Veterinary receptionist vs veterinary nurse

The differences between veterinary receptionists and veterinary nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a veterinary receptionist, becoming a veterinary nurse takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a veterinary nurse has an average salary of $34,511, which is higher than the $30,620 average annual salary of a veterinary receptionist.

The top three skills for a veterinary receptionist include PET, customer service and client service. The most important skills for a veterinary nurse are patients, patient care, and PET.

Veterinary receptionist vs veterinary nurse overview

	Veterinary Receptionist	Veterinary Nurse
Yearly salary	$30,620	$34,511
Hourly rate	$14.72	$16.59
Growth rate	-	20%
Number of jobs	43,033	17,000
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	42	32
Years of experience	2	12

Veterinary receptionist vs veterinary nurse salary

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

	Veterinary Receptionist	Veterinary Nurse
Average salary	$30,620	$34,511
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $37,000	Between $26,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	CVS Health
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between veterinary receptionist and veterinary nurse education

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

	Veterinary Receptionist	Veterinary Nurse
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Business	Medical Assisting Services
Most common college	-	University of Florida

Veterinary receptionist vs veterinary nurse demographics

Here are the differences between veterinary receptionists' and veterinary nurses' demographics:

	Veterinary Receptionist	Veterinary Nurse
Average age	42	32
Gender ratio	Male, 5.8% Female, 94.2%	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 6.6% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	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	6%	9%

Differences between veterinary receptionist and veterinary nurse duties and responsibilities

Veterinary receptionist example responsibilities.

Assist office management and staff with administrative projects/responsibilities such as managing time-sensitive projects, filing, copying, and collating materials.
Interact with other veterinary offices regarding mutual clients in regard pet medical history.
Coordinate room rentals and reservations.
Certify CPR instructor-provide in-house training for all staff and physicians.
Schedule tee times, take reservations, answer calls and assist customers
Organize files and keep them up to date while closely following HIPAA regulations.

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 receptionist vs veterinary nurse skills

Common veterinary receptionist skills

PET, 29%
Customer Service, 14%
Client Service, 8%
Patients, 7%
Processing Payments, 5%
Exam Rooms, 4%

Common veterinary nurse skills

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

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Office and Administrative Industry
Veterinary Receptionist
Veterinary Receptionist vs Veterinary Nurse

Updated January 8, 2025

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