Occupation Profile

Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

(SOC Code : 29-2056)

in California

Perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals. Prepare vaccines and serums for prevention of diseases. Prepare tissue samples, take blood samples, and execute laboratory tests, such as urinalysis and blood counts. Clean and sterilize instruments and materials and maintain equipment and machines.

Employers are usually looking for candidates with a Associate degree .

Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$17.29	$13.50	$16.77	$20.51

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	8,400	11,000	2,600	31.0	410

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Within miles of Zip Code.

Possible Licenses Required and Issuing Authority

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License Title

License Authority

Registered Veterinary Technician

Department of Consumer Affairs
Veterinary Medical Board
www.vmb.ca.gov

About Licenses

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Other Professional & Technical Services

22,725

92.3%

Scientific Research and Development Svc

5,742

3.7%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician & Veterinary

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Observe the behavior and condition of animals and monitor their clinical symptoms.

Maintain controlled drug inventory and related log books.

Care for and monitor the condition of animals recovering from surgery.

Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals` responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted.

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.

Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures.

Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians.

Fill prescriptions, measuring medications and labeling containers.

Collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination.

Take and develop diagnostic radiographs, using x-ray equipment.

More Tasks for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

Top Skills used in this Job

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

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Alternate Titles

Animal Health Technicians; and Registered Veterinary Technicians