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Regarding the fact that veterinary medicine develops more and more and offers jobs for everyone ready to work with animals, there is a greater number of young people interested in becoming veterinarians and their assistants.
Those who are concerned about animal well-being and focused on helping the animals in need are the staff working in animal clinics, hospitals or shelters.
Unlike the past, when only some of the animals were worshiped and protected, nowadays, each species has its significance and more people take care of pets.
That leads to the increasing demand for veterinary assistants, and what is even better, they do not have to have any kind of education related to animals to begin working.
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Their wish to help the animals, together with the educated and qualified team of the clinic is enough since they all want the same positive outcome.
Article Table of Contents
Job Description
Even though veterinary schools and universities are not required for becoming a veterinary assistant, people working with animals have to learn about animal care, they have to possess great communication skills, to be good listeners and to sympathize with the stressed pet owners.
Also, if they are educated, that is their advantage. Some veterinarians look for licensed assistants since they might perform more complicated duties like helping during the surgery, providing animals with medicine and taking blood samples, among many others.
That is why qualifications might be a significant advantage when getting the job and can make it easier for an assistant to perform his/her duties since he/she will know what should be done.
Becoming a Veterinary Assistant in California
If you possess a high school diploma or GED equivalency, you can easily become a veterinary assistant in California.
The years of practice can make you even better assistant than those educated.
However, if you want to continue your education and get acquainted with the tasks and duties of a veterinary assistant, there are certificate programs widely available through post-secondary schools or online courses which might provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills.
Those candidates who possess a certificate about the education achieved about veterinary studies get better chances to find employment and are better in finding a solution to the problems once they are hired.
California offers veterinary assistant programs such as:
- Yuba College
- Modesto Junior College
- Pima Medical Institute-Chula Vista
- Animal Behavior College
Students can pass all the exams there and become licensed veterinary assistants.
Requirements
Even though, in most countries in the USA, a veterinary assistant is a person with no formal education related to animals, but more and more training programs which offer license or certification appear and the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) organizes 35 approved programs and various online programs for people eager to achieve knowledge and qualifications.
Some of the NAVTA programs are:
- Animal Behavior College,
- Northern Virginia Community College and
- Colorado Academy of Veterinary Technology, to mention just a few.
A veterinary assistant is a valuable member of an animal health care team.
Thus, the California Veterinary Medical Association offers a Certified Veterinary Assistant (CVA) program.
This program gives future veterinary assistants training and they get a state certification once the required training is completed.
The CVMA program is available in technical colleges, veterinary hospitals, high schools and even as an apprenticeship with on-the-job-training.
There are two kinds of programs offered:
- Hospital Program– where students have a mentor and take online courses. They need to have 600 hours of training at an approved California veterinary practice.
- School Program – in schools and colleges. Students need to get passing grades and have 500 hours of practice and 250 hours of laboratory time.
Getting a Job
As you have become a licensed veterinary assistant, your chances of getting a satisfying job are better as veterinarians are always having in mind the fact that assistants who know what they need to do and can start working without previously being thought or supervised.
California offers the greatest number of places where veterinary assistants can look for a job:
- California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) with a long list of job openings for veterinary assistants in California.
- VCA (Veterinary Centers of America) with 120 locations throughout the state of California such as:
- VCA Venice Boulevard Animal Hospital
- VCA Mission Viejo Animal Hospital
- VCA Angel Animal Hospital
- Vetco Wellness Centers and Vaccination Clinics inside PETCO – also known for its relationships with veterinary teaching institutions:
- Located in Fresno Petco
- Located in Hollywood Petco
- Located in Modesto Petco
- Located in Sacramento Petco
- Banfield Pet Hospital – which has a long tradition of helping animals in need, since 1955 on more than 900 locations throughout the USA.
- Banfield Headquarters Clovis
- Banfield Headquarters Fresno
Salary
California, Washington and the New England states which all have a high average veterinary assistant salary, but there is a significant variation in the field among the cities in California.
It is estimated to range from $29,500 in Visalia, up to 36,764 in San Francisco per year.
The development of the region where the city is located, the annual incomes of its citizens and the amount of work that the assistant is performing all affect the average annual salary.
