The value of veterinary technicians.

Veterinary technicians and their skills have historically been considered indistinguishable from other support positions in the clinic. In many practices, credentialed veterinary technicians (CrVTs) and non-credentialed assistants share a job description that fails to recognize the CrVT’s formal education and overall value.

That narrative is shifting as CrVTs find their collective voice and use it to earn professional respect in the industry they faithfully serve. With expanded career paths, advocacy efforts and the support of those around them, CrVTs are pushing the profession forward.

Evolving paths

The veterinary technician role is more than a job, it’s a career. Heather Prendergast, RVT, CVPM, SPHR, began working in veterinary medicine as a teenager.

“I worked as a kennel assistant during summers and after school,” Prendergast recalled. “After high school, I became a veterinary assistant while attending college, first earning a bachelor’s degree in animal science and later an associate’s degree in veterinary technology. I became an RVT in 1999 and advanced within my practice to become the practice manager, earn my CVPM and eventually become the hospital administrator.”

After 20 years in practice, Prendergast launched her veterinary consulting business, Synergie Veterinary Consulting Group. She now speaks nationally, authors books and articles, volunteers and serves as a key opinion leader. She was the first veterinary technician to serve as president of Viticus Group, which hosts WVC, in the organization’s 95-year history.

Beckie Mossor, BIS, MPA, RVT, describes her start in the field as a leap of faith.

“I always wanted to work with animals, but I was intimidated by the medicine and science,” said Mossor. “I had major impostor syndrome, but I made the leap and went to tech school in 2005. I graduated in 2007 and joined a mixed practice, then zig-zagged along the various paths our diverse industry offers. I have been lucky to experience much of what being a credentialed veterinary technician has to offer.”

Mossor, currently serving as president of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA), is also
the practice management coordinator and instructor for Appalachian State University and co-host of the weekly “Veterinary Viewfinder” podcast. She also finds time to lecture on veterinary topics nationwide.

The career paths of these long-time CrVT warriors show that veterinary technicians have a wide range of career opportunities if they know where to look. “In my view, the sky is the limit,” said Prendergast. “But technicians must actively seek out these opportunities, as they’re rarely handed to them.”

“CrVTs today are doing amazing things,” said Mossor. “They are specialists, consultants, entrepreneurs and even practice owners. They can further their education by getting a bachelor’s or master’s degree and work in industry, academia, management and, of course, our clinics.”

Challenges and solutions

Veterinary technicians have made meaningful progress in the availability of education and respect for their roles. However, persistent challenges limit the profession’s growth and lead many technicians to leave the field prematurely.

Prendergast has seen these changes and challenges play out firsthand.

“When I started, there were very few veterinary technology programs,” she said. “Today, more than 200 schools offer veterinary assistant and technician training. “We used to attend DVM CE courses, but now, technician-specific tracks allow CrVTs to build advanced skills, and many states are opening practice acts to more clearly define the role.”

Small steps forward like these are often accompanied by a few steps back. Poor compensation, clinical underutilization, and lack of title protection and mentorship are some of the profession’s most pressing concerns.

“The NAVTA 2024 Demographic Survey found that pay continues to be the No. 1 challenge for credentialed veterinary technicians,” stated Mossor. “CrVTs are simply not making a living wage, with salaries that don’t reflect their education or value. Low wages lead many CrVTs to leave the profession after only a few years.”

“Many CrVTs are underutilized,” added Prendergast. “When their hard-earned skills go unused, they disengage. Some practices use veterinary assistants interchangeably with credentialed technicians, resulting in little to no differentiation in roles or pay.”

Leaders in the technician world remain committed to advancing the role by identifying problems and pushing for long-term solutions. For Mossor, the biggest shift she’s seen in recent years is how CrVTs are standing up for themselves and demanding change.

“I am not sure the role has changed as much as the awareness, advocacy and utilization of credentialed veterinary technicians,” she said. “CrVTs are demanding better for themselves and their profession, and more DVMs are rallying behind them to help change the culture around our role.”

