Difference Between a Veterinarian & a Veterinarian Technician
Veterinarians and veterinarian technicians work closely together to ensure the medical health of animals in veterinary clinics across the United States, but there are important distinctions between them. Veterinarians require far more schooling and assume much more responsibility than do veterinarian technicians, and as a result veterinarians earn far more money.
According to Careers in Healthcare, becoming a veterinary technician can be a stepping stone to a career as a veterinarian. Becoming either a vet or a vet tech will provide an opportunity to help animals at all stages of life.
Contrasting Educational Requirements
Veterinarian technicians typically go through a two-year postsecondary program to acquire the licensing and certification needed to work in the field. To get somewhat higher pay and additional responsibilities, a veterinarian technician can complete a four-year postsecondary program and work as a veterinary technologist or apply to veterinary school.
By contrast, veterinarians first complete a bachelor's degree with a pre-medicine concentration, and then undergo an additional four years of schooling to receive the title of doctor of veterinary medicine.. The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine says that some veterinarians also complete a residency to become certified in a specialty area like equine medicine. Some earn a Ph.D. and research animal diseases and new cures.
Different Occupational Responsibilities
Veterinarian technicians usually work as assistants to veterinarians. They take X-rays and blood samples, test blood or urine, administer medications and keep patient records in order. They sometimes perform emergency first aid and assist the veterinarian during procedures.
Veterinarians may perform all of these duties. But veterinarians also are responsible for diagnosing the causes of illness, recommending treatment, performing surgery, prescribing treatments and medications, and putting animals to sleep. They may treat livestock or limit their practice to small companion animals.
Wide Salary Gap
Figures published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that as of May 2019, veterinarian technicians earned an average of $17.63 per hour and $36,670 per year. Half of all vet technicians received between $29,080 and $42,540 per year.
By comparison, veterinarians reported an average of $50.39 per hour and $104,820 per year during the same period, and half of them reported actual earnings of between $75,580 and $122,590 per year.
The difference is even starker at the top end of the pay scale. Although the 90th percentile of veterinarian technicians received $51,230 per year, the 90th percentile of veterinarians had an annual salary of $160,780.
Job Outlook for Veterinarian Careers
Because pet populations in the United States are increasing, and because the nation has few accredited veterinary programs, qualified veterinarians looking for work should be able to find employment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a very high job growth rate of 18 percent between 2018 and 2028, which is much faster than the average growth rate for all occupations.
As rosy as the job outlook for veterinarians is, the outlook for vet techs looks almost as bright. The BLS projects a job growth rate of 16 percent for technicians during this decade, and it predicts that jobs will be widely available as pet care needs rise
