Vet Tech job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

Associate's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$47,380

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Veterinary Technologists and Technicians (O*NET-SOC 29-2056.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals' responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Care for and monitor the condition of animals recovering from surgery. importance 4.8 of 5
3. Maintain controlled drug inventory and related log books. importance 4.7 of 5
4. 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. importance 4.7 of 5
5. Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians. importance 4.7 of 5
6. Restrain animals during exams or procedures. importance 4.7 of 5
7. Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures. importance 4.6 of 5
8. Clean and sterilize instruments, equipment, or materials. importance 4.6 of 5
9. Provide veterinarians with the correct equipment or instruments, as needed. importance 4.6 of 5
10. Perform dental work, such as cleaning, polishing, or extracting teeth. importance 4.6 of 5
11. Observe the behavior and condition of animals and monitor their clinical symptoms. importance 4.5 of 5
12. Give enemas and perform catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings, or gavages. importance 4.5 of 5
13. Fill prescriptions, measuring medications and labeling containers. importance 4.5 of 5
14. Collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination. importance 4.5 of 5
15. Prepare animals for surgery, performing such tasks as shaving surgical areas. importance 4.5 of 5
16. Take and develop diagnostic radiographs, using x-ray equipment. importance 4.4 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Assisting and Caring for Others, Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information and Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Conduct specialized procedures, such as animal branding or tattooing or hoof trimming.

Knowledge areas: Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service, Biology, English Language and Mathematics.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a vet tech.

The most common answer among vet techs surveyed by O*NET is a high school diploma or equivalent (41%).

Job title: Vet Tech
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Vet Tech to perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.
- Maintain controlled drug inventory and related log books.
- 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.
- Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians.
- Restrain animals during exams or procedures.
- Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures.
- Clean and sterilize instruments, equipment, or materials.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists an associate's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, critical thinking and reading comprehension
- Working knowledge of Medicine and Dentistry and Customer and Personal Service
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Access or Microsoft Excel]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $47,380 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $22.78. BLS estimates about 129,140 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of vet techs to grow 9.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 13,400 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full vet tech salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real vet tech posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only vet tech work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and critical thinking); vet tech interview questions turns them into practice questions.