Veterinary technicians are awesome. They are the beating heart of our veterinary practices. They build trust and rich relationships with our clients, advocate and care for our patients, and give so much of themselves physically and compassionately to every shift.
But, as an industry, we haven't been serving them as well as they serve our clients and patients.
Their position has been poorly regulated, the various titles are confusing, and their responsibilities vary wildly from practice to practice. On top of this, our industry as a whole is facing staffing shortages, unprecedented employee burnout, and decreasing access to veterinary care for pet owners.
It's time for a change.
In this guide, we lay out the current challenges we face in regard to veterinary technicians, the potential solutions to combat these challenges, and the expected benefits when we start implementing them.
What Are the Current Challenges Veterinary Technicians Face?
1. Staff Shortages
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, vet tech positions are growing at a rate of 15%, with 17,100 new positions to fill by 2030. But that's just the raw number.
Data presented at the 2019 AVMA Economic Summit projected a 33% increase in pet healthcare spending in the US over the next 10 years. Factoring in the optimal credentialed vet:tech ratio of 4:1 (vs. the current ~2:1), by 2030 we'd need to fill an additional 132,885 positions — more than double what we have today.
2. Unhealthy Practice Culture
At VMX 2022, Hound surveyed attendees about their practice culture. Only 11% said they feel the culture is good. When asked what they would improve, respondents overwhelmingly cited cultural aspects — togetherness and recognition were top priorities. The takeaway: your practice culture is everything.
3. Unclear Position Titles
Licensed (LVT) vs. Registered (RVT) vs. Certified (CVT): At a base level, these are all the same. Each state independently decides what the credentialing process looks like and what term they use. But in over half the states that use "Certified Veterinary Technician," credentialing isn't even required to use the title.
Veterinary Assistants vs. Technicians: In most states, those who have not become credentialed are titled "Veterinary Assistants." But in the 12 states where credentialing is voluntary, you can be called a veterinary technician regardless of credentials.
Veterinary Nurses: A newer term coined by the Veterinary Nurse Initiative, hoping to standardize the profession. The American Nursing Association stood against the change, citing that human nurses have built a century of trust and education rigor around the title. The official nomenclature across all state boards remains "Veterinary Technician."
"Unfortunately, there are very few states that recognize this distinction and have a protective clause clearly delineating the roles of a veterinary technician as someone who is credentialed and a veterinary assistant as someone who is not. This tends to be coupled with a negative connotation with the word assistant — which is unfair, as these people are incredibly skilled and integral to the success of a practice."
— Alyssa Mages, BS, CVT, Co-Founder & Chief Visionary Officer, Empowering Veterinary Teams
4. Lack of Understanding of What Credentialed Technicians Are Trained to Do
"Many practice owners, managers, and veterinarians have little clarity on what the AVMA/CVTEA require veterinary technicians to know in order to graduate and take the VTNE. I have interviewed many veterinarians for veterinary technician educator positions, and almost without fail, they will at some point say, 'I had no idea they needed to know how to do this!' Veterinary Technician training is consistent across the country, and so it should be a realistic expectation that all veterinary teams would understand the scope of skills their credentialed veterinary technicians are trained to perform. 99% of the time, I can comfortably respond that yes, they ARE trained to do those things."
— Peg Wheeler MS, LVT, IAPCM, Student Recruitment Liaison, Rarebreed Veterinary Partners
Credentialed technicians complete either a 2-year Associate's or 4-year Bachelor's program at one of more than 200 AVMA-accredited institutions. The CVTEA's Veterinary Technology Student Essential and Recommended Skills List outlines the motor, clinical application, and critical thinking skills every tech student must learn.
5. Non-Standardized Credentialing
To become credentialed, in most states you must complete and graduate from an AVMA-accredited program and pass the VTNE. But what credentialed technicians are allowed to do varies by state practice act.
Legally, there are only 4 things credentialed technicians cannot do: prognose, diagnose, prescribe, or perform surgery. Everything else is within their scope — phlebotomy, anesthesia, chemotherapy administration, minor wound repair, critical patient care, triage, radiology, and more. They simply need the resources and support within their practices to showcase their skills.
Title protection is a related issue: 31 states and jurisdictions have no title protection for "Veterinary Technician" within their practice acts, while another 10 have only limited protection.
"The end result of title protection is a title that is transferable across states with corresponding consistency of expectations regarding education, training, and the passing of a credentialing exam such as the VTNE. This consistency will result in a more sustainable future for veterinary technicians across the industry, a career path that creates sustainability, and pay ranges that support a more financially secure future."
— Amy Ramirez, LVT, LAT, Director of Nursing, Learning, and Training, Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners
6. Lack of a Career Ladder
Technicians who want to specialize can obtain Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) credentials in areas like Emergency & Critical Care, Dentistry, Internal Medicine, Anesthesia, and more. But for those who don't want to specialize, there's no clear "next step" if they want to stay hands-on with animals.
