Veterinary assistants are responsible for a variety of tasks within the veterinary clinic. The responsibilities of this position vary according to the needs of the species being treated, but generally include: performing administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, taking pet histories and prices, answering phones and greeting customers.
A veterinary assistant salary in Texas can range from $9.00-10.00 per hour based on experience and location, plus several perks like paid holidays, bonuses, and more. At the end of the day, you get to help animals and make a difference in their lives while making an attractive monthly income as a veterinary assistant salary in Texas
Veterinary Assistant Salary In Texas Overview
If you’re interested in becoming a veterinary assistant, you’ve come to the right place.
A veterinary assistant salary can vary significantly depending on where you live and what kind of job you’re looking for. In Texas, the average pay for a veterinary assistant is $12.60 an hour and $26,040 per year, with a typical work schedule of 40 hours per week.
But how does that break down by region? It depends on where in Texas you want to work as a vet assistant, but here’s a quick breakdown:
The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land area pays the highest average salary at $16.00 an hour and $34,680 annually. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area pays the lowest average salary at $14.70 an hour and $31,520 annually.
The Duties of a Veterinary Assistant
A veterinary assistant is a non-licensed veterinary care worker who, under the supervision of a veterinarian or other professional such as a vet tech, provides supportive animal care services. Among the most common duties of a vet assistant are the following:
- Ensuring that all animals under the veterinary practice’s care are properly fed and watered. In many cases, the vet assistant will be required to feed each animal according to a specific dietary plan. In addition, the vet assistant will also inform the veterinarian of any changes in the animal’s appetite.
- Cleaning and maintaining cages and other animal enclosures in order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases among clinic’s animals.
- Ensuring that all animals are housed in comfortable and healthy enclosures.
- Vet assistants will take biological samples, such as blood, urine or feces, for later testing by the veterinarian.
- The vet assistant will administer medication that has been prescribed by the veterinarian.
- In some cases, the vet assistant may be expected to work in the front office or otherwise interact with the general public.
Becoming a Veterinary Assistant in Texas
To provide effective care, veterinary assistants need to be familiar with the necessary knowledge related to that field.
Proper education and continuous specialization in this field might be of great help, even though people who are not interested in going to veterinary schools and universities are not required to do so.
The necessary knowledge and training can be achieved by continuing education programs after secondary school to keep yourself acquainted with the latest technological and scientific improvements and learn how to efficiently assist the veterinarian if necessary.
The curriculums might combine hands-on training in the lab with flexible online learning, education on animal nursing, lab procedures and surgery among many others.
Licensed assistants, who have to pass the courses, can perform more complicated duties, know exactly how to help during the surgery, take blood samples without the assistance of a veterinarian.
Becoming a certified veterinary assistant is possible by enrolling in some of the courses or attending online classes offered by NAVTA.
Some veterinary assistant campus in Texas are:
- Cedar Valley College
- Pima Medical Institute
- Palo Alto College
Requirements
Texas, like all the other states, does not have any education requirements for veterinary assistants, but those people with a certificate should expect to be paid more than those assistants who did not get educational training at community colleges, technical schools or online courses.
People who take the veterinary assistant job seriously understand that a higher level of knowledge in dealing with animals is important so they decide to enroll in courses to achieve education and certificate within six months to a year.
The courses are taught by experienced instructors and students get acquainted with all the tasks and duties that await them once they start working as veterinary assistants.
Some of the NAVTA programs are:
- Animal Behavior College,
- East Valley Institute of Technology,
- and West-MEC Veterinary Assistant Program, to mention just a few.
Getting a Job
After finishing the studies, you need to find employment or start volunteering since years of practice can make you even better assistant.
You need to be involved in veterinary practice all the time which will make you a candidate who is more self-confident and encouraged to express his/her knowledge.
Nobody can deny that certified veterinary assistants are more informed, skilled, and educated than those unlicensed ones and that is why they have better job prospects, priority among other candidates s and higher salaries.
Yet, more responsible duties are entrusted to them.
The good fact is that job opportunities are expected to grow.
Potential veterinary assistant employers in Texas are:
- TVMA
- VCA (Veterinary Centers of America).
- Vetco Wellness Centers and Vaccination Clinics inside PETCO
- Fort Worth PETCO
- Arlington PETCO
- Plano PETCO
Salary
The applicants who possess documentation about the education achieved should expect higher wages.
The approximate salary of a veterinary assistant in the USA ranges between $24,000 and $36,000, depending on your location.
The difference among the major cities in Texas exists and that is caused by the advancement of the area and social status of the citizens.
The personal characteristics that affect the salary are several working hours and the workload.
Also, those veterinary assistants who have prior experience handling and working with animals will have a relatively higher salary compared to those who have little or no experience.
The greater and more prominent facility, the higher are the salaries.
The benefits regarding personal satisfaction when performing this job are enormous, but the salary is rather modest.
The table below shows the salary of a veterinary assistant in the state of Texas annually since it varies significantly from one major city to another.Annual Salary Range:
$25K
$28K
$30K
10%
50%
90%Annual Salary by Location:
Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
---|---|
Abilene,TX | $27,039 |
Amarillo,TX | $27,187 |
Arlington,TX | $28,842 |
Austin,TX | $29,203 |
Beaumont,TX | $28,578 |
Brownsville,TX | $26,120 |
Carrollton,TX | $29,371 |
Corpus Christi,TX | $27,436 |
Dallas,TX | $29,450 |
Denton,TX | $28,924 |
El Paso,TX | $25,932 |
Fort Worth,TX | $28,889 |
Frisco,TX | $29,053 |
Galveston,TX | $29,103 |
Garland,TX | $29,387 |
Grand Prairie,TX | $29,387 |
Harlingen,TX | $25,987 |
Houston,TX | $30,389 |
Irving,TX | $29,450 |
Killeen,TX | $26,666 |
Laredo,TX | $26,230 |
Longview,TX | $26,757 |
Lubbock,TX | $25,815 |
Mcallen,TX | $25,497 |
Mckinney,TX | $29,213 |
Mesquite,TX | $29,418 |
Midland,TX | $25,577 |
Odessa,TX | $25,577 |
Pasadena,TX | $30,279 |
Plano,TX | $29,323 |
Port Arthur,TX | $28,026 |
Richardson,TX | $29,387 |
Round Rock,TX | $29,093 |
San Antonio,TX | $28,877 |
Temple,TX | $26,695 |
Waco,TX | $26,639 |
Wichita Falls,TX | $27,072 |