Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Also called: Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT), Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT), Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT), Veterinary Technician (Vet Tech)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. May assist a veterinarian during surgery.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 7 of its 31 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 9.4% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.3% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 92% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $36,590 | $30,210 to $38,940 | 1,880 |
| Alaska | $46,480 | $37,630 to $60,510 | 380 |
| Arizona | $46,300 | $43,510 to $49,340 | 3,970 |
| Arkansas | $38,360 | $32,360 to $43,940 | 320 |
| California | $60,630 | $51,570 to $64,100 | 11,310 |
| Colorado | $49,650 | $46,580 to $59,340 | 3,720 |
| Connecticut | $50,950 | $48,220 to $61,780 | 1,690 |
| Delaware | $48,370 | $39,040 to $56,340 | 530 |
| District of Columbia | $61,270 | $50,390 to $80,030 | 120 |
| Florida | $46,380 | $39,140 to $49,600 | 11,380 |
| Georgia | $43,060 | $37,200 to $47,450 | 2,410 |
| Hawaii | $48,550 | $45,930 to $54,950 | 270 |
| Idaho | $42,120 | $37,270 to $46,810 | 790 |
| Illinois | $46,440 | $45,140 to $57,500 | 5,040 |
| Indiana | $48,720 | $41,330 to $56,370 | 1,820 |
| Iowa | $45,560 | $38,150 to $49,210 | 1,220 |
| Kansas | $45,810 | $38,650 to $51,610 | 1,270 |
| Kentucky | $39,590 | $36,300 to $46,560 | 1,670 |
| Louisiana | $35,530 | $30,320 to $38,240 | 2,220 |
| Maine | $50,810 | $48,610 to $56,110 | 910 |
| Maryland | $47,350 | $44,520 to $60,460 | 2,540 |
| Massachusetts | $49,540 | $47,670 to $60,240 | 3,990 |
| Michigan | $49,710 | $45,180 to $58,980 | 2,550 |
| Minnesota | $57,270 | $49,080 to $60,560 | 3,560 |
| Mississippi | $36,380 | $31,220 to $39,250 | 650 |
| Missouri | $43,520 | $37,670 to $46,490 | 2,040 |
| Montana | $41,170 | $37,380 to $47,990 | 480 |
| Nebraska | $43,680 | $39,120 to $46,910 | 690 |
| Nevada | $50,250 | $47,460 to $63,600 | 1,120 |
| New Hampshire | $48,780 | $45,550 to $59,040 | 870 |
| New Jersey | $49,050 | $45,160 to $58,600 | 2,910 |
| New Mexico | $44,790 | $37,370 to $47,360 | 890 |
| New York | $59,010 | $50,410 to $66,310 | 5,350 |
| North Carolina | $47,620 | $38,520 to $55,020 | 2,580 |
| North Dakota | $48,790 | $39,530 to $55,440 | 340 |
| Ohio | $47,990 | $40,560 to $53,110 | 4,790 |
| Oklahoma | $39,100 | $36,070 to $46,720 | 1,060 |
| Oregon | $55,810 | $48,360 to $62,460 | 1,120 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,430 | $38,060 to $50,140 | 6,620 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,970 | $23,850 to $39,830 | 480 |
| Rhode Island | $45,310 | $38,130 to $60,760 | 530 |
| South Carolina | $39,020 | $36,310 to $47,310 | 2,540 |
| South Dakota | $45,300 | $37,430 to $47,040 | 300 |
| Tennessee | $42,810 | $37,170 to $51,060 | 1,640 |
| Texas | $39,410 | $36,040 to $46,780 | 16,730 |
| Utah | $40,560 | $36,350 to $47,850 | 1,550 |
| Vermont | $49,490 | $48,430 to $54,290 | 390 |
| Virginia | $52,090 | $46,030 to $62,040 | 2,790 |
| Washington | $59,740 | $50,700 to $64,480 | 2,290 |
| West Virginia | $37,700 | $31,330 to $44,860 | 400 |
| Wisconsin | $47,020 | $44,390 to $52,310 | 2,590 |
| Wyoming | $38,650 | $37,410 to $46,300 | 310 |
Nationally: $47,380. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 7 of its 31 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Care for and monitor the condition of animals recovering from surgery. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians. | Not published |
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Restrain animals during exams or procedures. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain controlled drug inventory and related log books. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean and sterilize instruments, equipment, or materials. | Not published |
See all 31 tasks
| Not much | Provide veterinarians with the correct equipment or instruments, as needed. | Not published |
| Not much | Observe the behavior and condition of animals and monitor their clinical symptoms. | Not published |
| Not much | Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals' responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare animals for surgery, performing such tasks as shaving surgical areas. | Not published |
| Not much | Fill prescriptions, measuring medications and labeling containers. | Not published |
| Not much | Collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean kennels, animal holding areas, surgery suites, examination rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease. | Not published |
| Not much | Give enemas and perform catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings, or gavages. | Not published |
| AI alone | Discuss medical health of pets with clients, such as post-operative status. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Take animals into treatment areas and assist with physical examinations by performing such duties as obtaining temperature, pulse, or respiration data. | Not published |
