How to Become a Veterinary Technician in New Jersey

Veterinary Technician Job Description

Before you decide to take up the career of a veterinary technician due to the fact that you enjoy working with animals, we have to warn you that you must also possess good skills with people, computers and other technology and be physically fit, so as to be able to manage all the duties that this demanding, challenging, and interesting career requires.

Being that they are quite educated people in any animal-related facility, vet techs are tasked with many responsibilities.

Some of the duties they have are: collecting laboratory samples; performing medical tests under the supervision of licensed veterinarians; helping to diagnose illnesses and conditions; providing first aid and monitoring the stability of animals in medical recovery to mention a few.

There are even some vet techs that decide to specialize in fields such as zoology, nutrition, equine medicine, anesthesia, dentistry, animal behavior, emergency care, clinical pathology, and more so as to have better job outlook and higher salaries.

Many people wonder what the difference is between a veterinary technologist and a veterinary technician.

Actually, a veterinary technologist has a B.S. degree in Veterinary Technology, whereas a vet tech has an Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology.

This means that as a veterinary technologist you will earn more, but you will have to go to school four years while the short two-year education of a vet tech makes it quite an appealing career choice.

Accredited New Jersey Veterinary Technology Programs

The state of New Jersey boasts two campus-based programs accredited through the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA.

The program which has the accreditation should be selected by future students, taking into consideration the fact that only graduates from those vet tech programs in the country will be allowed to sit for the license exam.

Bergen Community College in Paramus is one of those schools which provides a CVTEA-accredited associate of applied science (AAS) degree in veterinary technology.

Students study the curriculum which is based on classroom work, hands-on clinical experiences, and externship training.

So as to be allowed to enroll in this program, you must complete prerequisites, general education courses, and two clinical externships.

The program takes 2-years and courses included are vertebrate anatomy and physiology; veterinary pharmacology; veterinary medical terminology; veterinary nursing; clinical laboratory procedures; diagnostic imaging; surgical assist and anesthesia; and more.

The other school is Camden County College of Blackwood which also offers a CVTEA-accredited associate of applied science (AAS) degree in veterinary technology.

Students enrolled in this program will have to cover a combination of 300 hours of practical clinical education and courses such as small animal nursing; principles of animal husbandry; hematology; veterinary pharmacology; farm animal nursing; small animal co-op; and parasitology.

Camden County College graduates are ready for work in teaching hospitals, small animal clinics, veterinary offices, and exotic practices.

In modern society we live in, the accredited on-campus programs in New Jersey are not the only way of education.

There are currently several CVTEA-accredited, online vet tech programs and one of the best distance-based options is available through Penn Foster’s associate degree program.

Furthermore, St. Petersburg College in Florida provides several online programs in veterinary technology including an associate of science (AS) and a bachelor of science (BS).

Requirements to Become a Licensed Veterinary Technician in New Jersey

New Jersey citizens would need to take a number of steps, so as to join the community of vet technicians, but the greatest thing of all is that the Associate’s Degree can be earned in two and a half years right out of high school

Step 1: They will need to graduate from a two-to-four-year veterinary technology program accredited by the Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA)—a branch of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Step 2: Upon graduation, they will need to pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE).

Step 3: Finally, they will be allowed to apply for professional certification through the New Jersey Veterinary Technicians & Assistants, Inc. (NJVTA).

While professional certification is not required to practice as a veterinary technician in New Jersey, it is required in many other states so it is definitely worth having it.

You will need to renew it by providing evidence of continuing education.

Job Prospects and Veterinary Technicians’ Average Annual Salary in New Jersey

For New Jersey residents, it is good to know that the average annual salary for vet techs is $36,720, which is higher than the national average at $34,710.

However, the annual salary ranges for vet techs depending on where they work and what job they perform.

Do not get confused to find out that salaries also tend to vary by region of NJ.

Actually, the Newark, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division had the highest average annual salary in the state, while some other top-paying areas are Trenton and New York-Jersey City-White Plains.

There are 2,880 veterinary technicians and technologists currently employed in New Jersy, but still, it is estimated that veterinary technicians are to be employed.

The need for the people who would like to work with animals will increase in the years to come according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

Now, if you consider that becoming a licensed veterinarian is not achievable by you, being that it requires eight years of post-secondary education, we suggest that you join an animal healthcare clinic as an entry-level vet tech after only a two-year associate degree program.

Regional Salary in New Jersey

Veterinary Technicians by State