Veterinary nurse vs emergency veterinary technician

The differences between veterinary nurses and emergency 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 veterinary nurse and an emergency veterinary technician. Additionally, an emergency veterinary technician has an average salary of $38,689, which is higher than the $34,511 average annual salary of a veterinary nurse.

The top three skills for a veterinary nurse include patients, patient care and PET. The most important skills for an emergency veterinary technician are patients, PET, and catheter.

Veterinary nurse vs emergency veterinary technician overview

	Veterinary Nurse	Emergency Veterinary Technician
Yearly salary	$34,511	$38,689
Hourly rate	$16.59	$18.60
Growth rate	20%	20%
Number of jobs	17,000	109,185
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Associate Degree, 40%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	12	12

Veterinary nurse vs emergency veterinary technician salary

Veterinary nurses and emergency veterinary technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Veterinary Nurse	Emergency Veterinary Technician
Average salary	$34,511	$38,689
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $44,000	Between $29,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Rohnert Park, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	CVS Health	Cape Cod Healthcare
Best paying industry	Health Care	Professional

Differences between veterinary nurse and emergency veterinary technician education

There are a few differences between a veterinary nurse and an emergency veterinary technician in terms of educational background:

	Veterinary Nurse	Emergency Veterinary Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Associate Degree, 40%
Most common major	Medical Assisting Services	Medical Assisting Services
Most common college	University of Florida	New York University

Veterinary nurse vs emergency veterinary technician demographics

Here are the differences between veterinary nurses' and emergency veterinary technicians' demographics:

	Veterinary Nurse	Emergency Veterinary Technician
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%	Male, 28.0% Female, 72.0%
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 veterinary nurse and emergency veterinary technician duties and responsibilities

Veterinary nurse example responsibilities.

Place intravenous catheters manage iv lines and medication administration.
Monitor anesthesia and first-assist in surgical procedures -assist doctors in filling prescriptions, communicating with pet owners, and monitoring patients.
Prepare oxygen, fluid and catheter equipment for routine use and emergency situations.
Administer vaccinations, medications, catheter placement, surgery assisting and monitoring.
Collect laboratory speciments and run routine tests.place IV catheters and monitor fluids.
Prepare surgical suites, monitor anesthesia, maintain and sterilize equipment, recording patient history, prescription and laboratory information.

Emergency veterinary technician example responsibilities.

Place intravenous catheters manage iv lines and medication administration.
Perform EKG's, apply splints, administer wind care, and assist during CPR under direction of physicians.
Monitor anesthesia for endoscopic procedures (Upper/lower GI scope, Rhinoscopy, Bronchoscopy, Cystoscopy, FB retrieval scopes etc . )
Charge with setting up and cleaning endoscopy equipment as well as operating biopsy equipment.
Assist with CPR, wind care, basic life support, and basic trauma life support measures.
Assist doctors with endoscopic procedures including but not limit to rhinoscopies, bronchoscopies and upper GI endoscopies.

Veterinary nurse vs emergency veterinary technician skills

Common veterinary nurse skills

Patients, 21%
Patient Care, 8%
PET, 8%
Catheter, 6%
Medical Procedures, 6%
Vital Signs, 5%

Common emergency veterinary technician skills

Patients, 21%
PET, 9%
Catheter, 6%
Phlebotomy, 6%
CPR, 6%
Anesthesia, 5%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Veterinary Nurse
Veterinary Nurse vs Emergency Veterinary Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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