This year’s edition of National Veterinary Technician Week runs from October 15-21, 2017. Vet Tech Week honors the important role that technicians play in providing quality veterinary care.
Veterinary technology is one of the most growth oriented animal-related career paths. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that jobs for vet techs will grow at a rate of more than 19 percent over the next decade, significantly faster than average, and there are already more than 95,600 technicians working in the industry. While you aren’t likely to get rich (a recent NAVTA report found that most techs earn $15-$20 per hour), it is certainly a high profile animal career path worthy of consideration.
If you are interested in pursuing a veterinary technician career there are more than 200 accredited traditional degree programs, plus nine accredited online programs. There are also advanced “specialty” certifications in a wide variety of areas such as anesthesia, behavior, clinical pathology, clinical practice, dentistry, dermatology, emergency & critical care, equine, internal medicine, nutrition, ophthalmology, surgery, and zoological medicine.
To learn more about becoming a veterinary technician be sure to check out the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) website. NAVTA was the nonprofit organization responsible for establishing National Veterinary Technician Week in 1993, and it continues to be a premier source of information for this career path.
Of course it is worth noting that we may not be celebrating “Veterinary Technician” week for much longer, if NAVTA’s initiative to rebrand techs as “veterinary nurses” is successful. You can read more about this major credential change here.
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