
   SAGE Veterinary Centers is a network of specialty hospitals and we are seeking an LVT to work at Veterinary Specialists of Alaska, our Anchorage hospital. This hospital is known across Alaska for having the only Dermatologist in the state! This is an excellent place to continue building your career on a collaborative team that works well together.
   
   Who you are:
   If you are an LVT looking to earn some extra income or explore a career with VSOA we'd love for you to apply! You will be challenged, you will learn, your compassion, skills, and ambition will be rewarded.
   
   Basic required qualifications:
   
   Current Alaska LVT; if you are experienced Veterinary Assistant, we would also like to hear from you!
   High school diploma and clinical experience in the veterinary industry
   Strong interpersonal skills to effectively interface with staff and clients using tact, patience, professional courtesy, and exhibit confidentiality and discretion where appropriate
   Consistent and reliable ability to perform mathematical calculations for drug doses, CRIs, client invoices and estimates, and other position-related calculations
   
   Work Schedule:
   
   Weekdays
   4/10's
   
   Perks:
   
   $5,000 SIGN ON BONUS for qualified applicants
   Get paid to learn! We'll cover eligible expenses for continuing education and coursework
   We also pay YOU when you hit major career milestones, earn your LVT or VTS and get a cash bonus
   
   SAGE Centers, a nationally recognized veterinary specialty hospital system, employs 1000+ employees and veterinarians in a 24/7 setting. Our doctors and outstanding support staff have created a unique environment emphasizing high caliber, compassionate and ethical service to our patients, clients, and referring veterinarians, as well as a continued commitment to the growth and welfare of everyone involved in our organization.
   
   It is the policy of SAGE Centers to afford equal opportunities for all qualified persons, regardless of their actual or perceived: race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status (including registered domestic partnership status), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender (including gender identity and expression), age (40 and over), sexual orientation, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, and any other consideration protected by federal, state, or local law (sometimes referred to, collectively, as “protected characteristics”)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right licensed veterinary technician for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with licensed veterinary technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit licensed veterinary technicians who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your licensed veterinary technician job on Zippia to find and recruit licensed veterinary technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting licensed veterinary technicians requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new licensed veterinary technician

   Once you've selected the best licensed veterinary technician candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new licensed veterinary technician first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a licensed veterinary technician?