Veterinary technicians work as assistants of veterinary doctors. They are also called veterinary technologists or simply vet tech. Although the job of a vet tech might not sound very lucrative but the average veterinary technician salary might be reason enough to pursue a career in this field. The job description of a vet tech includes:
* microscopy
* urinalysis
* microbiology
* hematology
* blood chemistry
* venipucture
* urine collection
* scraping skins,
* lab procedures
* processing radiographs
* administer anesthesia and medicine
* dressing wounds
* putting splints
* recording pulse, respiration, temperature
* catheterizations
* tube and intravenous feedings
It is necessary for a vet tech to know how to operate certain equipments like radiographic, ultrasonographic, electrocardiographic, gamma camera and other devices. Literally, vet techs are jack-of-all-trades. People aspiring to become a vet tech need to be certified by authorized certifying institutions. Aspirants need to complete a 2-year or 3-year associate study on veterinary technology from schools recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) or the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA).
The bachelor’s degree takes 4 years to finish; however, those who are terminating their studies after 2 or 3 years receive an associate’s degree as veterinary technologists. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) are the ones certifying schools and vet tech curriculum in the United States and Canada. However, some state in the United States do not require this anymore.
The accreditation is essential to ensure the quality of education through the curriculum being taught at school. The learning program must be in-depth enough and must have all necessary trainings to equip students with complete understanding of veterinary medicine so they are capable of providing proper healthcare to animals. Like any medical studies, veterinary technology also requires students to undergo on-the-job training as a final requirement. The practical training can be performed in animal clinics, supervised by certified veterinary technicians.
So how much is the veterinary technician salary? The average veterinary technician salary varies on many factors like the state where the vet tech practices his profession, his level of experience and number of years in service. A licensed veterinary technician receives an annual salary of $34,000 USD; at least for those with two to four years of experience. The per hour wage is around $10 $18 USD, $14 28 USD for overtime pay. On the other hand, the animal laboratory technicians receive $29,000 USD as an annual salary scale; while veterinary research health technicians get an annual of $40,000 USD.
There can be different job descriptions and job focus for vet techs. The veterinary technician salary scale also varies on what a vet technician does. Individuals who are yet starting with their vet tech careers are advised to secure accreditation or license to increase their average veterinary technician salary or to take further studies. The more experience and education upgrade are added in the value chain, the higher the salary goes.