The table below shows the salary of a veterinary assistant in the state of California annually since it significantly varies from one city to another.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Anaheim,CA | $32,939 |
| Antioch,CA | $33,769 |
| Apple Valley,CA | $31,338 |
| Bakersfield,CA | $31,753 |
| Berkeley,CA | $34,955 |
| Burbank,CA | $33,295 |
| Carlsbad,CA | $31,516 |
| Carson,CA | $32,909 |
| Chico,CA | $30,271 |
| Chula Vista,CA | $31,694 |
| Coachella,CA | $31,397 |
| Concord,CA | $33,295 |
| Corona,CA | $31,605 |
| Costa Mesa,CA | $32,969 |
| Daly City,CA | $36,764 |
| Downey,CA | $33,028 |
| El Cajon,CA | $31,605 |
| El Monte,CA | $33,265 |
| Elk Grove,CA | $32,168 |
| Escondido,CA | $31,516 |
| Fairfield,CA | $33,265 |
| Fontana,CA | $31,664 |
| Fremont,CA | $35,430 |
| Fresno,CA | $29,678 |
| Fullerton,CA | $32,939 |
| Garden Grove,CA | $32,939 |
| Glendale,CA | $33,295 |
| Hayward,CA | $34,896 |
| Huntington Beach,CA | $32,969 |
| Inglewood,CA | $33,295 |
| Irvine,CA | $32,969 |
| Lancaster,CA | $33,117 |
| Lompoc,CA | $30,834 |
| Long Beach,CA | $32,909 |
| Los Angeles,CA | $33,293 |
| Modesto,CA | $31,427 |
| Monterey,CA | $32,909 |
| Moreno Valley,CA | $31,635 |
| Murrieta,CA | $32,228 |
| Newhall,CA | $32,909 |
| Norwalk,CA | $32,909 |
| Oakland,CA | $34,955 |
| Oceanside,CA | $31,783 |
| Ontario,CA | $31,605 |
| Orange,CA | $32,969 |
| Oxnard,CA | $31,783 |
| Palmdale,CA | $33,087 |
| Pasadena,CA | $33,295 |
| Petaluma,CA | $33,354 |
| Pomona,CA | $32,880 |
| Rancho Cucamonga,CA | $31,486 |
| Rialto,CA | $31,457 |
| Richmond,CA | $35,014 |
| Riverside,CA | $31,664 |
| Roseville,CA | $32,109 |
| Sacramento,CA | $32,198 |
| Salinas,CA | $32,850 |
| San Bernardino,CA | $31,457 |
| San Diego,CA | $31,694 |
| San Francisco,CA | $36,764 |
| San Jose,CA | $35,489 |
| Santa Ana,CA | $32,939 |
| Santa Barbara,CA | $31,724 |
| Santa Clara,CA | $35,489 |
| Santa Clarita,CA | $32,850 |
| Santa Cruz,CA | $33,117 |
| Santa Maria,CA | $31,131 |
| Santa Rosa,CA | $32,316 |
| Simi Valley,CA | $32,405 |
| Stockton,CA | $31,783 |
| Sunnyvale,CA | $35,489 |
| Temecula,CA | $31,812 |
| Thousand Oaks,CA | $32,168 |
| Torrance,CA | $32,909 |
| Vallejo,CA | $33,354 |
| Ventura,CA | $31,783 |
| Victorville,CA | $31,368 |
| Visalia,CA | $29,500 |
| West Covina,CA | $32,880 |
Regional Salary in California
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | 200 | $37,800 | $18.17 | $45,060 | $32,240 |
| Chico, CA | 110 | $40,400 | $19.42 | $45,760 | $35,750 |
| Fresno, CA | 240 | $38,820 | $18.66 | $44,790 | $35,390 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 5,180 | $42,690 | $20.53 | $51,110 | $36,300 |
| Merced, CA | 80 | $38,300 | $18.41 | $45,400 | $34,800 |
| Modesto, CA | 200 | $40,660 | $19.55 | $46,740 | $35,720 |
| Napa, CA | 40 | $43,180 | $20.76 | $48,160 | $38,150 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 490 | $41,290 | $19.85 | $46,560 | $35,400 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,340 | $39,870 | $19.17 | $45,890 | $35,270 |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA | 1,340 | $42,020 | $20.2 | $48,200 | $35,990 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | 1,970 | $42,030 | $20.21 | $47,910 | $36,120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | 2,040 | $47,120 | $22.66 | $57,920 | $39,110 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 680 | $47,890 | $23.03 | $56,750 | $39,530 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA | 190 | $39,700 | $19.09 | $46,850 | $32,240 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 210 | $42,420 | $20.39 | $49,790 | $36,900 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 230 | $41,070 | $19.75 | $47,510 | $35,820 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | 340 | $43,240 | $20.79 | $49,360 | $37,830 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 190 | $42,270 | $20.32 | $47,650 | $37,400 |
| Visalia-Porterville, CA | 110 | $38,850 | $18.68 | $45,720 | $34,460 |
| Yuba City, CA | 60 | $38,800 | $18.65 | $44,540 | $35,890 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Duties
A veterinary assistant is required to perform the role which requires a higher qualification level, since some the certified veterinary assistants can do examinations and minor surgery on animals, without the supervision of a veterinarian.
They take blood samples, give injections, prepare equipment before and after surgery, give medication and all these duties demand the right training and knowledge.
Many people think that empathy and communication skills are enough qualifications for a veterinary assistant since they only work on scheduling appointments and talking to pet owners worried about the health condition of their pets.
But that is a wrong opinion.
In a well-equipped veterinary clinic or hospital, veterinary assistants often have to work with technical machinery and lab equipment, with blood work and urinalysis, which is not at all naive.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Veterinary Assistant
Veterinary Assisting by State