| AI + software | Take and develop diagnostic radiographs, using x-ray equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare treatment rooms for surgery. | Not published |
| Not much | Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform dental work, such as cleaning, polishing, or extracting teeth. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide assistance with animal euthanasia and the disposal of remains. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain instruments, equipment, or machinery to ensure proper working condition. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain laboratory, research, or treatment records, as well as inventories of pharmaceuticals, equipment, or supplies. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide information or counseling regarding issues such as animal health care, behavior problems, or nutrition. | 0.02% |
| AI + software | Monitor medical supplies and place orders when inventory is low. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise or train veterinary students or other staff members. | Not published |
| Not much | Dress and suture wounds and apply splints or other protective devices. | Not published |
| Not much | Bathe animals, clip nails or claws, and brush or cut animals' hair. | Not published |
| AI + software | Schedule appointments and procedures for animals. | Not published |
| AI alone | Perform a variety of office, clerical, or accounting duties, such as reception, billing, bookkeeping, or selling products. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct specialized procedures, such as animal branding or tattooing or hoof trimming. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 2 of the 31 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 31 tasks fall under 26 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #30 Perform administrative or clerical activities
- #36 Purchase goods or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assist healthcare practitioners during medical procedures | |||
| Administer basic health care or medical treatments | |||
| Monitor health conditions of humans or animals | |||
| Prepare mixtures or solutions | |||
| Maintain health or medical records | |||
| Clean medical equipment or facilities | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities | |||
| Purchase goods or services |
Show all 26 activities
| Explain medical information to patients or family members | |||
| Care for plants or animals | |||
| Execute financial transactions | |||
| Advise patients or clients on medical issues | |||
| Schedule appointments | |||
| Sell products or services | |||
| Treat injuries, illnesses, or diseases | |||
| Assist individuals with special needs | |||
| Supervise personnel activities | |||
| Prepare specimens or materials for testing | |||
| Train others on health or medical topics | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Administer emergency medical treatment | |||
| Collect environmental or biological samples | |||
| Operate medical equipment | |||
| Prepare medical equipment or work areas for use | |||
| Maintain medical equipment or instruments | |||
| Administer diagnostic tests to assess patient health |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation54%
- An explanation or answer36%
- A document or report2%
- A recipe or meal plan2%
- An email or message1%
How they worked with Claude
1% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for veterinary technologists and technicians specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 17,170 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 4%
- 3 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians 3%
- 4 Animal Caretakers Moderate +12.1% 3%
- 5 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 11,997 moves in
- 1 Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers Moderate +9.1% 7%
- 2 Animal Caretakers Moderate +12.1% 6%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
- 5 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 41% high school
- 15% postsecondary certificate
- 7% some college
- 26% associate's
- 5% bachelor's
- 6% research doctorate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 25 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 2% less than high school
- 16% high school
- 26% some college
- 28% associate's
- 25% bachelor's
- 2% master's
- 1% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,708 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
2 programs: Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician and Veterinary Assistant and Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians, Other.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
36.9% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 23.8% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 16.8% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/29-2056.00