Do you feel like you have a strong desire to help animals and provide them with the finest possible care?
Then a profession as a veterinary assistant would be something to think about, and you might wonder how much do vet assistants make because of this.
Veterinary assistants take care of non-farm animals at labs, animal hospitals, and clinics.
They look after animals’ health by doing regular duties under the direction of veterinarians, animal scientists, or veterinary technologists.
Veterinary assistants do a variety of responsibilities on a regular basis, including feeding, weighing, and taking an animal’s temperature.
Giving medicine, cleaning cages, and providing nursing care before and after surgery or other medical procedures are examples of regular tasks.
Summary
| Guide | How Much Do Underwriters Make? |
|---|---|
| Average Income | $24,000 annually |
| Highest Income | $35,000 annually |
| Education Qualification | High School Graduation Minimum |
| Training Programs | Not Compulsary |
Who Are Vet Assistants?
In animal hospitals, clinics, or laboratories, a veterinarian assistant is responsible for the well-being of the animals.
They clean cages, kennels, examination and operation rooms, feed, wash, exercise, and monitor animals.
They keep an eye on animals following surgery and help a veterinarian with a number of tasks—veterinary assistants aid veterinarians with surgery and other operations to a considerable extent.
For surgery, they set up equipment, deliver surgical tools and supplies to vets, and hold or restrain the animal during tests and other treatments.
How Much Do Vet Assistants Make?
Vet assistants’ salaries differ state by state, education level, experience level, and so on, so there is a high possibility that you could earn more than the average salary of vet assistants.
As per the BLS statistics, vet assistants’ average salary is around $24,000 annually, typically starting from $17,000 annually.
There is not much of a difference between the lowest salary to the average salary, and that is one of the things that many people critique about vet assistants.
However, if you are living in a state like New York or Los Angeles, where it is expensive to live, you can expect to earn a bit more.
How Much Do Vet Assistants Make an Hour?
Vet Assistants make a minimum of $8.17 an hour and a maximum of $18.75 an hour.
How Much Do Vet Assistants Make a Month?
Vet Assistants make a minimum of $1,417 a month and a maximum of $3,250 a month.
How Much Do Vet Assistants Make a Year?
Vet Assistants make a minimum of $17,000 a year and a maximum of $39,000 a year.
Highest Salary Of Vet Assistants In 2023
With vet assistants, if you have a lot of experience and you have gotten an education in your life regarding the veterinary profession and vet assistant, you can reach to top %10 way quicker and earn the highest salary of vet assistants easier than others.
The highest salary of vet assistants recorded by some job portals on the internet is about $35,000 annually.
This is still close to the average salary and not high enough to live a life on your own in many states.
Is Being A Vet Assistant Good Or Bad?
Being a vet assistant actually requires a lot of things emotionally as soft skills from your side, so the knowledge of the job is generally not enough to do your work, and even though many people think being a vet assistant is a good career choice, it is not because of these reasons.
When treating mistreated animals or euthanizing those that cannot have a tolerable quality of life, veterinary assistants must demonstrate emotional strength, stability, and maturity.
Veterinary assistants must also have excellent people skills since they are sometimes the initial point of contact for worried animal owners.
If you think you can handle this, a vet assistant career could be a good choice; otherwise, it is not the best.
How To Become A Vet Assistant?
Here is how you can become a Vet Assistant:
- A veterinarian assistant should have at least a high school graduation, according to most companies. Employers will then give you on-the-job training.
- If you are just cleaning cages and giving food, then you can get employed even without high school graduation.
- Many hiring supervisors favor candidates who have worked with animals in the past. As a result, volunteering at a local animal shelter or rescue group may be beneficial.
- Although certificates are not necessary for employment, several veterinarian assistants opt to pursue them after acquiring experience in order to progress in their careers.
- The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) or the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) provide these credentials. The majority of certificate programs last a year or less.
Pros and Cons of Being a Vet Assistant
Pros
- Get to be around animals
- On-the-job oppurtunities
- Oppurtunity for growth
- Get to learn constantly
Cons
- Low salary
- Can be emotional at times
- It can be dirty at times
How Many Hours Does a Vet Assistant Work?
A Vet Assistant can work in night shifts, during weekends, and even holidays depending on his/her need. On average, a Vet Assistant work for 40 hours a week.
What is the Starting Pay of a Vet Assistant?
Being a Vet Assitant is perfect for those who love animals and want to explore the career opportunity from a closer perspective.
The starting pay of a Vet Assistant is $8.17 an hour, which comes down to $1,417 a month.
Vet Assistant Training Programs
Training program to be a vet assistant is not a necessity, but it varies depending on the business and the sorts of activities you’ll be undertaking.
A Veterinary Assistant certificate program will educate you on how to do things like help with laboratory tests, animal feeding, and diagnostic imaging, in addition to cleaning cages.
This training has a variety of ways to complete and in different places. Online programs, high school, and adult campus programs are available through NAVTA (usually at a community college).
The NAVTA’s Veterinary Assistant Programs webpage offers information about eligibility and the application procedure. You can choose which one fits you the best and go with that.
Conclusion
In conclusion, being a vet assistant needs you to deal with the emotional side of the job most of the time since you are handling animals, and sometimes you need to do things that many people do not like when the animals are sick enough not to get better again.
The salary of vet assistants is also not good enough to have lived on your own most of the time, which makes it a bad job for many.
However, there is always the chance to get promoted quickly and earn higher amounts of money in a different profession, still related to veterinary.
You can use it as a step and move towards your career from there as you do not really need an official degree, training, or anything as you learn the job as you go with the experienced veterinarian that you work with.
FAQ
How much do vet assistants make when they have more than a decade of experience?
If you have more than a decade of experience and you are still a vet assistant, you earn the top %10, which is the highest salary in a vet assistants’ career.
How much do vet assistants make when they start without education?
When you start without any prior education, you get the lowest salary possible, which is lower than the average.
How much do vet assistants make after an apprenticeship?
After an apprenticeship, since you have hands-on experience and knowledge, you ought to earn close to the average salary.
Shefali Jain is a Content Writer & Editor at USWorkforce.org
After completing her graduation in hospitality, Shefali decided to follow her passion and started writing. Shefali has been writing for two years now and contributes to our website as a skilled editor and content writer with strong research skills. Writing product and service reviews, biographies, and book reviews are some of her key areas, among many others in which she specializes. In her time at the organization, she has written and edited content on a range of topics, including employment law, human resources, and business management.
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