Do veterinary technicians/assistants get bored with their job after awhile?

[spicykimchi]

I heard something along the lines that nearly all vet techs/assistants burn out after a few years, which makes me wonder, why would anyone want to spend $40k or so on a degree that they're only going to use for a job they'll only have a few years? Doesn't the job get boring after awhile?

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[clairbear]

I haven't been around any large practices, but the majority of the techs I've been around have worked in the field for more than a couple years and in both practices I've been around the only people who quit went to work somewhere closer to home/wanted to stay at home more. The one guys dad and brother are both vets; so, he's been around it his whole life and doesn't seem bored with it even though he's in his sixties. So, I don't think most people get too bored with it, but that's only in my experience.

I think in most careers there is some degree of boredom even if one loves there job most of the time.

 

[Nexx]

Depends on where you work? Just like any job.

Techs can go on to specialise if they want to, there are avenues for growth and further education. Assistants can become certified/licensed/registered and then move along to specialise.

It's not a dead end, boring career path if it's what you want. But not everyone is happy still being under 'direct supervision' for the rest of their lives.

 

[spicykimchi]

What about the low pay? Isn't it common to burn out on that?

 

[HelloNello]

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[Psorophoraferox]

It does depend quite a bit on your individual work environment, but the combination of high stress and low pay does get to a lot of people after a while. It's also not a good profession for people who are concerned about having a "high status" career -- sadly outside of the field there's not a lot of recognition for the amazing, vital work techs/assistants do.

 

[spicykimchi]

Techs are stressed more than vets? I thought it was the other way around (or perhaps equal)?

 

[libster06]

Also in my experience, vets burn out too. Most vets get really tired of dealing with clients after a few years in the field. Any field where you have to deal with whining clients that project themselves onto their pets is exhausting.

That's quite a stretch.... vets may have days where they don't want to deal with people or have difficult clients but its not just a job for them. Its a career. Its a career that you've paid a ton of money to go into and you're pretty damn sure when you get out into the world that you are ready for the challenges. It's much more than just talking to a bunch of difficult people, because yea, some pet owners are weird, but most are just like us.. they just want the best for their animals. Not to mention, there is more to being a vet than clients. There is surgery, diagnosis, problem solving...

@ spicykimchi: have you not been a tech? It's 75% of the work on any specific case. The vets direct, you do the work. You take the client in, get the information, get samples for testing, run the tests, the vets may interpret results, but then you get to carry out their instructions- pending results, then you make up medicines, and discharge the pet. So, yea, its much more work than being the vet. But then again, the vet worked pretty hard to be in that position...

 

[libster06]

Also the pay is not THAT low.... depending where you work I guess. And just like any job, there are plenty of opportunities for advancement. The harder you work, the more you get paid. Hard work usually doesn't go unnoticed. I have worked with a lot of techs who don't really do anything at work and so those people are probably the ones fueling the overworked-underpaid rumors.

 

[thereservoirdog]

I personally don't think being a tech would make for a great long-term career, but that depends on where you're working. If the hospital you're working at has a good organizational structure, so that if you're an RVT and the hospital employs vet assistants, then you're not stuck with as much of the exhausting grunt work(scrubbing kennels, walking dogs, etc). And if the hospital pays well, gives benefits, then it could be a great career. At my hospital the pay is low, no benefits, and the techs are doing all of the grunt work in addition to teching, so it would definitely be easy to burn out after a few years.

Also the pay is not THAT low.... depending where you work I guess. And just like any job, there are plenty of opportunities for advancement. The harder you work, the more you get paid. Hard work usually doesn't go unnoticed. I have worked with a lot of techs who don't really do anything at work and so those people are probably the ones fueling the overworked-underpaid rumors.

IDK, I live in the Bay Area and most(all) of the techs I know are making $10-13 an hour. Makes it pretty difficult to even rent a place for yourself with home prices so high. Though, the highest wage I've seen posted for a tech job around here was $20, which is livable. I personally don't know anyone making that much though.

 

[lailanni]

The vets direct, you do the work. You take the client in, get the information, get samples for testing, run the tests, the vets may interpret results, but then you get to carry out their instructions- pending results, then you make up medicines, and discharge the pet. So, yea, its much more work than being the vet. But then again, the vet worked pretty hard to be in that position...

Being a tech is generally more hands on and lab work. I wouldn't say it's more work. Just a different kind. If I were to guess who actually handles the animal more, I'd say it may be the tech.

 

[168135]

Also the pay is not THAT low.... depending where you work I guess.

I hear that the pay is pretty low in Canada. Minimum wage - $14/hr. That's why I'm not going back and becoming a tech if I don't get into vet school. I'd have to pay off a $60 000 loan making minimum wage - $14/hr. Sooo not cool.

Also, there isn't much opportunity to move up. Like, if you want to be a vet after being a tech, you still have to jump through the same hurtles to get in.

The techs I know are paid $14. The only reason they are paid that much is so that they'll stick around, according to the vets I've talked to.

Also, I've noticed that in large clinics, techs seem to get the brunt of the work. But in small clinics, the vets do help out with tech duties more (preparing samples, answering phones, cleaning, etc). At least from what I've noticed.

Depends what setting you're in... shelter techs tend to burn out a heck of a lot faster where as pharmaceutical reps are less likely to burn out (but you don't get to work with animals, so what's the point? 😛)

 

[sumstorm]

But in small clinics, the vets do help out with tech duties more (preparing samples, answering phones, cleaning, etc). At least from what I've noticed.

