Veterinary technician vs veterinary laboratory technician

The differences between veterinary technicians 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 technician and a veterinary laboratory technician. Additionally, a veterinary technician has an average salary of $38,441, which is higher than the $34,460 average annual salary of a veterinary laboratory technician.

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

Veterinary technician vs veterinary laboratory technician overview

	Veterinary Technician	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Yearly salary	$38,441	$34,460
Hourly rate	$18.48	$16.57
Growth rate	20%	20%
Number of jobs	41,022	90,066
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	32	32
Years of experience	12	12

Veterinary technician vs veterinary laboratory technician salary

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

	Veterinary Technician	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Average salary	$38,441	$34,460
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $48,000	Between $27,000 And $43,000
Highest paying City	San Rafael, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between veterinary technician and veterinary laboratory technician education

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

	Veterinary Technician	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Medical Assisting Services	Medical Assisting Services
Most common college	Northwestern University	Ohio State University

Veterinary technician vs veterinary laboratory technician demographics

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

	Veterinary Technician	Veterinary Laboratory Technician
Average age	32	32
Gender ratio	Male, 17.8% Female, 82.2%	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 technician and veterinary laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

Veterinary technician example responsibilities.

Manage tech appointments, suture removal, bandage removal and placement, CPR and emergency care when need.
Manage operational and administrative functions such as training/supervising new employees, issuing prescriptions, and documenting pet insurance applications and transactions.
Advance medical procedures such as intravenous catheter placement, anesthetic monitoring, and nasal catheter placement.
Provide specialize nursing care, administer treatments to hospitalize patients, catheter placement and provide post operative care.
Assist in surgical preparation of patients and maintain status during surgical procedures including monitoring and adjusting anesthesia base on patient status.
Conduct routine health procedures on dogs and non-human primates, including dentistry and TB testing.

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 technician vs veterinary laboratory technician skills

Common veterinary technician skills

PET, 25%
Patients, 12%
Anesthesia, 6%
Catheter, 6%
Exam Rooms, 5%
Patient Care, 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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Veterinary Technician
Veterinary Technician vs Veterinary Laboratory Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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