Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between veterinary technician assistants and registered 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 technician assistant and a registered veterinary technician. Additionally, a registered veterinary technician has an average salary of $40,204, which is higher than the $39,025 average annual salary of a veterinary technician assistant.
The top three skills for a veterinary technician assistant include patients, PET and patient care. The most important skills for a registered veterinary technician are PET, patients, and venipuncture.
| Veterinary Technician Assistant | Registered Veterinary Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $39,025 | $40,204 |
| Hourly rate | $18.76 | $19.33 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 20% |
| Number of jobs | 35,338 | 23,036 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Associate Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A veterinary technician assistant is primarily in charge of performing support tasks in a veterinary hospital or clinic. Their responsibilities include administering medication to animals in adherence to the veterinarian's directives and performing basic care tasks such as feeding, bathing, and walking animals. They may also clean cages, sterilize equipment, prepare and process documents, and answer calls and inquiries. Furthermore, as a veterinary technician assistant, it is essential to monitor the behavior of animals, reporting to the veterinarian or technician should there be any problems.
Registered veterinary technicians work under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. The technicians must control and prevent zoonotic diseases. They assist veterinarians in medical administration, surgeries, and other animal health treatment procedures. These technicians observe animals for behavioral and physical changes, perform lab tests and collect laboratory examples, and provide nursing care to animals. They must undergo training in any accredited veterinarian technician programs and must study topics such as veterinary anatomy and physiology, parasitology, and veterinary nursing.
Veterinary technician assistants and registered veterinary technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Veterinary Technician Assistant | Registered Veterinary Technician | |
| Average salary | $39,025 | $40,204 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $49,000 | Between $30,000 And $52,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bakersfield, CA | Salinas, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | University of Wisconsin System | Neuralink IT Solutions |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a veterinary technician assistant and a registered veterinary technician in terms of educational background:
| Veterinary Technician Assistant | Registered Veterinary Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 41% | Associate Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Medical Assisting Services | Medical Assisting Services |
| Most common college | Ohio State University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between veterinary technician assistants' and registered veterinary technicians' demographics:
| Veterinary Technician Assistant | Registered Veterinary Technician | |
| Average age | 32 | 32 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.8% Female, 83.2% | Male, 9.3% Female, 90.7% |
| 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% |