Fascinating discussion. Interesting perspectives. I think that there is some amount of burn out, but there are many causes, and trying to id a predominant one is impossible. I think a lot of folks come into vet med with interesting expectations, and that can lead to burn out.

One thing to remember; if the vet is doing tech duties, they are not doing vet duties. If they are not doing vet duties, they are not doing what brings the most income into the practice. This short changes the entire clinic, and can suppress wages for both vets and vet techs. If I am answering a phone to deal with questions everyone on the staff should be able to handle (appointment booking, s/n costs, etc) then I am not seeing and diagnosing a patient, or finishing a CE, or learning a new technique, or ensuring DEA status is up to date, etc (things techs can't do). Everyone has to pitch in in different ways at times, but realisticly the best way for me to make sure my staff gets good wages is to make sure I am spending the vast majority of the time at work seeing patients and letting my staff manage the other tasks of the clinic. Think about it from a clinic owners perspective. Lets say the associate vet makes $60k and the tech makes $30k. Who do I want to pay to do most of the routine tasks? When an appt comes in, how much can I charge for a vet diagnosis vs a tech appt?

Now, that doens't mean vets should be snotty about it, or make life stressful for techs or create messes that they don't have to clean up, just that a well-functioning business trusts all the employees to fullfill the roles appropriatly to create the best fiscal picture. If I ever own a clinic, I do plan on having share plans to benefit staff performance.

As a tech, you can specialize as well. My mother was, after years of teching, exclusively in the Sx ward. I know a vet tech that only does behavior work...and she makes a lot more than any other tech I know because she can drive business for the clinic. I have met a fair number of techs that don't want to spend the extra time, money, and energy to improve their skill sets to earn more. I think, in vets and techs, that leads to burn out.

 

[168135]

I'm not saying that the vets do a ton more tech duties.

For example, if they finish surgery early and are waiting for their first appointment to come in, the vet may answer phones or tidy up the exam area while the techs clean up the surgery room. At the end of the day, the vet will help clean up so that they all get out of there at a decent time. Those kinds of duties help save on clinic costs in the long run. Also, if someone calls in sick at the small clinic, the vet will help out with tech duties.

I've been at a 6 doctor clinic and a 1 doctor (recently became a 2 doctor) clinic, and that's just what I've picked up. I'm not surprised if it varies from clinic to clinic.

Depends on the vet too. The vets at the small clinic are willing to do pretty much anything to make sure the staff is happy, clients are happy and that everything runs smoothly and that the clinic is spotless at the end of the day. The vets at the other clinic don't seem to go that extra mile to make sure everything is in order before they call it a day.

 

[Coquette22]

I don't know if it's accurate to say the techs do more work than the vets. I've been at one small 2 doctor, 2/3 tech clinic and a larger 7 doctor, lost-count-of-the-techs clinics. No one ever stopped moving while it was busy, but they were doing distinctly differently things. The techs seem to do 1000 different smaller jobs (taking in clients, getting hx, making up prescriptions, running samples, surgery prep, cleaning, etc) while the doctors were doing the longer, larger things. A doctor could spend 20 minutes on the phone with a client or with another clinic, while the tech did 3 smaller jobs in that time.

I personally turned away from tech duties because I didn't like the grunt work. I liked surgeries, I liked diagnostics, but I hated cleaning instruments and wrapping packs. I also didn't like what I felt was a lack of job security. For the most part, the vets can cover the tech duties when times are tough, so I find it's the techs that get let go when business is bad (just IME, others mileage may vary).

That said, the techs I do know all love their job. Some have been with the same clinic for over a decade. It's just not necessarily the right job for everyone.

 

[LetItSnow]

Being a tech is generally more hands on and lab work. I wouldn't say it's more work. Just a different kind. If I were to guess who actually handles the animal more, I'd say it may be the tech.

All depends on the job.....

I know of a mobile vet clinic in Idaho that doesn't employ any techs. Who do you think handles the animals more there? 🙂 Or what about the farm vet that I've shadowed that also doesn't employ any techs?

I also know of a tech who moved into the position of business manager at a small animal clinic. She certainly doesn't handle animals much.

On the other hand, I volunteer for a tech who does canine rehab. She runs her own department, has advanced training, and (for rehab appointments) will usually be the only contact a client has with medical staff. No lab work, just pure hands-on physical therapy.

Point is, there are all sorts of jobs out there for people who like a lot of animal contact, don't want as much contact, like clients, don't like clients, whatever. But if the scope of your view is just "small animal clinics with a couple vets" then sure, you might find the possibilities more limited.

 

[Pelagia]

This question hits on something I've been thinking about for a while.

I'm taking a year in between college and vet school right now, and I'm working as a vet tech in a small animal hospital. I think that vet tech boredom/burnout has a lot to do with the environment in which the tech works, so I’ll only be speaking about my experience as a vet tech in a small animal general practice hospital with two doctors. To give an overall statement about how I feel being a tech, I will say that I AM bored/burnt out with being a tech, and am so ready to move on. I think this feeling is exacerbated by the fact that I will be starting vet school in August (NCSU c/o 2015!), but I know I would feel this way regardless of what my future plans were.

