Veterinarian technician vs veterinary laboratory technician

The differences between veterinarian technicians and veterinary laboratory 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 veterinarian technician and a veterinary laboratory technician. Additionally, a veterinarian technician has an average salary of $38,198, which is higher than the $34,460 average annual salary of a veterinary laboratory technician.

The top three skills for a veterinarian technician include patients, PET and anesthesia. The most important skills for a veterinary laboratory technician are animal handling, laboratory procedures, and diagnostic tests.

Veterinarian technician vs veterinary laboratory technician overview

	Veterinarian Technician	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$38,198	$34,460
Hourly rate	$18.36	$16.57
Growth rate	20%	20%
Number of jobs	37,898	90,066
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	12	12

Veterinarian technician vs veterinary laboratory technician salary

Veterinarian technicians and veterinary laboratory technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Veterinarian Technician	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$38,198	$34,460
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $49,000	Between $27,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	Petaluma, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Boehringer Ingelheim	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between veterinarian technician and veterinary laboratory technician education

There are a few differences between a veterinarian technician and a veterinary laboratory technician in terms of educational background:

	Veterinarian Technician	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Biology	Medical Assisting Services
Most common college	University of Virginia	Ohio State University

Veterinarian technician vs veterinary laboratory technician demographics

Here are the differences between veterinarian technicians' and veterinary laboratory technicians' demographics:

	Veterinarian Technician	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 22.7% Female, 77.3%	Male, 21.3% Female, 78.7%
Race ratio	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%	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	9%	9%

Differences between veterinarian technician and veterinary laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Veterinarian technician example 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
Draw up blood work & assist veterinarian during physical exam of patients, administer controlled/uncontrol drugs to patients
Prepare patients for examinations by assessing potential problems prior to entering examination room with doctor -assist Dr. McMahon with surgery

Veterinary laboratory technician example responsibilities.

Manage operational and administrative functions such as training/supervising new employees, issuing prescriptions, and documenting pet insurance applications and transactions.
Perform all animal technician functions for surgical and radiology procedures in compliance with pertinent regulations and guidelines as required by protocol.
Work closely with clients, other staff and Dr. Faulkner.

Veterinarian technician vs veterinary laboratory technician skills

Common veterinarian technician skills

Patients, 16%
PET, 9%
Anesthesia, 8%
Catheter, 7%
Lab Tests, 7%
Surgery Room, 6%

Common veterinary laboratory technician skills

Animal Handling, 13%
Laboratory Procedures, 12%
Diagnostic Tests, 11%
Biomedical, 7%
Catheter, 7%
Laboratory Animals, 7%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Veterinarian Technician
Veterinarian Technician vs Veterinary Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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