Earning a degree is important, but not every student wants to go to college or has the time or money to do so. This guide will teach you how to become a vet tech without sacrificing your life for it. Get more information regarding How To Become A Vet Tech Without College, what states require you to be a certified veterinary technician, online vet tech programs, vet tech certification, veterinary technician schools near me & vet tech salary.

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The world of veterinary medicine is booming, and it’s not hard to see why.

Many people want to work with animals, but the job market is tight and there aren’t many opportunities for those without a college degree.

However, if you’re looking for a career where your love of animals can take center stage and you’ll be able to help people at the same time, becoming a vet tech might be right up your alley!

This article will walk you through what it takes to become a vet tech without a college degree, including information on training programs and certifications, as well as tips from vets who have gotten their start in this field.

NAVTA-ACCREDITED ONLINE VETERINARY ASSISTING PROGRAMS

Although the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) does not currently have accreditation standards for online veterinary assisting programs, the National Association of Veterinary Technology in America (NAVTA) created a school approval process in 2010.

Additionally, NAVTA designates approved veterinary assistants (AVAs)—an individual, professional title that can be earned by passing a competitive examination. While this designation is not currently required for practice as a veterinary assistant, it can be an indicator to future employers that a candidate meets or exceeds established professional standards. Furthermore, this distinction may become more important in future years as the profession and rules continue to evolve.

These programs are generally open to working veterinary assistants looking to codify their skills. Other application requirements may include school transcripts, proof of immunizations, and access to a webcam-enabled computer with a fast internet connection.

Of the 25 current NAVTA-approved veterinary assistance programs as of June 2021, there are four offered online:

Penn Foster College of Pennsylvania is nationally accredited with a NAVTA-approved Veterinary Assistant online program. In a 2014 study conducted by Penn Foster, they found that 87 percent of veterinary practices are more likely to hire a veterinary assistant who graduated from a NAVTA-approved program. This school also has a sample veterinary assistant lesson online to give prospective students a flavor of what to anticipate during instruction. Students enrolled in this program will need to secure a site for an eight-week externship.

The Animal Behavior College (ABC) in lovely Santa Clarita, California provides an easy-to-follow, 11-stage curriculum for its students inspired by the Association of Veterinary Technician Educators (AVTE). The various faculties taught at ABC include animal restraint, radiology and ultrasound imaging, small animal nursing, pharmacy and pharmacology, office etiquette, and surgical preparation. This program boasts a network of over 4,000 veterinary facilities and is open to residents of all American states as well as Canada.

VetMedTeam’s online program is designed for working veterinary assistants under the guidance of student-chosen clinical mentors—credentialed technicians or veterinarians who are approved in advance by the school. This 35-week program offers rolling admissions so students working at least 20 hours per week in a veterinary setting can enroll at any time. VetMedTeam boasts a 100 percent pass rate for graduates who sit for the AVA.

VetBloom (in partnership with MedCerts) offers a 26-week veterinary assistant that prepares students to sit for the AVA, including paying for the first exam attempt. Students will be taken through a five-module curriculum—one piece of which is an externship at a local veterinary hospital of the student’s choosing. After sitting for the AVA, MedCerts also offers resume and job placement services.

How To Become A Vet Tech Without College

How to Become One?

To make it easier for you, we’ll list in order all of the steps to become a vet technician in Texas.

If you plan on becoming a vet technician in Texas, you will have to graduate at an accredited vet technology program and earn an Associates’ of Applied Science degree in Veterinary Technology.

If you want to work as a licensed and registered veterinary technician, you’ll have to attend a veterinary technology program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA).

Texas has as many as ten colleges that have accredited veterinary technology programs.

Once you’ve graduated, you’ll have to take the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE), an exam required in order to become a licensed Texas veterinary technician.

online vet tech programs

Not all aspiring veterinary technicians live close enough to a brick-and-mortar school to attend a campus-based veterinary technician training program. Even when an aspiring vet tech does live within commuting distance to an on-campus program, their jobs or lives may make them too busy to attend classes during the day at a set time or to attend a full-time program.

Online veterinary technician and assistant programs offer flexibility to aspiring vet techs who are either too busy or live too far away from a college campus to attend. By combining online coursework with hands-on and supervised clinical experience in a setting of the student’s choice, these programs ensure that graduates are ready to become a successful part of a veterinary medicine team.

Just like when looking into an on-campus program, it’s important that an aspiring veterinary technician knows that their program will train them in all the skills they need to successfully enter the workforce.