I’ll start with the good stuff first: I love all of the hands-on aspects of my job: venipuncture, setting catheters, intubating patients, etc. This sounds weird, but I also really enjoy dental cleanings, even when the pet has a lot of tartar and gingivitis (it's really satisfying to make their mouths clean again!). Even anesthesia monitoring is fun. I don't even mind wrapping packs and drapes. Plus, the vets I work with know I'm heading to vet school, so they always take the time to explain radiographs to me, demonstrate surgical techniques, explain their diagnostic rationale, etc. Having such supportive vets who are interested in my professional/academic development is one of the best parts of my job. I also feel very fortunate that I’ve been able to develop these technical, hands-on skills before starting school.

That said, there are lots of parts of my job that I don't like. To make things simple, here there are in a list:

• Ugh, cleaning/closing duties. These take up a TON of time, and are especially burdensome when your coworkers don’t pull their weight. I know most of us have to “put in our time” and do the grunt work (and I have, believe me, I used to do kennel work, too), but when you’re pre-veterinary and a vet tech, it’s so soul-sucking because you realize that scrubbing that floor is in no way advancing your future.

• Hours and Pay. The hours are long and unpredictable (as in, emergencies walk through the door 5 minutes before closing). The pay can vary widely depending on where you work, but mine is crappy ($10/hr).

• Coworker issues. I do get along with my coworkers, but unfortunately, I feel so isolated and different from them. I don’t mean to sound arrogant or cocky, but simply put, I operate with a higher sense of integrity than they do. For example, one of the first things we are supposed to do when we come in is feed the hospital cats. I always do, because at that point in the morning, it’s been about 12 hours since the kitties last ate. However, on days when I’ve come in the for afternoon shift, I’ve been appalled to find that my coworkers have not fed the cats, or even turned on the light in the room where they stay. They don’t even bother to open the door to check on the cats! That is absolutely unacceptable and unethical to me. Another example: whenever I’m the surgery tech, I always finish my entire list of duties, even if it means staying late. However, the other techs will not uncommonly leave early, without even finishing their duties (i.e. dirty trach tubes in the sink, unscrubbed instruments, didn’t even pull the IV catheters from the patients!). It’s really frustrating/crappy to work with people who don’t care about their jobs. Yes, I realize that to them, being a tech is just a job, whereas vet med is my passion, but still, I expect people to at least do all of their assigned duties.

• Boredom and lack of challenge/career growth. I think this has to do more with the fact of the type of place where I work (small animal general practice) and the fact that I’m pre-veterinary, but I honestly want more variety in my life! I want to see more species than just cats and dogs, see more interesting surgeries, and learn more! Yes, the vets do teach me things, but I still feel so limited where I work because I feel like we see the same things over and over.

So there you have it. I do feel like my perspective may be different from most techs since I always intended on going to vet school and am just teching as a way to stay in the world of vet med during my year off. I am so ready to do, learn, and see more, and so I definitely feel like my tech job is limited and a little boring. I have four months left until I move out of state to go to school, and I’ve been looking for a farm/ranch/wildlife rescue to volunteer at (which is hard to come by in a city) to supplement my tech job.

 

[kitty613]

However, on days when I've come in the for afternoon shift, I've been appalled to find that my coworkers have not fed the cats, or even turned on the light in the room where they stay. They don't even bother to open the door to check on the cats! That is absolutely unacceptable and unethical to me.

I completely agree! I am disgusted by what you told me about the vet techs you work with. Shame on them! 😡Do you think this is in part because of the low wages? $10 per hour? This is by no means an excuse for the less than satisfactory work your coworkers do though. I always have to pick up the slack from others too, and I'm a volunteer! I can't stand the crappy work that the other volunteers produce. I'm sorry but it is not acceptable to slack on feeding the animals, and it is not acceptable to not clean cages properly and as a result, animals sit in their own waste for god knows how long. 😡 I say, if you can't put in the effort to take care of animals properly (paid or not paid) then get out! There are other people who take their duties seriously and will make sure the animals are cared for properly. 🙁
By the way, are vet techs in Texas required to go to school and get licensed as RVT's? Totally random...I know.

 

[HelloNello]

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[HelloNello]

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[libster06]

I completely agree! I am disgusted by what you told me about the vet techs you work with. Shame on them! 😡Do you think this is in part because of the low wages? $10 per hour? This is by no means an excuse for the less than satisfactory work your coworkers do though. I always have to pick up the slack from others too, and I'm a volunteer! I can't stand the crappy work that the other volunteers produce. I'm sorry but it is not acceptable to slack on feeding the animals, and it is not acceptable to not clean cages properly and as a result, animals sit in their own waste for god knows how long. 😡 I say, if you can't put in the effort to take care of animals properly (paid or not paid) then get out! There are other people who take their duties seriously and will make sure the animals are cared for properly. 🙁
By the way, are vet techs in Texas required to go to school and get licensed as RVT's? Totally random...I know.

Techs are not required. And most of them aren't- I have maybe worked with 3 RVTs in the 5-6 years time I have been working in clinics.

I also wasn't thinking about the regional differences in cost of living when I made the pay scale statement. Yea, San Fran is very expensive to live in and thus, quite challenging for someone with vet tech income. In Baton Rouge the cost of living is high too, but I am on loans right now and don't have a job other than school, so I haven't experienced the tech pay here.


