4 Main Differences Between a Veterinary Technician and a Veterinary Assistant

By Rowena Fernandez

Within the veterinary career field, many often assume that the position of a veterinary technician and a veterinary assistant is the same thing. But it actually isn’t. There are many differences between these two despite how similar they may seem.

The biggest difference would be the job scope. A veterinary technician has a broad array of task and duties. They play the role of the nurse, anesthetists, and laboratory and radiology technicians. They also administer jobs and do the basic hands on work. A veterinary assistant on the other hand, serves as an extra set of hands with the daily clinical work. They help keep the surgical tables and tools clean and also handle most of the front desk work such as scheduling appointments and such. If there are overnight patients, they assist in feeding, exercising and cleaning as well.

In addition to that, another difference would be in education. As a veterinary technician you would be able to graduate within two to four years from an accredited program depending on the depth of the course. On the other hand, as a veterinary assistant, a higher education isn’t really necessary as you can just go through a short course or training program by the employer.

Furthermore, there is also a vast difference in benefits such as salaries. Although the sum of income depends on the location, a veterinary technician makes about $26,000 to $40,000 annually while a veterinary assistant make about $14,000 to about $25,000 at the most.

Also, there is a difference in job opportunities as well. As both jobs are at high demand, there is no doubt on job security. But it varies on locations. In example, a veterinary technician could work in hospitals, zoos, animal shelters, biomedical facilities and diagnostic research laboratories. Whereas a veterinary assistant is grounded to clinics, hospitals, pet stores and shelters.

In conclusion, there are many differences between veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants, aside from the 4 main ones mentioned above. So if you’ve been assuming the jobs are similar, think again.

For more information about veterinary assistant programs in your area go to http://www.BostonReedCollege.com.