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When we think about the feelings of an animal lover once their beloved pet is ill or injured we can realize how important job veterinarians have.
Even though many people do not consider a veterinary hospital a place of greater significance than the human hospital animal lovers would not agree with that.
Once they enter an animal clinic, they completely rely on veterinarians and their staff in this kind of a stressful situation.
If you think that you can handle all those difficulties and can stand the animal owner in distress, then you might attempt to enter veterinary medicine.
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Article Table of Contents
Job Description
A veterinary assistant allows and affects the successful functioning of a veterinarian’s office or animal hospital.
They help a veterinarian during patient examination, give medicine to animals and check the vital signs of patients once entering the clinic.
Their other daily duties are weighing them, calming both the animal and the owner, cleaning cages among many other tasks of vet assistants.
They might work in several types of environments, like animal hospitals, private practices of veterinarians and even in mobile units that travel around to provide medical care.
In those animal hospitals are open 24 hours a day a veterinary assistant may work overnight.
Becoming a Veterinary Assistant in South Carolina
The educational prerequisites for veterinary assistant jobs include a high school diploma.
This means that veterinary assistants start working without any previous knowledge related to animal care and learn while on the job.
On the other hand, some people decide to gain education and experience before they start working with animals and they are usually more favorable candidates for veterinary assistant jobs.
To achieve knowledge and get a certificate as proof of your education, students can enter veterinary assistant schools and get prepared for the responsibilities of the occupation.
In these classes, they will get acquainted with the specific tasks of assistants and the basic information on how a veterinarian’s office operates.
Some veterinary assistant campus in South Carolina are:
- Midlands Technical College
- Greenville Technical College
- Piedmont Technical College
Requirements
There are no formal requirements to become a veterinary assistant in the USA.
Some personal characteristics are calmness around animals and the ability to calm them down since they usually come frightened or agitated.
Also, a successful veterinary assistant needs to be patient, detailed and well organized.
Of course, a basic love of animals is also great quality and our desire to help animals tied with certification programs will be enough to prepare for this occupation.
Curriculums are held by experienced instructors who teach students how to identify breeds, medical terminology, ways to administer medications and much more.
Once you complete it you have to take the AVA examination and if you pass it, you will be issued a certificate.
Furthermore, the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) offers options for people who are already veterinary assistants and are working a full-service veterinary practice but want to get a certificate.
Getting a Job
After doing well and successfully finishing the courses, another important thing is to find a satisfying job.
If you do not get a chance to start working instantly, you might think about volunteering to be close to the veterinarians and gain even more experience which might be helpful in your future job prospects.
When applying for the job, the chances for getting it are equal for all the candidates and the criteria on which the employers decide are up to the individuals.
Yet, better positioned among participants are those with the certificate, for sure.
Potential veterinary assistant employers in South Carolina are:
- SCVMA (South Carolina Veterinary Medical Association) – a website is an excellent resource for new job postings in the state of South Carolina.
- VCA (Veterinary Centers of America)
- Banfield Pet Hospital
- Lexington
- Columbia Garners Ferry
Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual veterinary assistant salary is $25,370, ranging from $17,500 up to $36,200.
The veterinary assistant salary depends upon a few personal factors, such as experience working with animals, veterinary assistant schools attended and the responsibilities at the clinic.
When it comes to other factors, the type of veterinary office a person works for plays a great role. The larger and busier veterinary clinics pay a higher veterinary assistant salary but at the same time demand more job commitment and professional education.
The location of the clinic also determines salary, since hospitals in a larger city will pay a higher wage than those in small towns.
The table below shows the salary of a veterinary assistant in the state of South Carolina annually since it varies from one city to another.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Aiken,SC | $27,335 |
| Anderson,SC | $28,396 |
| Charleston,SC | $27,983 |
| Columbia,SC | $27,846 |
| Florence,SC | $26,571 |
| Goose Creek,SC | $27,942 |
| Greenville,SC | $28,699 |
| Hilton Head Island,SC | $27,535 |
| Mount Pleasant,SC | $27,983 |
| Myrtle Beach,SC | $26,599 |
| Rock Hill,SC | $29,183 |
| Spartanburg,SC | $27,502 |
| Summerville,SC | $27,859 |
| Sumter,SC | $26,511 |
Regional Salary in South Carolina
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 360 | $36,130 | $17.37 | $44,760 | $29,010 |
| Columbia, SC | 250 | $34,750 | $16.71 | $43,700 | $28,080 |
| Florence, SC | 50 | $29,480 | $14.17 | $38,630 | $22,550 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC | 430 | $36,210 | $17.41 | $44,190 | $29,120 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC | 90 | $36,410 | $17.51 | $46,180 | $28,080 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC | 170 | $33,120 | $15.92 | $42,150 | $22,540 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 120 | $35,610 | $17.12 | $44,270 | $26,920 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Duties
Regarding the fact that animal health care clinics trust them and consider their services crucial in their daily activities, it can be said that veterinary assistants are really important people in the functioning of the clinic. Their skills are so diverse and their responsibilities are versatile:
Veterinary assistant responsibilities are:
- Greeting clients and answering all their questions and concerns
- Interact with and educate clients regarding medicine application and proper care of their pets
- Scheduling appointments, interventions, and visits
- Maintain proper documentation in the electronic medical record
- Collaborating with other veterinary facilities
- Checking inventory and sanitizing equipment and cages
- Assisting veterinarian and technicians
- Feed, clean, exercise and walk animals
Veterinary assistants in rescue centers and animal rehabilitation centers have to perform even more additional and challenging tasks.
Summary
Even though being a veterinary assistant is not the most financially rewarding job and it is not even respected as much as it deserves, it can still be very rewarding in other ways.
Performing a veterinary assistant job is an exciting, challenging, emotionally rewarding and mentally stimulating job, full of surprises and expectations.
Working as a veterinary assistant is stressful, but by helping improve the lives of animal companions you are enriching your life as well.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Veterinary Assistant
Veterinary Assisting by State