I guess the value of the job depends on the pay which, is influenced by where you live. If you are really struggling to survive, then I guess the vet tech job could really be a negative thing. It could be looked at as a thankless job with no rewards. And that's probably how a lot of people view it. I personally loved being a tech, but that could have been because all my experience was geared toward vet school and I always knew I wasn't going to be "just a tech."

As far as the closing duties go... again I have always seen it as, the vets don't have to because they have worked hard to get into that position of not having to do that. After all this rigorous schooling I am going through I don't want to get out in practice and still be cleaning floors. I've done that, I'll probably do it until I get the DVM title to my name. Most vets have done that, seeing as to get into vet school you have to have experience... which includes cleaning and doing low-man-on-totem-pole work, so its not liek they've somehow risen to a level without knowing what its like at the bottom.
I'm also COMPLETELY unfamiliar with tech positions in other countries, I was only speaking from my experience with American vet clinics.


I feel like this thread has shed a real negative light on the whole job... I am just trying to say that no everyone is burned out with it. There are those who really do enjoy it, for better or worse.

 

[katryn]

It's been my experience that most techs in my area that go to the length of getting licensed, and wanted to be TECHS with no other long term goal(ie. they never wanted to be a vet), love what they do, where they are at, and where they are going. They are the people who turn being a vet tech into a career and not just a job.

That being said, I was mostly miserable when I was treated as just another assistant/tech/receptionist/kennel girl. I want to be a vet. I want the challenge of diagnosis, treatment plan, surgery, etc. When I have been lucky enough to work under a vet that made me an active part of the process, I loved being a technician! There was a point in time where I thought about giving up on vet school because I was enjoying being a tech for the doctor I was working with at the time. Ending up at a job somewhere else and being treated as grunt labor was what made me keep reapplying to vet school.

So, I think the disgruntled, burn out prone techs are those that either just do it to pay the bills, or people who have higher goals(such as vet school). Enjoying what you do, in any profession, is ultimately making of it what you choose to make of it.

 

[Pelagia]

That being said, I was mostly miserable when I was treated as just another assistant/tech/receptionist/kennel girl. I want to be a vet. I want the challenge of diagnosis, treatment plan, surgery, etc. When I have been lucky enough to work under a vet that made me an active part of the process, I loved being a technician!

Same. I feel lucky that the vets I work with involve me in their cases, but even with that, I'm still itching for more knowledge! I'm SO excited about vet school because I will finally get to learn the stuff I've been wanting to know about!

And I totally agree that those who are happiest, in any field, are those who actually want to be there. Techs that tech as just a job, not a career, are the ones who are chronically unhappy.

 

[spicykimchi]

So then the high turnover that the vet assistant/vet tech job experiences...a lot of what is feeding into that statistic is people who treated it as just a job or as a stepping stone to being a vet? The statistic would not be as bad if more vet techs/assistants were in that job simply for the love of it?

Also...people who have a rotten time being a tech....why don't they just quit and work at another hospital?

 

[breenie]

Also...people who have a rotten time being a tech....why don't they just quit and work at another hospital?

They do, and work at all of the clinics in town until there isn't one left. 🙄

 

[woosiecg]

As a vet tech that has worked in the field now for about six years I can definitely say I have seen my share of burnout and have experienced it myself. One thing to remember is that being a vet tech means different things at different clinics. I am lucky enough to work at a clinic where the doctors give us a lot of responsibility and allow us to do a lot of different things. Even with this, I get bored every once in awhile. I try to keep myself motivated and interested by taking information I am learning in my undergrad science courses and making them applicable day to day (thats just me...haha). My coworkers think I am a bit strange because I like to look up bloodwork results at home on my free time and see what could be the reasons for animal ailments that we saw earlier that day. To get back on topic, burnout is definitely common, we work hard, get paid little (most of the time) and have to deal with being bitten, scratched, and yelled at. One thing that makes my job less enjoyable is that our doctors are on production (they get bonuses for making a certain amount of money) and this causes a little friction/competition for patients which creates a bit of a negative environment sometimes. I also find that the vets expect us to work extremely quickly in order to allow them to see more patients. If we are not moving fast enough they get irritable with us even if it's something we can not control. So...long story short (not really), yes burnout is common and definitely possible but I would say its a great place to start before going to vet school. I feel I have gained so much knowledge and I feel it would definitely be helpful in making vet school a little easier (not easy, just easier!)

 

[deleted266066]

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[lailanni]

All depends on the job.....

I know of a mobile vet clinic in Idaho that doesn't employ any techs. Who do you think handles the animals more there? 🙂 Or what about the farm vet that I've shadowed that also doesn't employ any techs?

Well obviously if there aren't any techs the vets will have to handle the animals more. 🙄

In a typical clinical situation, and not being out in the sticks or running your own special thing, a tech does more of the support work that involves handling the animals, getting blood, running labs, etc so the vet can maximize their time with doctor duties.

 

[Pelagia]

So then the high turnover that the vet assistant/vet tech job experiences...a lot of what is feeding into that statistic is people who treated it as just a job or as a stepping stone to being a vet? The statistic would not be as bad if more vet techs/assistants were in that job simply for the love of it?

Also...people who have a rotten time being a tech....why don't they just quit and work at another hospital?

I don't think pre-vet students are a statistically significant portion of vet techs. I think techs get burnt out because they are often under appreciated! Long hours, low pay, difficult clients, and yes, sometimes the vets do get irritated for things that are out of tech control, but will take it out on the techs. Not always, but sometimes.

