The location, experience, education, and speciality of a vet tech are just a few of the variables that affect their pay. The typical yearly wage for vet technologists in the US is $35,320, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The highest-paid veterinary technicians, though, can make up to $52,000 a year.
The vet tech’s specialty is a major factor in wage determination. Vet techs that focus on specialties like veterinary anesthesia, emergency and critical care, and dentistry typically make more money than vet techs who work in general practice. Additionally, vet technicians employed at colleges, animal hospitals, and research institutions typically make more money than those employed by private practices.
A licensed medical professional with a four-year veterinary medicine degree is a veterinarian. They are in charge of making diagnoses, treating ailments and wounds in animals, performing operations, writing prescriptions, and giving preventative care. Surgery, radiography, and ultrasound are among the operations that veterinarians are permitted to carry out but which vet techs are not.
Veterinarians and veterinary technicians both play crucial roles in the care of animals. To become a veterinarian, however, takes more effort, training, and education than to become a vet tech. A four-year veterinary medicine degree, acing a national exam, and obtaining a license are all requirements for becoming a veterinarian. On the other hand, veterinary technicians normally finish a two-year associate degree program and must pass a certification exam to become certified.
So, how long does it take to become a veterinary technician?
You must successfully complete a two-year associate degree program in veterinary technology to work as a vet tech. There may be four-year bachelor’s degree programs in veterinary technology offered by some institutions and universities. You can only get certified after finishing the program and passing a credentialing exam. The American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) oversees the certification exam.
The veterinary healthcare team must include both veterinary technicians and veterinarian technologists. The two do differ slightly from one another, though. Vet technologists complete a four-year bachelor’s degree program in veterinary technology, whereas vet techs normally complete a two-year associate degree program.
Vet techs might have more extensive training in disciplines like microbiology, nutrition, and animal behavior. Vet technologists and vet technicians both provide medication, carry out diagnostic tests, and inform pet owners about the health and wellness of animals.