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What is a veterinary technician assistant and how to become one
Must love dogs, cats, birds, and all sorts of other furry, crawling, slithering beasts! If you love caring for animals, including the not so glamorous tasks that come along with them, then this is the profession for you. As a veterinary technician assistant, you assist the veterinary technicians with their everyday tasks and duties to provide preventive care, diagnose injuries, and perform medical procedures on various animals that come to the vet clinic.
You help the veterinary technician to obtain case histories of the animals, to collect laboratory specimens and samples, and to conduct veterinary examinations. You prepare animals for surgery and sterilize and organize the equipment and tools needed during the procedure. You inform and educate animal owners on the various issues that the veterinarian and vet techs diagnose on the animals. Essential skills required to successfully complete these duties include communication, flexibility, and warm personality.
To qualify for this position, you must have an associate's degree accredited by institutions like the American Veterinary Medical Association and similar organizations. However, a bachelor's degree is preferable. The average hourly pay for this position is $15.40, amounting to more than $32,000 annually. This salary is likely to increase once you become a fully-certified veterinary technician.
What general advice would you give to a veterinary technician assistant?
Donna Bouley DVM, PhD
PROFESSOR OF COMPARATIVE MEDICINE, Stanford University
Avg. Salary $39,025
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 20%
Growth rate 0.3%
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%
Genderfemale 83.20%
male 16.80%
Age - 31American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 31Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is excellent
6.4 - fair
Veterinary technician assistant career paths
Key steps to become a veterinary technician assistant
Explore veterinary technician assistant education requirements
Start to develop specific veterinary technician assistant skills
Skills Percentages Patients 17.40% PET 17.11% Patient Care 7.28% Anesthesia 5.13% Catheter 4.60% Complete relevant veterinary technician assistant training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New veterinary technician assistants 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 veterinary technician assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real veterinary technician assistant resumes.Obtain the necessary licensing
Becoming a licensed veterinary technician assistant usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed veterinary technician assistant in most of states. 30 states require veterinary technician assistants 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 veterinary technician assistant certifications
More About CertificationsVeterinary technician assistant 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 veterinary technician assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for veterinary technician assistants include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).
Research veterinary technician assistant duties and responsibilities
- Manage tech appointments, suture removal, bandage removal and placement, CPR and emergency care when need.
- Prepare patients for surgical procedures by executing blood draws and catheter placement.
- Provide compassion and understanding to clients with end of life decisions and euthanasia.
- Kennel work, vet assistance with surgeries, iv fluids, med dispensing and restraining animals
Prepare your veterinary technician assistant resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your veterinary technician assistant 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 veterinary technician assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable veterinary technician assistant resume templates
Build a professional veterinary technician assistant 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 veterinary technician assistant resume.
Apply for veterinary technician assistant jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a veterinary technician assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
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Average veterinary technician assistant salary
The average veterinary technician assistant salary in the United States is $39,025 per year or $19 per hour. Veterinary technician assistant salaries range between $30,000 and $49,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do veterinary technician assistants rate their job?
Veterinary technician assistant reviews
Working with animals
Low wages for the amount of work we put in Angry / disrespectful clients Long and unpredictable hours of work
Veterinary technician assistant FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