This is making it sound like being a tech is horrible...it's not, though. Yes, there are certainly downsides, and they can be especially frustrating if being a tech is a "stepping stone" to vet school, but there is also a good side. It's really rewarding to physically work with the animals, to work with regular clients, and to alleviate an animal's suffering.

 

[LetItSnow]

Well obviously if there aren't any techs the vets will have to handle the animals more. 🙄

In a typical clinical situation, and not being out in the sticks or running your own special thing, a tech does more of the support work that involves handling the animals, getting blood, running labs, etc so the vet can maximize their time with doctor duties.

That's my point, though. People here are making all sorts of generalizations like "vets don't handle the animals as much" and that's just not necessarily true. Sure, there are vets who hardly ever touch an animal. But there are vets running their own shops who handle them constantly. And you definitely do NOT need to be "out in the sticks" to be one of them. I'm in Minneapolis (of course, you maybe consider that the sticks) and know of plenty.

 

[spicykimchi]

Thanks cowgirla. Posts like yours help me keep things in perspective and, while not ignoring the negatives, not over emphasize them either. Like someone else said today (probably on a different thread) if vet med was nothing but sweat, blood, and tears, no one would do it.

Not being pessimistic all the time never hurt anybody 🙂

 

[Tech2Vet]

After being a tech for nearly 10 years, I have to say that the majority of techs I've worked with have decided to pursue other careers. There is definitely a point when you can't progress in skills or responsibility. I've been head tech and had more managerial responsibility on top of the technical work, but I still never achieved the long-term job satisfaction I craved. I also tried to "shake things up" by taking lots of courses on a variety of subjects (from anesthesia for exotics to oncology for small animals). Basically, in my opinion, it's not the best job to pursue for long term happiness. Although, I did love it for most of the 10 years.

 

[168135]

That said, there are lots of parts of my job that I don't like. To make things simple, here there are in a list:

• Ugh, cleaning/closing duties. These take up a TON of time, and are especially burdensome when your coworkers don't pull their weight. I know most of us have to "put in our time" and do the grunt work (and I have, believe me, I used to do kennel work, too), but when you're pre-veterinary and a vet tech, it's so soul-sucking because you realize that scrubbing that floor is in no way advancing your future.

• Hours and Pay. The hours are long and unpredictable (as in, emergencies walk through the door 5 minutes before closing). The pay can vary widely depending on where you work, but mine is crappy ($10/hr).

• Coworker issues. I do get along with my coworkers, but unfortunately, I feel so isolated and different from them. I don't mean to sound arrogant or cocky, but simply put, I operate with a higher sense of integrity than they do. For example, one of the first things we are supposed to do when we come in is feed the hospital cats. I always do, because at that point in the morning, it's been about 12 hours since the kitties last ate. However, on days when I've come in the for afternoon shift, I've been appalled to find that my coworkers have not fed the cats, or even turned on the light in the room where they stay. They don't even bother to open the door to check on the cats! That is absolutely unacceptable and unethical to me. Another example: whenever I'm the surgery tech, I always finish my entire list of duties, even if it means staying late. However, the other techs will not uncommonly leave early, without even finishing their duties (i.e. dirty trach tubes in the sink, unscrubbed instruments, didn't even pull the IV catheters from the patients!). It's really frustrating/crappy to work with people who don't care about their jobs. Yes, I realize that to them, being a tech is just a job, whereas vet med is my passion, but still, I expect people to at least do all of their assigned duties.

• Boredom and lack of challenge/career growth. I think this has to do more with the fact of the type of place where I work (small animal general practice) and the fact that I'm pre-veterinary, but I honestly want more variety in my life! I want to see more species than just cats and dogs, see more interesting surgeries, and learn more! Yes, the vets do teach me things, but I still feel so limited where I work because I feel like we see the same things over and over.

You've basically just described my minimum wage job. I've worked at 3 different fast food restaurants. The closing/cleaning duties suck, the hours and pay suck ($9/hour, working until 2am some mornings), the coworkers suck ("I'm only here for the money and I'm graduating from highschool in 6 months, so I'm allowed to be lazy and I don't care if I make the customers mad... ARRRGH) and boredom/lack of challenge/lack of career growth (was in it for 5 years and never made it to a supervisory position).

After five years, I'd come to work with a smile plastered on my face and kept doing my best, but argh, I hated it. It numbed my soul. I wanted to move on to bigger and better things, not clean tables and make cones for the rest of my life.

Kind of glad I didn't go the tech route... I guess you can only scrub so many instruments and do so many blood draws before it just becomes redundant and boring.

 

[Tech2Vet]

I didn't touch on this - but Pelagia you are so right! Another huge issue with job satisfaction for techs is the lack of appreciation. Don't even get me started on salaries for techs..ughh it's awful! The most I ever made was not even half of what my husband makes. There also became a point where it was difficult to find a job because I was too expensive (what a joke!). When I did get another job, (granted, it was in a different state/country) I had to take a massive pay cut. Grrr.

