What Is A Vet Technician? A veterinary technician is a person who assists licensed veterinarians in the treatment and care of animals. They are responsible for patient care, assisting with surgical procedures, diagnostics, laboratory work and record keeping.
Vet techs are highly trained professionals in the animal health industry. The general job description includes performing a variety of tasks such as conducting diagnostic testing, assisting in surgery, and administering medication to animals. Vet techs also care for animals while they’re waiting to be seen by a veterinarian and assist with the euthanasia process if necessary.
Salary for Vet Tech in Florida: Veterinary Technicians pull off everything that they do with dedication, enthusiasm and a lot of love for their field. They provide the services from basic to specialized, which are necessary to treat animals.
A Vet Tech salary in the state of Florida ranges from $23,000-$40,000. The first part of this article will discuss how much a vet tech makes in Florida on average. Secondly, we will discuss how to become a vet tech in Florida and provide detailed information on the requirements needed to get into this career. Lastly, we will briefly go over other job opportunities in the medical field that require similar training and skills as being a vet tech
Salary For Vet Tech In Florida Overview
A vet tech’s salary in Florida is typically determined by a number of factors. The most important one is location, as different cities and even different regions within the same city can have vastly different costs of living.
For example, a vet tech in Orlando may make less than another vet tech in Miami because there are more jobs available in the former city and therefore more competition for those positions. In addition to location, other factors that affect salary include experience level and whether or not you are working at a for-profit clinic versus a non-profit organization like a pet shelter or animal rescue center.
In Central Florida (Hollywood), vet techs make an average of $21 per hour and earn around $41,000 annually (up from about $36K last year). The top jobs for vets are in Miami-Dade County ($23/hr), Orlando ($22/hr), Tampa-St Petersburg ($21/hr), Jacksonville ($20/hr), and Sarasota-Bradenton ($19/hr).
-In Northeast Florida (Jacksonville), vet techs make an average of $18 per hour and earn around $36K annually. The top jobs for vets are Nassau County ($14K),
Working As A Vet Technician
A veterinary technician is a professional trained to assist a veterinarian with medical procedures. They are in charge of treating and caring for animals under veterinary care. Such care and treatment include the use of bandages for wounds and other basic veterinary requirements. You are also in charge of facilitating well-checked exams, assisting during surgery, and administering laboratory tests. You will use your medical knowledge and clinical skills to provide emergency and routine nurses under the direction of a veterinarian. Majorly, your job revolves around taking care of animals to live healthy and happy. You will do this by handling any task handed down from a licensed veterinarian.
As a veterinary technician, you are not allowed to diagnose medical conditions, perform surgery, and prescribe medications. Your job description allows you to educate animal owners on home care, record animal histories, and assist veterinarians during research and surgery. The ability to communicate well, physical strength, and compassion are vital to this role. You must also be able to think and solve problems under pressure. The yearly salary of a veterinary technician is $34,420. Apart from having a bachelor’s degree in mathematics or other related fields, a National Veterinary Technical Exam (NVTE) certificate is very mandatory to qualify for this position.
Job Description and Duties of a Vet Technician in Florida
If you wonder what a vet technician’s job looks like, think of a nurse in a human hospital.
Just like how a nurse assists the doctor, you assist the vet in clinical examinations.
You’re in charge of attending to animals the moment they step into the clinic.
Here are some of your responsibilities as a vet technician in private practice:
- Performing all kinds of analyses of the animal’s bodily fluids and discharge
- Physical examinations that lead to further diagnostics of the disease or illness
- Inducing and maintaining anesthesia
- Applying medications, fluids, and blood products per the vet’s instructions
- Taking the pet’s body temperature
- Monitoring pulse and respiration
- Addressing injuries and applying first aid
How to Become Vet Technician
Now, let’s get to what you need to do to be a vet technician in Florida.
Firstly, you need to graduate from an accredited program by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
So far, only the University of Florida received this accreditation in the state.
After you receive your degree, you will take the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE).
Education Required for a Vet Technician in Florida
A vet technician career is a science-based profession.
So the prerequisite and core courses you’ll attend are also heavily science-based.
For the prerequisite courses, you’ll mainly complete the learnings in some of the following:
- Biology
- Basic math and sciences
- English
- Computer skills
And in the program, you’ll take the following subjects:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Terminology
- Nursing skills
- Small and large animal diseases
- Radiology
- Anesthesiology
- Parasitology
- Hematology
- Clinical skills
There will also be lab work where you can put into practice what you’ve learned in class.
In the last semester, you’ll have an internship at a local vet clinic.
There, you’ll learn what a vet technician’s work looks like in reality.
Salaries for Vet Technicians in Florida
Vet technicians have good job prospects in Florida and across the U.S.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics even projected a 15% employment growth for it from 2020 to 2030.
Thanks to pet owners, the vet field developed rapidly, capable of offering more jobs with competitive pay.
Here are the average annual salaries for vet technicians across the state:
| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Boca Raton,FL | $36,148 |
| Bradenton,FL | $34,432 |
| Brandon,FL | $35,022 |
| Cape Coral,FL | $34,241 |
| Clearwater,FL | $34,653 |
| Daytona Beach,FL | $32,989 |
| Fort Lauderdale,FL | $35,793 |
| Fort Myers,FL | $34,241 |
| Gainesville,FL | $33,149 |
| Hialeah,FL | $35,204 |
| Hollywood,FL | $35,793 |
| Jacksonville,FL | $34,969 |
| Melbourne,FL | $32,981 |
| Miami,FL | $35,522 |
| Orlando,FL | $34,617 |
| Palm Bay,FL | $32,981 |
| Pembroke Pines,FL | $35,160 |
| Pensacola,FL | $33,018 |
| Pompano Beach,FL | $35,793 |
| Port Saint Lucie,FL | $34,346 |
| Saint Petersburg,FL | $34,694 |
| Sarasota,FL | $34,657 |
| Spring Hill,FL | $34,589 |
| Tallahassee,FL | $33,054 |
| Tampa,FL | $35,022 |
| West Palm Beach,FL | $35,851 |
