How much do veterinary technicians make?

Question

I would like to become a vet technician. I love animals and would like to work with them. Is anyone on here a vet tech and have an estimate of how much I would be making? Is it a rewarding career? What are all your duties? Thanks!

Answer 1

I think it would depend on where you are in the country, but here in Louisiana (where wages are lower on average) vet techs make about $8-12 an hour.

Duties usually include basic menial stuff like weighing animals, walking and bathing/grooming them, holding them during exams or xrays, and cleaning up around the clinic but also some more specialized stuff like taking temperatures, giving shots, prepping/assisting in surgery, taking cultures and checking them out under a microscope, preparing meds, etc... All the usual boring/gross clinic stuff the vets don't want to do themselves.

I don't think it's much of a career unless you're planning on going to vet school; then it could be really good experience to have. As far as being a good job, though, my sister has been a tech for 4 or 5 years now and she loves it. She brings her dog to work sometimes... I tried to get a job with her but they said I was too small to restrain big dogs. I was epically bummed.