Since 2010, the National Association of Veterinary Technicians (NAVTA) has created universal standards for high-quality veterinary technician training programs, including standards for online programs.

NAVTA-AVMA accredited vet tech programs meet predefined criteria for training standards, including preparing students to attain the number of supervised practicum hours to qualify for licensure in their state. While not required in every state, the majority of states do require that a veterinary technician pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) before entering into practice. Accredited programs generally include a component to prepare students to sit for this test.

So how do distance programs work? These convenient schools offer courses in a variety of formats:

• Synchronous learning – In this format, happens at a set time, but students can log in from wherever they choose. Whether they are attending a “live” lecture, completing group work, or taking tests, this format’s main point of flexibility is around geography.
• Asynchronous learning – In this format, students do their learning completely at their own pace. While there are deadlines for when a student needs to attend lectures or complete assignments, there is no “real-time” requirement. This format provides both geography- and time-based flexibility to learners.
• Hybrid programs combine both types of online learning – In a hybrid program, didactic coursework (lectures) is usually asynchronous and can be completed at the student’s chosen pace. More hands-on learning (lab work, externships, etc.) must be scheduled. Sometimes, hybrid programs do require students to travel to campus once per semester or program for labs, tests, or short immersions.

ACCREDITED ONLINE VET TECH PROGRAMS

Luckily for prospective veterinary technicians who require a measure of flexibility in their education, there are a number of accredited vet tech programs online. The main accrediting body—the Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA), a branch of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)—has provided a list of its approved offerings.

Some typical admissions requirements to these programs include:

• High school transcripts with a competitive GPA
• Access to a webcam-enabled computer with a fast internet connection
• Experience working under a licensed veterinarian
• Letters of recommendation
• Various immunizations
• SAT or ACT scores (generally optional)

Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the ten AVMA-accredited vet tech programs as of June 2021, including associate of applied science (AAS) and associate of science (AS) degrees, offered through distance learning:

Ashworth College, based in Georgia, provides 270 hours of clinical experience for plenty of hands-on practice working with animals. With no scheduled start times, students may enroll anytime and complete the coursework at their own pace, with clinical hours included in each semester. Coursework in the program includes small animal husbandry and restraint, veterinary anatomy and physiology, diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, and veterinary practice management.

Faculty are industry leaders in their fields with extensive experience. Offering in-depth instruction, this is one of the most affordable online veterinary technician programs available. As of May 2020, Ashworth does not have VTNE pass rates available.

Penn Foster College, based in Arizona, offers competitively priced programs at a cost of up to $117 per credit, and zero percent interest pay-plans are available. PFC has partnerships with some of the largest veterinary hospitals in the country—including VCA Animal Hospital, Banfield, and BluePearl—who recognize the quality of an AVMA-CVTEA fully accredited Veterinary Technician program.

PFC has one of the larger accredited online vet tech programs in the country, graduating over 211 students in 2017. PFC also boasted a first-time VTNE-pass rate of 71.4 percent (2018).

Cedar Valley College in Dallas County, Texas—accredited by AVMA in 2001—had a 68 percent first-time VTNE pass rate among its graduates between 2017 and 2020. This school is distinguished by its scholarship opportunities earmarked specifically for its distance students. Part of the curriculum is a ten-hour weekly minimum commitment in an approved veterinary clinic, as well as courses such as surgical preparation and assistance, pharmacology, and equine clinical management.

Finally, students are not required to travel to campus except to attend graduation if they choose. All practical skills are videotaped and then reviewed by a commission to ensure a student’s competency.

Colby Community College of Kansas offers classes at 24 locations in a 14-county service area. This program does not require any campus visits but does offer various weekend mentorships in Colby to teach students about animals that may not be endemic to their areas (e.g., large animal mentorship, laboratory animal and exotic pet mentorship, microbiology mentorship).

This school also offers three convenient start times—January, June, or August—and enjoyed a 80 percent first-time VTNE-pass rate among its graduates between 2017 and 2020.

Jefferson State Community College of Birmingham, Alabama offers a distance-based vet tech program, which has minimal campus visits. Requiring at least 20 hours of work weekly for a licensed Alabama veterinarian in addition to online didactic coursework, Jefferson students are prepared to sit for the VTNE and Alabama State Boards exams to pursue licensure. Notably, 100 percent of students receive job offers after graduation and passing boards.

This school also offers abundant scholarship opportunities to its distance students in order to cover the costs associated with tuition, books, immunizations, uniforms, equipment, and other vet tech expenses. Jefferson State’s first-time VTNE pass rate between 2016 and 2019 was 67 percent.