 

[Tech2Vet]

Sorry for all my postings - but I just also wanted to mention that I have several friends that specialize as techs. My best friend was a surgery tech for a specialty practice for a long time and although she always had the coolest stories, she got just as burnt out as I did. No matter what field or area you pursue as a technician the fact is that you will always be limited in what you can achieve as far as responsibility is concerned. I was lucky and worked in a clinic that let me take on tasks like placing urinary catheters in FUS kitties, dental extractions/suturing etc. but I still never felt like it was enough.
I do have a few friends that are still teching and probably always will, but they also have children and have more part-time schedules so their focus is more on being a mom. I don't think I know any techs that are really career minded about the job for the long-term.

 

[Pelagia]

No matter what field or area you pursue as a technician the fact is that you will always be limited in what you can achieve as far as responsibility is concerned.

Yes. And when you crave more knowledge and responsibility, being a tech can feel like such a dead end, because there is a stopping point, but you want to progress past it!

Tech2Vet, you got to do some pretty cool stuff! Even with that, and your managerial responsibilities, though, I really do understand why you got bored.

But to reiterate what I've said earlier, or perhaps in a different thread, being a tech isn't all horrible. You do get to do a lot of cool stuff. It just isn't a job for everyone.

 

[sumstorm]

I'm going to disagree with folks who say you have to cieling out as a tech.

You may have to decide between other things and continueing to grow as a tech, but I am willing to bet those that believe there is an absolute cieling to that growth will eventually feel that way about vet work as well. I know folks who have been teching for 30+ years. Sometimes they have relocated for jobs, sometimes they are actually nearly running an entire department. Some have moved into research or speciality hospitals. Some are in chare of ICU, some are doing 95% behavior work, some are working on clinical research, taking the bulk of their work with some vet supervision.

Now, can you do that at the first clinic you work at, or even your current clinic? that will vary greatly. That's true for an associate vet as well. If I go to a clinic where the vet doesn't see exotcis, doesn't want them in the clinic, then there is a cieling, but I can still go elsewhere. When I was young, we moved an hour across the state to give my mother, a vet tech and groomer, a better job.

Even just staying up on current methods is important....and I don't know many techs that spend time reaching the journals and adding EXTRA value to a practice. I hear a lot of folks say 'I don't get paid for that' but there are ways to negotiate getting paid for that. One tech talked her vet into paying her on percentages of behavior cases. Thats the one that nearly only does behavior now, and she is making around $50k a year. But she had to make the initial investments in time and education to have the skills to negotiate that deal. And her vet was incredibly skeptical. He truely didn't think it would work, but the reality was that it was an untapped market for them. Oh, and in the beginning, she still had to do a ton of work 'after hours' and without pay to build the clientelle. She talked at schools, gave presentations at businesses, grocery stores, etc. That was all on her, and the first couple of years were very rough...but now, 6 years later, she has to turn down business. These are the same skills that allow some associates to earn $150k vs $60k, and what lets some owners earn over $200k. I do think vets could help promote this, but I also know a lot of vets who feel like the techs that are chatting, texting, and not being efficient now would never be willing to put the extra effort in. Again, not all situations. Some great folks are stuck in some rotten situations, and some rotten folks manage to slip into some great situations. But we can all figure out how to continue to grow, advance, and develop within our chosen careers, we may just have to extend ourselves more and be unconventional (see the long term rather than the current situation.)

Just a random aside...at least where I'm at, min wage is $7.25....$9 is considered pretty nice pay. When I started working, I was paid $4.15 an hour or $0.27 a bushel, depending on the job.

 

[mrskullybones]

Just a random aside...at least where I'm at, min wage is $7.25....$9 is considered pretty nice pay. When I started working, I was paid $4.15 an hour or $0.27 a bushel, depending on the job.

$9 for a CVT/LVT/RVT would be insulting. I make $15/hr an hour in Florida and I'm probably one of the lowest paid technicians in my hospital because I'm not registered. I know someone in my clinic makes $20/hr and even that is low compared to RVT's in other states. If you are certified you need to move to a State that actually recognizes registered technicians and forbids unlicensed technicians. DVMs in those States not only pay their technicians well but utilize the skills they have.

Registered technicians also have the option to specialize. Behavior, Anesthesia, Emergency & Critical Care, Surgery, Nutrition. All are very challenging and rewarding in their own way, financially and technically. You can work in GP, emergency, specialty, laboratory, corporate, for the government, for non-profits, for the ASPCA poison control. Examples like the one above who took over behavioral consultations under supervision of a DVM is an excellent example of how technicians have plenty of opportunities to expand themselves. I know in ER/Specialty medicine like I work in we get to place central lines, scrub in to surgery, induce/intubate, and assist with all sorts of technically challenging procedures.

All hope is not lost!

 

[Tech2Vet]

Even just staying up on current methods is important....and I don't know many techs that spend time reaching the journals and adding EXTRA value to a practice. I hear a lot of folks say 'I don't get paid for that' but there are ways to negotiate getting paid for that. One tech talked her vet into paying her on percentages of behavior cases. Thats the one that nearly only does behavior now, and she is making around $50k a year. But she had to make the initial investments in time and education to have the skills to negotiate that deal. And her vet was incredibly skeptical. He truely didn't think it would work, but the reality was that it was an untapped market for them. Oh, and in the beginning, she still had to do a ton of work 'after hours' and without pay to build the clientelle. She talked at schools, gave presentations at businesses, grocery stores, etc. That was all on her, and the first couple of years were very rough...but now, 6 years later, she has to turn down business. These are the same skills that allow some associates to earn $150k vs $60k, and what lets some owners earn over $200k. I do think vets could help promote this, but I also know a lot of vets who feel like the techs that are chatting, texting, and not being efficient now would never be willing to put the extra effort in. Again, not all situations. Some great folks are stuck in some rotten situations, and some rotten folks manage to slip into some great situations. But we can all figure out how to continue to grow, advance, and develop within our chosen careers, we may just have to extend ourselves more and be unconventional (see the long term rather than the current situation.)