Veterinary technicians in the clinic

Credentialed veterinary technicians are essential contributors to patient care and clinic efficiency. When used to their full potential, CrVTs leverage more than 300 hands-on nursing skills to increase a hospital’s ability to provide top-quality care.

“They serve as a connection between the veterinarian and the client,” said Mossor. “Many CrVTs oversee client education and communication. They recognize and react to presenting symptoms and complaints to ensure patients are attended to appropriately. Veterinary technicians are the veterinarians’ eyes and ears and essential advocates for their patients.”

The presence of a credentialed veterinary technician also impacts the hospital’s financial performance. The AVMA’s 2009 Report on Veterinary Practice Business Measures found that each CrVT employed in a clinic generated $93,000 in additional revenue versus only $6,000 for non-credentialed staff.

No subsequent studies have looked at this number, but Prendergast points out that when adjusted for inflation, the value of a CrVT would now be $138,000. With the recent focus on improving technician utilization, it’s likely that technicians contribute even more than this estimate to hospital revenue.

Supporting veterinary technicians

CrVTs are critical to the success of veterinary practices and, by extension, the industry as a whole. CrVTs should be provided opportunities to grow through mentorship, training and utilization.

“Utilize them at the top of their license,” said Mossor. “Invest in their education and development, differentiate them from assistants in title and tasks, and recognize them as professionals.”

In the clinic, leadership and peers aren’t the only people who can lift up CrVTs and their role. Distributor representatives and industry partners play a significant part in technician development and job satisfaction for the entire team.

“From sponsorship of large national conferences to small local events, and in-clinic lunch and learns, our distributors and industry partners facilitate a massive amount of CE,” Mossor said. “Reps truly recognize and see the CrVTs on the teams they serve, and they help to recognize the technician team’s hard work during National Veterinary Technician Week in October.”

Representatives can go beyond appreciation week gestures to develop long-term partnerships with practices and provide support for CrVTs.

“Industry partners can do more than deliver lunch,” said Prendergast. “Rather than allocating resources to giveaways, I’d love to see that investment go toward high-quality, multi-phase training programs.”

Prendergast added that the most impactful representatives treat technicians like professionals and partners rather than as a captive audience to push product sales upon. These reps became extensions of the team, and in return, team members genuinely care about their success.

One of the most impactful ways representatives can support technicians is by showing up for the whole team. “They drop everything when clinics call with an emergency need, and they know what their clinic teams need before the team does,” said Mossor. “Reps are the unsung heroes of the veterinary industry.”

Looking ahead

The CrVT role is rapidly changing to include expanded responsibilities and practice areas. Mossor and Prendergast would like to see CrVTs bestowed with a standardized, protected and enforced title and consistent scope of practice across all 50 states, CrVT representation on every state medical board and maximum utilization in the clinic and beyond.

For industry partners, this is an opportunity to elevate a previously overlooked group of professionals whose success is closely intertwined with their own. “CrVTs should be recognized and utilized at the top of their license,” Mossor said. “Practices and industry partners should invest in these dedicated team members and remember that we are a profession, not a position.”

What is a Credentialed Veterinary Technician?

CrVTs are licensed to practice as veterinary technicians according to their state’s practice act. While requirements vary, most technicians graduate from an AVMA-accredited associate or bachelor’s degree program, master a lengthy skills list and pass the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE). In some cases, an additional state licensing exam is also required.

CrVTs may hold one of the following titles, depending on the state in which they are credentialed:

Registered veterinary technician (RVT)
Certified veterinary technician (CVT)
Licensed veterinary technician (LVT)
Licensed veterinary medical technician (LVMT)

The term credentialed veterinary technician (CrVT) is a useful interim title to reduce confusion while the profession works to standardize titles and protect their legal use.

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Veterinary Technicians: Credentialed and Capable