Medaille College had a VTNE first time pass-rate of 69 percent between 2017 and 2020 for its Rochester AAS program, and an 81 percent first-time pass rate for its Buffalo AS program. As the online program earned accreditation in 2018, VTNE pass rates for the online program are not yet available. In-person clinical experiences are required for online students, and the course for online veterinary technology preparation helps students obtain hands-on clinical experience.

Medaille College’s vet tech professors are all licensed veterinary professionals. The program prepares students to sit for the VTNE and satisfies all requirements to practice as a licensed vet tech in the state of New York.

North Virginia Community College (NOVA) has a part-time online vet tech program which typically requires only two or three Loudoun campus visits per semester. Designed with the working student in mind, coursework is offered through Blackboard and the Extended Learning Institute (ELI) and student success is evaluated through videotapes, product evaluation (e.g., lab work), and mentored task lists, among other tactics.

This three-year program requires students to be employed by a licensed veterinarian for a minimum of 20 hours per week prior to enrollment. NOVA’s first-time VTNE pass rate for online graduates between 2017 and 2020 was 84.6 percent.

Purdue University of Indiana provides a competitive vet tech program comprising 35 didactic courses and 17 clinical mentorship experiences to give a comprehensive overview of the discipline. In addition to the veterinary technology distance learning (VTDL) courses, students are required to pass a number of general education or breadth requirements. With summer, spring, and fall start dates, Purdue has a wealth of support and resources to guide students through the program including an online writing lab, an academic success center, and a number of libraries.

At 95.2 percent between 2017 and 2020, Purdue’s first-time VTNE pass rate is quite high.

St. Petersburg College (SPC) in Florida recently completed an $11 million innovative veterinary technology facility, only one of the amenities available to the on-campus and distance learning students when they come to town. There are two start dates for the program: January and August. Credits from the associate of applied science (AAS) degree can be applied to earning a bachelor’s of applied science (BAS) in veterinary technology—an attractive option to students looking for increased responsibilities or leadership positions.

Between 2017 and 2020, 82 percent of graduates passed the VTNE the first time. Furthermore, between 2012 and 2019, 93 percent of SPC AS degree graduates and 97 percent of BAS degree graduates found jobs in the field, were continuing their education while employed or were serving in the military.

San Juan College in New Mexico enjoyed an impressive 89.8 percent VTNE first-time pass rate among its graduates between 2017 and 2020. San Juan opens its program to applicants in nearly all states who can meet their off-campus clinical instruction (OCCI) and preceptor criteria. Although students aren’t required to travel to campus, they are offered the opportunity to complete “fast track labs” either at facilities near their homes or at the scenic Highlander Ranch in Waco, Texas.

Following the completion of these AVMA-accredited programs, some students choose to pursue additional certification in specialized fields such as animal dentistry, anesthesia, or exotic animal care. The North American Veterinary Technician Association (NAVTA) offers academies for 16 approved specializations.

ONLINE VETERINARY PROGRAM ACCREDITATION

Prior to matriculating at any online veterinary technology or assistant program, it’s important to ensure that it has been accredited or approved by the appropriate agencies.

As mentioned above, for veterinary technology programs, the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (AVMA-CVTEA) is the primary accrediting body. Most states require aspiring vet techs to have graduated from an AVMA-accredited school prior to licensure, certification, or registration.

Furthermore, graduating from one of these programs is a prerequisite to sit for the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE). AVMA employs rigorous criteria to evaluate programs including informational resources, physical facilities, finances, and student outcomes.

For veterinary assistant programs, the program approval process is relatively new, provided by the North American Veterinary Technician Association (NAVTA). The NAVTA guidelines are generally task-oriented and include meeting benchmarks for skills like clerical abilities, sterilization techniques, and examination room procedures.

NAVTA also identifies excellence in specialty training organizations through its Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties (CVTS). These specialty guidelines are more organizational in nature and take into account how long the organization has been offering the specialization, the consistency of reporting, and the interest of the veterinary world in the specialty.

what states require you to be a certified veterinary technician

According to the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA), which is an organization that promotes education and career growth in this field, the states that certify veterinary technicians in the United States are: Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

A certification shouldn’t be confused with a license. Veterinary technicians can voluntarily choose to get certified to show they’ve achieved certain standards. On the other hand, when a license is required, this means that licensing is a mandatory requirement in order to practice, otherwise, it wouldn’t be legal to do things in the work field. The states that license veterinary technicians according to the NAVTA are Alaska, Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

If you are interested in becoming a veterinary technician, you will need to hold an associate’s degree in addition to registration, certification, or license (depending on your state’s requirements).

how to become a vet tech in texas

Texas is calling for educated and trained Veterinary Technicians to fill the positions in the state’s expanding Veterinary Medicine Industry. New technology, innovative treatments and more effective pharmaceuticals have helped spur the growth in money spent on Veterinary care. Texas has the schools and veterinary practices to help you make your career a success. Whether you work with small animals or livestock and everything in between, you will find satisfaction with a job well done.

