Vet techs: Do you enjoy your job?

[Lyndsaygirl123]

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Hi there. I have been considering becoming a vet tech if neither vet school nor PA school works out. I think I would enjoy it but I would like to hear the opinions of people who are currently in the profession.

If you don't mind, please answer these questions:
Do you enjoy your job?
How much do you get paid? Is it enough to live comfortably on your own?
Are you licensed/registered?

Thank you so much! 🙂

 

[dyachei]

Hi there. I have been considering becoming a vet tech if neither vet school nor PA school works out. I think I would enjoy it but I would like to hear the opinions of people who are currently in the profession.

If you don't mind, please answer these questions:
Do you enjoy your job?
How much do you get paid? Is it enough to live comfortably on your own?
Are you licensed/registered?

Thank you so much! 🙂

this probably would have been better answered in the pre-vet side. You mostly get vet students and vets over here.

It's been a few (read 7 years) since I was a tech.

I did enjoy it at the time, however, I enjoyed diagnosing problems more than the patient care aspect.
I was paid under $10/hr but I lived somewhere with a low cost of living. I lived with my parents at the time and it was enough to meet all my needs and allow me to put some in savings.
I was on-the-job-trained, not certified or licensed.

 

[Lyndsaygirl123]

this probably would have been better answered in the pre-vet side. You mostly get vet students and vets over here.

It's been a few (read 7 years) since I was a tech.

I did enjoy it at the time, however, I enjoyed diagnosing problems more than the patient care aspect.
I was paid under $10/hr but I lived somewhere with a low cost of living. I lived with my parents at the time and it was enough to meet all my needs and allow me to put some in savings.
I was on-the-job-trained, not certified or licensed.

Thank you so much for answering the questions! And sorry about posting this in the wrong section. I wasn't sure which one was best.

 

[UFprevet12]

Hi there. I have been considering becoming a vet tech if neither vet school nor PA school works out. I think I would enjoy it but I would like to hear the opinions of people who are currently in the profession.

If you don't mind, please answer these questions:
Do you enjoy your job?
How much do you get paid? Is it enough to live comfortably on your own?
Are you licensed/registered?

Thank you so much! 🙂

I've been a vet tech for almost 3 years now. I do enjoy it, a lot. I love learning something new everyday. I get paid $12.25. Thank god I have a husband who makes a lot more than me so we do live comfortably but I would not be able to do it on my own. And no I am not a certified vet tech. Hoping to get into vet school this year.

 

[twelvetigers]

Most vet students and veterinarians have been techs at some point, but none of us chose to pursue that as a permanent career. I bet there is a vet tech forum out there? May be a better place to ask. I'm sure most of us enjoyed being a tech to some degree but wanted something more.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Most vet students and veterinarians have been techs at some point, but none of us chose to pursue that as a permanent career. I bet there is a vet tech forum out there? May be a better place to ask. I'm sure most of us enjoyed being a tech to some degree but wanted something more.

I kind of doubt this....worked at clinics as assistants, yeah, but not techs. Only a handful in my class were former LVTs.

Then again, in my state there really isn't such a thing as a unlicensed tech, which I'd believe that a lot of prevets were. When I read "tech" it means LVT to me. Unlicensed techs are essentially the same as assistants here and usually can't even draw blood legally (although clinics skirt that).

 

[twelvetigers]

A lot of states don't distinguish assistant vs. tech. I didn't mean LVT or RVT, I just meant like assistant.

 

[tangowhiskey]

The AVMA distinguishes between tech and assistant, so I think the states do, even though a few don't have it explicitly written into their practice acts, and 99% of clinics overlook it.

 

[Psorophoraferox]

I worked as an assistant/tech for about 10 years. On-the-job trained, not licensed/registered. At the hospitals I was in there wasn't much distinction between what I and the LVT/RVTs were allowed to do. I enjoyed the work for the most part, but like a lot of other people here I wanted "more". More of a direct hand in diagnosing/treating, more places to go with my career, more money.

My pay ranged from $6.50/hour in the early 2000s to $11.50/hour when I left a couple of years ago (different practices). Neither wage included health insurance/retirement/etc.; the hospitals just didn't offer that to anyone but the doctors. Depending on your area, it can be very challenging to find a job with both a good wage and good benefits. Being licensed/registered would help with that some (I assume), but many practices are small businesses, and don't have/want to budget for benefits for techs and other assistants. YMMV, of course, but that's been my experience.

Bottom line, it's a great job that doesn't get the compensation it deserves, and opportunities can be more limited.