Summary Report for:
29-2056.00 - Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals. Prepare vaccines and serums for prevention of diseases. Prepare tissue samples, take blood samples, and execute laboratory tests, such as urinalysis and blood counts. Clean and sterilize instruments and materials and maintain equipment and machines. May assist a veterinarian during surgery.
Sample of reported job titles:
Veterinary Technician (Vet Tech), Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT), Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT), Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT), Veterinary Assistant, Veterinary Nurse, Veterinarian Technician, Internal Medicine Veterinary Technician, Medical Technologist, Emergency Veterinary Technician
Tasks | Tools & Technology | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Education | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment | Job Openings | Additional Information
Tasks
- Observe the behavior and condition of animals and monitor their clinical symptoms.
- Maintain controlled drug inventory and related log books.
- Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals' responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted.
- Care for and monitor the condition of animals recovering from surgery.
- Perform laboratory tests on blood, urine, or feces, such as urinalyses or blood counts, to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of animal health problems.
- Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures.
- Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians.
- Fill prescriptions, measuring medications and labeling containers.
- Collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination.
- Take and develop diagnostic radiographs, using x-ray equipment.
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Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
| Animal catching devices — Animal capture nets; Animal catching poles; Animal snares |
| Animal husbandry equipment — Cattle chutes; Dehorners; Hoof picks |
| Emergency medical services suction units or accessories — Airway suction units; Battery-powered portable suction units; Fixed-suction equipment |
| Laryngoscopes or accessories — Curved adult blades; Laryngoscopes; Straight adult blades; Straight pediatric blades |
| Nebulizers or accessories — Aerosol nebulizers; Humidification equipment; Nebulizers |
Technology used in this occupation:
| Data base user interface and query software — FileMaker Pro software; Microsoft Access |
| Electronic mail software — Microsoft Outlook |
| Medical software — Animal Intelligence Software Animal Intelligence; McAllister Software Systems AVImark; Veterinary practice management software PMS |
| Office suite software — Microsoft Office software |
| Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel |
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Knowledge
| Biology — Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment. |
| Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
| Medicine and Dentistry — Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures. |
| Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. |
| English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
| Clerical — Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology. |
| Chemistry — Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods. |
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Skills
| Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
| Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
| Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people. |
| Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. |
| Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
| Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. |
| Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. |
| Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. |
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Abilities
| Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. |
| Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
| Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. |
| Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. |
| Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. |
| Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). |
| Finger Dexterity — The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects. |
| Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). |
| Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
| Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. |
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Work Activities
| Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients. |
| Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
| Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. |
| Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
| Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials. |
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Work Context
| Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? |
| Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? |
| Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? |
| Physical Proximity — To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people? |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? |
| Exposed to Contaminants — How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)? |
| Work With Work Group or Team — How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections — How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections? |
| Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? |
| Exposed to Radiation — How often does this job require exposure to radiation? |
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Job Zone
| Title |
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed |
| Education |
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. |
| Related Experience |
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job. |
| Job Training |
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations. |
| Job Zone Examples |
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include food service managers, electricians, agricultural technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents. |
| SVP Range |
(6.0 to < 7.0) |
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Education
Percentage of Respondents |
Education Level Required |
68   |
Associate's degree |
| 22 |
Some college, no degree |
| 8 |
High school diploma or equivalent |
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Interests
Interest code: RI
| Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others. |
| Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally. |
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Work Styles
| Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical. |
| Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
| Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. |
| Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. |
| Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations. |
| Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. |
| Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. |
| Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. |
| Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job. |
| Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. |
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Work Values
| Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service. |
| Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. |
| Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions. |
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Related Occupations
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Wages & Employment Trends
National
| Median wages (2012) |
$14.56 hourly, $30,290 annual |
| Employment (2010) |
80,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2010-2020) |
Much faster than average (29% or higher)
|
| Projected job openings (2010-2020) |
55,700 |
| Top industries (2010) |
|
State & National
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2012 wage data
and 2010-2020 employment projections
.
"Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2010-2020). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.
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Job Openings on the Web
Find Jobs
for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
State & National Job Banks
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Sources of Additional Information
Disclaimer:
Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries.
Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.
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