Vet techs handle animals of all sizes.
Animal-loving people find a career as a veterinary technician rewarding by helping sick animals regain their health. However, a career as a veterinary technician, often shortened to "vet tech," isn't all roses. As the animal-based version of a nurse, vet techs face the death of animals under their care. Being an vet tech is an emotionally heart-wrenching and at the same time satisfying experience. Because of this, the pros and cons of a vet tech career are ultimately tied to an individual's emotions as well as the logistics of the job.
Pay
Private practices of small and large animal veterinarians employ vet techs. Vet techs make between $9.70 and $20.71 an hour, reports the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The location of the practice and the years of experience determine the wage. This pay range may seem low for the amount of stress involved and the location.
Education
Vet techs require only two years of schooling from an American Veterinary Medical Association-accredited college. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 160 veterinary technology programs in 45 states in 2009 with the AVMA accreditation. Vet techs also have to comply with state regulations, which are different in each state. Still, the education is less than that required for veterinarians and is less competitive.
Room for Advancement
Vet techs can become veterinary technologists, with an additional two years of education from the same schools where the students earned their veterinary tech degree. This increases pay and opportunities, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports just 500 graduates per year from this program. Veterinary technologists can work in biomedical facilities, diagnostic laboratories, wildlife facilities, drug and food manufacturing companies, and food safety inspection facilities.
Work Environment
You can sum up the work environment in a single word: stressful. Long hours are the most prominent reason. Veterinary techs put on multiple hats throughout the day as receptionist, technical assistant, nurse, kennel attendant, janitor and counselor. Vet techs deal with distraught people, sick animals and constant noise. Exposure to allergens such as pet dander and hair, and radiation are among the health issues a vet tech must handle during his career.
Vet techs work with both pet owners and pets, which means good communication skills are key to a successful career.
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