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

What is a veterinarian technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Shea Porr Ph.D.

The average veterinarian technician salary is $38,198. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an biology major. It usually takes 6-12 months of experience to become a veterinarian technician. Veterinarian technicians with a Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 20% and produce 24,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a Veterinarian Technician?

Shea Porr Ph.D.

Department Head, Animal/Equine Science, Associate Professor, Equine Science, Murray State University

Watch and listen. There are a lot of things that are taught in the classroom that aren't necessarily the only way to do things. Different employers will have different experiences or situations, and though the concept may be the same, the delivery may not. Don't assume that just because you have a degree, you already know how to do it "right." Doing something a different way doesn't make it wrong, and you may learn another way to do the same thing.

Be willing to move. You may want to end up working a job back in your hometown, but that's not always going to happen right after graduation. You may need to move to another city, state, or even country, and earn some experience before moving back home. There's a lot to be said for what you can learn and bring back with you. And who knows-you may fall in love with a completely different part of the country!

Take a chance. Step outside your comfort zone. There are a lot of exciting opportunities out there, and you don't want to let one slip by because you were afraid of a little challenge. Or even a big one!

ScoreVeterinarian TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,198

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 77.34%

male 22.66%

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

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Key steps to become a veterinarian technician

Explore veterinarian technician education requirements

Most common veterinarian technician degrees

Bachelor's

39.4 %

Associate

27.7 %

High School Diploma

20.2 %

Start to develop specific veterinarian technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	16.21%
PET	8.89%
Anesthesia	7.57%
Catheter	7.48%
Lab Tests	6.92%

Complete relevant veterinarian technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New veterinarian 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 veterinarian technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real veterinarian technician resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed veterinarian technician usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed veterinarian technician in most of states. 30 states require veterinarian 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

Gain additional veterinarian technician certifications

Veterinarian technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific veterinarian technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for veterinarian technicians include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research veterinarian technician duties and responsibilities

Manage tech appointments, suture removal, bandage removal and placement, CPR and emergency care when need.
Conduct general triage of all appointments before seen by DVM.
Assist DVM with schedule appointments, restrain pets as needed, draw blood and place I.V.
Develop and implement new drug control procedures as well as pet control and identification program

Prepare your veterinarian technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your veterinarian 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 veterinarian 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 Veterinarian Technician Resume templates

Build a professional Veterinarian 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 Veterinarian Technician resume.