Veterinary nurse vs veterinary laboratory technician

The differences between veterinary nurses 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 veterinary nurse and a veterinary laboratory technician. Additionally, a veterinary nurse has an average salary of $34,511, which is higher than the $34,460 average annual salary of a veterinary laboratory technician.

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

Veterinary nurse vs veterinary laboratory technician overview

	Veterinary Nurse	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$34,511	$34,460
Hourly rate	$16.59	$16.57
Growth rate	20%	20%
Number of jobs	17,000	90,066
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	12	12

Veterinary nurse vs veterinary laboratory technician salary

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

	Veterinary Nurse	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$34,511	$34,460
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $44,000	Between $27,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	CVS Health	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between veterinary nurse and veterinary laboratory technician education

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

	Veterinary Nurse	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Medical Assisting Services	Medical Assisting Services
Most common college	University of Florida	Ohio State University

Veterinary nurse vs veterinary laboratory technician demographics

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

	Veterinary Nurse	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%	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 veterinary nurse and veterinary laboratory 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.

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.

Veterinary nurse vs veterinary laboratory technician skills

Common veterinary nurse skills

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

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
Veterinary Nurse
Veterinary Nurse vs Veterinary Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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