Just a random aside...at least where I'm at, min wage is $7.25....$9 is considered pretty nice pay. When I started working, I was paid $4.15 an hour or $0.27 a bushel, depending on the job.

I agree that it's a good idea to take courses as a tech or move into a specialty practice. And maybe it's just me that wasn't satisfied with that, I guess during that time I knew I wanted to go to vet school so I wasn't trying to be satisfied with being a tech forever.
I also decided to try to earn extra income, so I started a puppy school at the practice. The owners of my practice were generous and let me keep all of the proceeds and I also ended up with a salary around $50k. Although, that may sound like a decent wage for a tech, but I still don't think it's fair remuneration for the job. I know not to expect to ever be the breadwinner in the house as a vet either, but I really think that vet techs are ridiculously underpaid. I think that's a big reason why people get burned out. You start working as a vet tech because you love the job and that factor outweighs the pay. And even if you continue to love the job, the pay really lowers your motivation (or at least that's the case for the techs I know). But then again, for some people the money isn't a big issue and they are satisfied with the responsibilities as a tech. Maybe my tech friends and I are just hard to please (I mean we all were in nj/ny/london ... where everyone is hard to please! hehe!)

 

[Chinola]

$9 for a CVT/LVT/RVT would be insulting. I make $15/hr an hour in Florida and I'm probably one of the lowest paid technicians in my hospital because I'm not registered. I know someone in my clinic makes $20/hr and even that is low compared to RVT's in other states. If you are certified you need to move to a State that actually recognizes registered technicians and forbids unlicensed technicians. DVMs in those States not only pay their technicians well but utilize the skills they have.

Registered technicians also have the option to specialize. Behavior, Anesthesia, Emergency & Critical Care, Surgery, Nutrition. All are very challenging and rewarding in their own way, financially and technically. You can work in GP, emergency, specialty, laboratory, corporate, for the government, for non-profits, for the ASPCA poison control. Examples like the one above who took over behavioral consultations under supervision of a DVM is an excellent example of how technicians have plenty of opportunities to expand themselves. I know in ER/Specialty medicine like I work in we get to place central lines, scrub in to surgery, induce/intubate, and assist with all sorts of technically challenging procedures.

All hope is not lost!

You got pretty lucky in Florida at an emergency clinic. One of the biggest emergency clinics where I live in Florida offered an experienced tech (6 years of experience working full-time) $9/hr for the overnight shift. He chose to stay where he's working now since you get more money working for the county. He has a Bachelor's degree in something unrelated but has no formal tech training. But since FL doesn't require you to be a RVT they don't pay those people any more money.

 

[mrskullybones]

AMC Cooper City?

 

[Chinola]

AMC Cooper City?

MVS Miami

 

[sumstorm]

The owners of my practice were generous and let me keep all of the proceeds and I also ended up with a salary around $50k. Although, that may sound like a decent wage for a tech, but I still don't think it's fair remuneration for the job.

At least where I am at, most folks coming out with anything less than a bachelors aren't going to make over $50k. Maybe I am out of the profit making loop. My first job in the zoo world as a 2nd in command only generated $38k (with a bachelor), I made $100+ at NOAA, but I also worked extreme jobs for extreme hours.

Median household income on the last published census data was $52k, with per capita at $21k.

This is when I start to wonder if we aren't very realistic about money. I do know there are huge variations on geography, but I actually think that's a pretty nice income for 2 years of educational investment + continueing education.

Could you explain why that is too little money? I am not saying it is what I'd like to have, but on the ratio of time investment, a VT earning $50k is doing far better than the vet (with 5-8yrs education) is earning for at least the first decade (remember to calculate in lost costs.)

 

[Tech2Vet]

Well, when I was earning that I was in London. When I moved to NC, I took a huge pay cut as a tech. When I was single, I lived in NYC on a tech's salary and I was happy, but then again I was in my early 20s and I was happy living in an apartment with a roommate and having just enough to go out with friends etc. If I was in the same financial situation now, I would definitely not be satisfied. So maybe it has to do with age a bit as well. I'm sure people can live off of that income, but it doesn't leave much room for saving for the future (I surely never had the option of a 401k as a tech). I guess it just depends on what your income expectations are.

 

[camcam]

I heard something along the lines that nearly all vet techs/assistants burn out after a few years, which makes me wonder, why would anyone want to spend $40k or so on a degree that they're only going to use for a job they'll only have a few years? Doesn't the job get boring after awhile?

well in my resarch of trying to determine if i will become a vet tech or dvm from the vet techs I spoke with they seem a bit "bitter settled" they wish they were paid more then 50k a year for their 2 year program if they were RVT or they are uspet they didn't take the RVT program and went into the basic 1 year animal care program and are paid 30k.

the whole clinic that is mostly run by the RVTs advice werefor me to become a DVM even the DVM that just graduated was more on become a DVM almost like they were telling me RVT is a waste of money.

so I wonder wiht some of them if they became a RVt because they didnt have the patients and drive for DVM school or they thought they were too old to spend 8 years in school.

sure becoming a vet tech would bring me money in faster, but it would only be 30 to 60k and neve as much as a DVM i would be working for and it seems very few RVT become self employed and I like being my own boss more then working for someone else.

