Hey, What’s the Vet Tech Pay?
Have you ever wanted to work in a veterinary clinic or in animal research but was concerned about the pay scale? These days with the rising cost of living what you get paid is very important. Therefore, it is critical that you find a job that you enjoy and one that will help support your family. Read on to uncover the true facts about vet tech salary.
Most veterinary technicians will choose to work in a private veterinary clinic or maybe even a veterinary hospital. The duties that a veterinary technician will perform will include drawing blood and urine samples, assisting the veterinarian in surgical procedures, teaching pet owners about the care of their pets and just general nursing duties of the animals. You will be working forty hours a week on the average. Depending on the facility in which you work at you may be required to be on call for emergencies.
What types of facilities can you choose to work in when you become a veterinary technician? The veterinary clinic or hospital is not your only option when it comes to employment. You can choose to work in biomedical research or colleges and universities. This type of research related to a veterinary technician career requires a different type of certification.
Other places that employ veterinary technicians will include zoos and aquariums, veterinary supply sales, drug and feed manufacturing companies and humane societies. Obviously, the salary for these facilities will differ according to the funding they are provided from government agencies and state agencies.
A salary for a vet tech depends on many things. It will depend on the type of facility in which you choose to work and the area of the country in which you work. Your years of experience will make a difference in salary also.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median hourly wage for veterinary technicians was approximately $14.08. This data was collected from May of 2009. The middle fifty percent of those employed as veterinary technicians earned between $11.54 and $17.25. A small 10 percent of those employed as a vet tech earned less than $9.70 per hour while only 10 percent earned in the top range of more than $20.71.
These salary ranges are averages and may not be consistent with your area. There are some facilities that pay more than $20 per hour. If you do a search for veterinary technician jobs in your area you may be lucky enough to find one of these higher paying positions.
You must keep in mind that you have to attend college to become a veterinary technician. To become certified or licensed you must obtain a two year degree and then sit for the state licensing exam. However, some veterinary technicians choose to continue their education to a four year degree. A four year degree can get you the title of veterinary technologist and in most cases a higher rate of pay. You can also choose to specialize in a particular breed of animal. Some people will specialize in exotic animals while others choose to specialize in birds or reptiles. Specializing may allow you to command a higher rate of pay. You can choose to be a consultant in your specialty and make even more money.
All in all, the average vet tech salary is not bad in comparison to other occupations. The best part about this type of career is that you will be able to work around the animals that you love. It is a fascinating career, and you should be able to find employment just about anywhere.