What is a veterinary laboratory technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
introduction image
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a veterinary laboratory technician. For example, did you know that they make an average of $16.57 an hour? That's $34,460 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 20% and produce 24,100 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreVeterinary Laboratory TechnicianUS Average
Salary
2.7

Avg. Salary $34,460

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
9.7

Growth Rate 20%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
1.2
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.27%

Asian 2.06%

Black or African American 2.66%

Hispanic or Latino 10.86%

Unknown 6.84%

White 77.31%

Gender

female 78.74%

male 21.26%

Age - 31
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 31
Stress Level
9.7

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
7.0

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
8.9

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

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Veterinary Laboratory Technician career paths

Key steps to become a veterinary laboratory technician

  1. Explore veterinary laboratory technician education requirements

    Most common veterinary laboratory technician degrees

    Bachelor's

    41.8 %

    Associate

    39.8 %

    High School Diploma

    6.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific veterinary laboratory technician skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Animal Handling12.81%
    Laboratory Procedures12.01%
    Diagnostic Tests10.51%
    Biomedical7.17%
    Catheter6.87%
  3. Complete relevant veterinary laboratory technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New veterinary laboratory technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a veterinary laboratory technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real veterinary laboratory technician resumes.
  4. Obtain the necessary licensing

    Becoming a licensed veterinary laboratory technician usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed veterinary laboratory technician in most of states. 30 states require veterinary laboratory technicians to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.
    State
    ascdesc
    Education
    ascdesc
    Exam
    ascdesc
    License Url
    ascdesc
    Alabama--Licensed Veterinarian Technician
    KansasDegree requiredThird-party exam requiredVeterinary Technicians
    KentuckyDegree requiredThird-party exam requiredVeterinary Technologist/Technician
    AlaskaDegree requiredThird-party exam requiredVeterinary Technician
    ArkansasDegree requiredThird-party exam requiredVeterinary Technician
  5. Research veterinary laboratory technician duties and responsibilities

    • Manage operational and administrative functions such as training/supervising new employees, issuing prescriptions, and documenting pet insurance applications and transactions.
    • Perform all animal technician functions for surgical and radiology procedures in compliance with pertinent regulations and guidelines as required by protocol.
    • Work closely with clients, other staff and Dr. Faulkner.
  6. Prepare your veterinary laboratory technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your veterinary laboratory technician resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a veterinary laboratory technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Veterinary Laboratory Technician Resume templates

    Build a professional Veterinary Laboratory Technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Veterinary Laboratory Technician resume.
    Veterinary Laboratory Technician Resume
    Veterinary Laboratory Technician Resume
    Veterinary Laboratory Technician Resume
    Veterinary Laboratory Technician Resume
    Veterinary Laboratory Technician Resume
    Veterinary Laboratory Technician Resume
    Veterinary Laboratory Technician Resume
    Veterinary Laboratory Technician Resume
    Veterinary Laboratory Technician Resume
  7. Apply for veterinary laboratory technician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a veterinary laboratory technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Veterinary Laboratory Technician Job

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Average veterinary laboratory technician salary

The average Veterinary Laboratory Technician salary in the United States is $34,460 per year or $17 per hour. Veterinary laboratory technician salaries range between $27,000 and $43,000 per year.

Average Veterinary Laboratory Technician Salary
$34,460 Yearly
$16.57 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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