Do you have a passion for animals and enjoy their company? Earning a veterinary technician degree is a great first step into a career where you can care for animals and show off your technical skills. Before you get started, it’s important to know what this career entails and whether you are well-suited to it.
In this guide, we’ll explore what a vet tech degree is, whether it’s worth pursuing and what fields you can go into with your veterinary technician degree.
What Is a Veterinary Technician Degree?
So, what is veterinary technology, and what is a vet tech degree? A veterinary technician degree qualifies you to provide medical services to various animals while working under a licensed veterinarian. The medical skills you learn from earning this degree will allow you to maintain an animal’s health and well-being.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment opportunities for veterinary technicians to grow by 21% from 2022-2032, which is much faster than the average for other occupations. Currently, there are around 14,800 job openings for vet tech professionals every year. A few duties of veterinary technicians include:
- Preparing surgical instruments for surgery.
- Assisting a veterinarian during animal surgery and other medical procedures.
- Performing X-rays and other diagnostic tests.
- Administering anesthesia to animals.
- Helping veterinarians do medical research relating to animals.
- Providing emergency or routine medical care to animals.
- Preparing animals for surgery and other medical procedures.
- Observing animal conditions and behaviors.
What Jobs Can You Get With a Veterinary Technician Degree?
If you’re wondering what you can specialize in with a vet tech degree, there are plenty of options. Choosing one that aligns with your skills, values, experience and education is important, and opportunities are even available outside of a veterinary office. Here are some typical and alternative jobs you can get with a vet tech degree.
Zookeeper
Zookeepers are professionals that help ensure the health and well-being of the animals living in a zoo. Their core duties involve working according to established care plans when providing animals with food and water and allowing them to perform activities that maintain their mental and physical well-being. Zookeepers may also perform additional duties such as identifying changes in behavior, monitoring physical health, training animals, educating zoo visitors and cleaning exhibits.
Diagnostics Technician
Veterinary diagnostic technicians help veterinarians diagnose and treat animals who are ill. While their main duty is to operate diagnostic equipment according to the veterinarian’s or another diagnostic professional’s instructions, they may also prepare animals for imaging or another type of test, prepare diagnostic request forms, and input results.
Animal Trainer
An animal trainer is another position you can get with a veterinary technician degree. These professionals teach animals various skills, including how to be obedient, provide security and assist people with disabilities. Pursuing this career allows you to develop a training plan so animals learn to respond to commands or identify hand motions and their meaning. You may also interact with owners or handlers to educate them on how to use these training commands.
Clinical Technician
The veterinary technician position you’re probably most familiar with is the clinical practice veterinary technician. These professionals specialize in caring for feline and canine animals, livestock animals, and exotic animals. Their primary tasks are to administer medicine, assist during routine exams, and evaluate animal health and wellness.
Average Salary for Veterinary Technician Jobs
According to Indeed, the average salary for a vet tech in Massachusetts is around $41,000. As an entry-level professional, you can expect to earn around $38,000, while someone in a senior role may earn an average salary of closer to $51,000. Indeed also states that the Massachusetts average veterinary technician salary is 9% above the national average, which is a major bonus if you’re planning to establish your career in Massachusetts.
Even with these statistics in mind, the salary you earn will depend on several factors, such as your city, skills, education, years of experience and certifications. Your salary may also vary depending on what you specialize in. Here are a few examples of the average pay for veterinary technologists in Massachusetts for different fields:
- Animal trainer: If the idea of becoming an animal trainer resonates with you, you will likely receive a median salary of around $32,000. This salary can go all the way up to more than $71,000 for a highly experienced worker. Even so, you’ll need to start at a salary of around $19,000 as an entry-level professional.
- Animal nutritionist: As an animal nutritionist, you can receive an exciting entry-level salary of around $52,000 per year. Normal pay equates to more than $76,000 per year, and senior professionals can receive up to $156,000 — an excellent career choice for financial stability.
- Veterinary laboratory technician: This appealing veterinary position offers an entry-level pay of around $32,000 per year. The median salary is $40,000, and senior professionals can earn a salary closer to $60,000.
- Zookeeper: A position as a zookeeper offers a median salary of around $35,000 in Massachusetts. You’ll likely receive entry-level pay closer to $25,000, which can grow to over $59,000 when you reach a senior position.
Is a Veterinary Technician Degree Worth It?
There are various factors that make earning a vet tech degree worth it. For one, if you’re passionate about caring for animals and enjoy their company, this might be the career for you. Having the skills necessary to work with animals and anxious owners and handlers may also give you the upper hand in this role.
What makes it even more worthwhile is that the amount of positions for this occupation is constantly growing — faster than the average of other occupations. Here are a few more benefits:
- It’s rewarding: Since you’ll make a difference in both animals’ and peoples’ lives, this career can be emotionally fulfilling and rewarding.
- There are various daily tasks: Rather than doing the same tasks every day, this career offers diverse responsibilities to meet the unique needs of each patient.
- Engaging, active work: These jobs are very hands-on and physically active. They require you to keep moving and stay actively involved in processes.
Earn Your Vet Tech Degree With Mount Wachusett Community College
Are you interested in earning a veterinary technician degree? We encourage you to enroll at a quality and reliable institution like Mount Wachusett Community College. MWCC provides students with the opportunity to enhance their skills and attain the degree they need to advance in their careers.
Whether it’s your first time enrolling in a degree program or you want to transfer your earned credits, MWCC is an excellent place to get started on attaining your Veterinary Technology associate degree. The Mount also works with Massachusetts colleges if you want to transfer your earned credits toward a bachelor’s degree.
Launch your exciting new career with MWCC by applying online or requesting more information from our professionals today!