 

[TomTheK9Fixr]

Didnt bother reading every post. Just going to respond to thread topic.

First, I've been a non-certified tech for about 8 years at a small animal referral hospital.

Does it get boring? Not in the referral setting because you get complicated cases. If I was in GP I'd last only a few months because of the monotony (sorry GP'ers that's just me)

Right now I am getting paid $13 an hour. I am a professional in another field so money isn't my motive, but $13 is not great IMO considering the stress and ability needed. There are tech supervisors that are making 40-60k depending on what area you're in. For example, I know two SA MRI techs that started at 45k, not to shabby IMO. Of course this example is an outlier statistically speaking.

What I've learned in my time, there are many DVMs that say you get more patient interaction, thus more satisfaction as a tech vs. DVM. I'd agree with this generalization to an extent.

HTH

 

[slytherin]

Nice read.

What exactly do you mean when you say clients like to stress about their pets or some clients are hard to handle?

I grew up in a country where pets aren't commonly given importance, in fact in some cities dogs are delicacies. So maybe I am not understanding something. I mean I love animals so I don't identify with the environment I'm accustomed with. But to what point is it stressful that vets and vet techs would make them want to quit their career?

 

[PppermintTwist]

I am a licensed veterinary technician. Of the people I know that I graduated with not many stayed with it. Some went on to get business management degrees, a few went to vet school. When we were in school they warned that there is a high drop out for the field.

In my opinion, and I am a bit opinionated on this, it would help to turn it into more of a profession. It is a profession to me. I went to tech school, got my license, and got a bachelors degree on top of that. I take pride in my work. I love providing nursing care, I love performing diagnostics, and I am interested in what is going on with each case and I usually enjoy interacting with the clients. I also have to keep things clean, walk dogs, and pack instruments.

I think that if you are licensed you should be paid more than a technicians assistant ( someone without a license that got a job helping out at a clinic is not a technician in my opinion ) That being said I have respect for people who have been in the field for 10-15 years. Many of those people have been able to grandfather clause into getting a license. But now. Most states require you to have a license to be a technician and so I believe the days of training on the job to be a "tech" should come to an end. If you would like to help out as a technician or veterinary assistant cleaning cages, walking dogs, restraining, and doing things under a technicians supervision be my guest, but if you want to be a Veterinary Technician, go to school.

I think that this will help with pay rates, job attrition, and appreciation of technicians. Vets arent going to hire a licensed technician when they can pay an assistant peanuts. So if you dont want to be paid peanuts, help the profession and get licensed.

Sorry if Im a little opinionated on this. I feel like its a slap in the face when people have told me ( not anyone here ) that "a license is just a piece of paper." It is more than a piece of paper to me. It is something I am proud of, and shows that I have learned skills necessary to be a good technician. I love my job.

So...in short. The reason techs quit their jobs are many, but one for me would be that my profession is not considered or treated like a profession by the rest of veterinary medicine.

 

[libster06]

I am a licensed veterinary technician. Of the people I know that I graduated with not many stayed with it. Some went on to get business management degrees, a few went to vet school. When we were in school they warned that there is a high drop out for the field.

In my opinion, and I am a bit opinionated on this, it would help to turn it into more of a profession. It is a profession to me. I went to tech school, got my license, and got a bachelors degree on top of that. I take pride in my work. I love providing nursing care, I love performing diagnostics, and I am interested in what is going on with each case and I usually enjoy interacting with the clients. I also have to keep things clean, walk dogs, and pack instruments.

I think that if you are licensed you should be paid more than a technicians assistant ( someone without a license that got a job helping out at a clinic is not a technician in my opinion ) That being said I have respect for people who have been in the field for 10-15 years. Many of those people have been able to grandfather clause into getting a license. But now. Most states require you to have a license to be a technician and so I believe the days of training on the job to be a "tech" should come to an end. If you would like to help out as a technician or veterinary assistant cleaning cages, walking dogs, restraining, and doing things under a technicians supervision be my guest, but if you want to be a Veterinary Technician, go to school.

I think that this will help with pay rates, job attrition, and appreciation of technicians. Vets arent going to hire a licensed technician when they can pay an assistant peanuts. So if you dont want to be paid peanuts, help the profession and get licensed.

Sorry if Im a little opinionated on this. I feel like its a slap in the face when people have told me ( not anyone here ) that "a license is just a piece of paper." It is more than a piece of paper to me. It is something I am proud of, and shows that I have learned skills necessary to be a good technician. I love my job.

So...in short. The reason techs quit their jobs are many, but one for me would be that my profession is not considered or treated like a profession by the rest of veterinary medicine.

I'll agree with this. The amount of work to pay ratio doesn't seem right. Especially given that the clinics wouldn't run without dedicated techs. And if they were treated better or compensated better they might be inclined to stick with it

 

[Trematode]

When I applied to school to become a RVT, I was told that techs can make minimum wage and up. The techs who make the most work as reps for pharmaceutical companies. Two clinics that I volunteered at paid their techs a little more than minimum wage (to keep them around). At the time of asking, minumum wage was $7.60. This clinic was paying their techs $14/hour.