Job Description and Duties of a Vet Technician in Texas

Veterinary technicians in Texas (and anywhere else for that matter) are in charge of helping the veterinarian constantly, of making the pet owners feel welcome and understood and finally, and most importantly, of helping the animals as much as is within your power.

This, in practice, means that as a vet tech, you’ll be in charge of the following chores and tasks:

• providing treatment for routine problems
• recording temperature, pulse and respiration
• assisting the veterinarian with physical exams
• preparing animals and equipment for surgery
• assisting with surgeries and other medical procedures
• performing anesthesia
• collecting blood, urine or stool samples
• processing laboratory tests
• developing radiographs and x-rays
• administration of medications
• dressing wounds
• sterilizing laboratory and surgical equipment
• vaccinating animals
• observing the habits and condition of animals

Them there are the least pleasant tasks of cleaning after the animals and performing euthanasia.

Now that you’re familiar with your general duties as a vet technician.

Education Required for a Vet Technician in Texas

When it comes to requirements before applying into the mentioned schools that offer accredited programs for vet technicians, you should know that every school has its own prerequisites  that you’ll have to complete before you enroll.

Because Texas has so many schools, they vary greatly in terms of those prerequisites and you’ll have to get informed about the particular prerequisites for the college you want to go to.

Generally speaking, most of them require a C average or better in high school and many of them require attending some basic courses after high school like biology, chemistry, English and math before you begin with your core subjects.

As far as the core subjects go, they’ll be more science-focused like the following, which are offered in most programs regardless of the particular college you attend:

• Biology and Chemistry
• Clinical Procedures
• Laboratory Animal Science
• Surgical Procedures
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Large and Small Animal Medicine
• Veterinary Hospital Management
• Animal Nutrition
• Animal Disease and Pathology
• Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Veterinary Imaging
• Anesthesiology
• Dentistry
• Emergency and Critical Care

Most of these colleges have their own labs where you can learn what an internship is, while working under your supervisors.

You can also choose what you want to specialize in, and here are just some of your options:

• Zoological and Exotic Animal Medicine
• Internal Medicine
• Dental Technician
• Equine Medicine
• Behavior Modification
• American Association of Zoo Keepers
• Emergency and critical care nursing
• Surgery and Anesthetist

Then you will venture into an out-of-campus internship that will take place during your final semester, which means you’ll have to work in an actual veterinary clinic, supervised by a veterinarian.

what do vet techs do

A veterinary technician is a credentialed professional whose job involves helping all types of animals live healthy and happy lives. Vet techs use medical knowledge and clinical skills to provide routine and emergency nursing care under the direction of a veterinarian.

vet tech salary

Veterinary Technologists and Technicians made a median salary of $35,320 in 2019. The best-paid 25 percent made $42,540 that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made $29,080. $29,000 per year is the average salary per year for Veterinarian Technician working in Texas. $28,900 annually is the average in the U.S. as a whole or about $13 per hour. Incomes for veterinarian technicians are slightly lower than the national average. Salaries can range from $20,000 just starting out after graduation to $48,000 for more specialized positions often requiring additional education and training.

If you want to become a vet tech without college, you can! You just need to know where to start.

There are many different paths to becoming a vet tech without college, and they all involve some combination of training, experience, and certification. For example:

You could enroll in an online course that trains you on the basics of animal care. Then use those skills to volunteer at your local shelter or animal hospital. Once you’ve gained some experience in this setting, look for a position as an assistant vet tech at a reputable clinic or vet’s office.

Or maybe you’d prefer getting certified through a third-party organization like AVMA? It’s easy to find online certification programs for everything from medical assisting and dental assisting to pharmacy technician and radiology technician training—all of which would help make you more marketable when seeking out a job as a vet tech without college.

No matter what path you choose, there’s one thing we know for sure: You CAN become a vet tech without college! All it takes is time, patience, dedication… and of course the right resources for guidance along the way.