What do they do?

Perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals. Prepare vaccines and serums for prevention of diseases. Prepare tissue samples, take blood samples, and execute laboratory tests, such as urinalysis and blood counts. Clean and sterilize instruments and materials and maintain equipment and machines. May assist a veterinarian during surgery.

Also known as:

Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT), Emergency Veterinary Technician (Emergency Vet Tech), Internal Medicine Veterinary Technician (Internal Medicine Vet Tech), Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT), Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT), Veterinarian Technician (Vet Tech), Veterinary Assistant (Vet Assistant), Veterinary Laboratory Technician (Vet Lab Tech), Veterinary Nurse (Vet Nurse), Veterinary Technician (Vet Tech), Veterinary Technologist

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Veterinary Technologists and Technicians is projected to grow 5 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment in OH

No Data Available
  • 5%

    Change

    Ranks #45 in job growth rate
    520

    Job Openings

    Ranks #11 in net job growth

Colleges with the most graduates that become Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Associate's degree  (33%)
  • Some college, no degree  (25%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (22%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (16%)
  • Master's degree  (2%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (1%)
  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (1%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

★ There are no majors that have graduates with this degree type

People in this career often have these skills:

  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
  • Administer anesthetics or sedatives to control pain.
  • Monitor patients following surgeries or other treatments.
  • Maintain medical facility records.
  • Test biological specimens to gather information about patient conditions.
  • Prepare medications or medical solutions.
  • Administer non-intravenous medications.
  • Immunize patients.
  • Position patients for treatment or examination.
  • Treat medical emergencies.
  • Sterilize medical equipment or instruments.
  • Clean medical equipment or facilities.
  • Assist healthcare practitioners during examinations or treatments.
  • Treat dental problems or diseases.
  • Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
  • Collect biological specimens from patients.
  • Prepare biological specimens for laboratory analysis.
  • Prepare patients physically for medical procedures.
  • Process x-rays or other medical images.
  • Operate diagnostic imaging equipment.
  • Communicate detailed medical information to patients or family members.
  • Prepare medical supplies or equipment for use.
  • Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
  • Apply bandages, dressings, or splints.
  • Schedule patient procedures or appointments.
  • Provide health and wellness advice to patients, program participants, or caregivers.
  • Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
  • Order medical supplies or equipment.
  • Train medical providers.
  • Supervise patient care personnel.
  • Merchandise healthcare products or services.
  • Perform clerical work in medical settings.
  • Process medical billing information.
  • Assist patients with hygiene or daily living activities.
  • Care for animals.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

careeronestop logo Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development

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