The human healthcare comparison is stark: human nurses can earn well into six figures depending on their level of education, creating a clear financial incentive for continued schooling. We can't expect someone from a lower-income household to pursue advanced credentialing if we're not paying them well enough to justify the student loan burden.
How Can We Solve These Challenges?
What We Can Do Now in Our Practices
a. Cultivate a Healthy Hospital Culture
"Veterinarians need to position themselves as allies to veterinary technicians. We need to educate ourselves on the unique challenges the veterinary technology profession faces — from inconsistencies in credentialing, lack of title protection, poor pay, lack of full skill utilization, to little opportunity for career growth. We need to recognize the power and privilege that we as DVMs have in this field and use it to drive systematic change."
— Bonnie E. Price DVM, MPH, Associate Professor & Director, Lincoln Memorial University CVM
To cultivate a healthy hospital culture, review three key areas: Arrival (how you attract and onboard talent), Engagement (how you create safe environments for growth), and Departure (how you celebrate the journey of employees who move on).
b. Understand What Your Technicians Are Trained and Allowed to Do
Research from 2018 found that veterinary practices, on average, only allow credentialed technicians to use about 30% of the skills and competencies for which they are educated. Review the CVTEA's skills list and physically check off everything your technicians are currently allowed to do in your practice. Then identify three actions you can start empowering them to perform.
c. Empower Technicians to Perform at the Top of Their License
"Performing at the top of your license means being able to do my job to the best of my ability when I can utilize all of my skills and knowledge, and being trusted to do the work I was trained to do."
— Aimee Herbstreith, CVT, Mountain View Veterinary Hospital powered by Galaxy Vets
Ask your technicians: Do you feel you're using the full extent of your education here? What could you be doing that you're not currently allowed to do?
d. Distinguish Clearly Between Veterinary Technicians and Veterinary Assistants
For practices in states that don't require credentialing, making this distinction is a voluntary decision — but a critical one. You'll be utilizing your team's skills more effectively, providing clarity to clients, and honoring your assistants' contributions.
Update titles to reflect credentials. If you're changing someone's title from technician to assistant but still want to honor their experience, add "lead" or "senior" to their title. And find room in your budget to sponsor the credentialing of your assistants.
What We Can Do as an Industry
a. Standardize credentials across the country — Require credentialing to use the title "Veterinary Technician," standardize requirements across all states, and create easier avenues for non-credentialed staff to become credentialed (experience equivalents, VTNE sponsoring).
b. Add technician utilization to vet school curricula — Students should be given specific examples of how to leverage technician skills during wellness appointments, sick visits, and hospitalized patient management. Clinical skills courses should clearly indicate what skills can and should be performed by a credentialed technician.
c. Bestow title protection across the country — NAVTA's Title Protection Report found that the majority of veterinary professionals across all roles support title protection. Implementation strategies include awareness campaigns, anonymous reporting methods, whistleblower policies, and clear penalties for violations.
d. Create clear career paths and pay bands — Develop title and pay bands that coincide with credentialing and experience (e.g., Associate vs. Senior Veterinary Technician). Offer credentialing and specialization scholarships. Create clear responsibility guidelines based on those bands.
e. Consider an advanced practice role — Some in vet med are advocating for a Nurse Practitioner or Physician's Assistant equivalent for veterinary technicians, with expanded scope of practice into diagnosis, prescription, and some surgery. Kenichiro Yagi, Chief Veterinary Nursing Officer at Veterinary Emergency Group, is among the most vocal proponents.
What Benefits Can We Expect?
Better employee experience: Lower burnout, greater ownership over work, and a more engaged team. A survey found that for every credentialed veterinary technician a practice employed, the clinic generated $161,493 more in gross revenue — attributable to freeing up the veterinarian's time.
Increased practice revenue: Better veterinarian utilization (techs handling what they're trained for), lower staffing costs through improved retention, and optimized scheduling that creates capacity for urgent cases.
Increased access to veterinary care: More retained talent means more capacity to serve the growing number of pet households. Optimizing tech utilization allows practices to expand scheduling access without adding veterinarians.
"Once we clearly identify roles and what each member is trained and legally designated to perform, we can follow known, successful business models that create work environments that support team member success and growth, optimal care for our animal patients, and healthy businesses that can provide more access to veterinary care for clients."
— Peg Wheeler MS, LVT, IAPCM, Student Recruitment Liaison, Rarebreed Veterinary Partners
Our veterinary technicians deserve better. Some of the challenges are big and can feel daunting. But if we face them head-on, we'll retain our highly-skilled talent and come out of this stronger as an industry.