How to Become a Veterinary Technician in Wyoming

Veterinary Technician Job Description

Veterinary technicians in Wyoming work in a range of environments such as veterinary hospitals, clinics, farms, ranches, animal sanctuaries, pet stores, supply stores, parks, kennels, rescue centers, food inspection facilities, zoos, universities, and other places.

Accredited Wyoming Veterinary Technology Programs

No matter which vet tech program you choose to enroll in, it is our suggestion to make a choice among those who earned the program accreditation from the Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA), a branch of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

In Wyoming, there is, unfortunately, only one associate of applied science (AAS) program in veterinary technology with AVMA accreditation and it is available at Eastern Wyoming College of Torrington.

The college has reached the accreditation in 1976, this is a program definitely worth your consideration.

Students get the opportunity to work with various animals across state-of-the-art facilities with labs, surgery centers, radiography equipment, and dental units.

Coursework in this AAS program includes veterinary technology; medical terminology; pharmaceutical calculations; veterinary office procedures; vet hematology; infectious diseases; diagnostic microbiology; vet parasitology; laboratory & exotic animals; and anatomy & physiology.

If you want to measure the effectiveness of a vet tech program, you can just take a look at its graduates’ first-time passing rate on the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE).

This school boasts 85.29 percent of graduates who passed the VTNE on their first attempt.

The modern world we live in requires new and advanced ways of getting an education, so colleges need to be in line with the latest trends.

That is why besides campus-based veterinary technician programs, they also offer accredited online vet tech programs.

Wyoming residents can choose these programs which include a combination of online didactic coursework and in-house clinical training which are completed at approved preceptor sites close to a student’s home.

This kind of education is considered ideal for residents of more rural regions of Wyoming, who can only attend these accredited distance-based vet tech programs.

One of the options is the enrollment in the Colby Community College based in Kansas.

The school offers an 82-credit online AAS program in veterinary technology.

Also, Purdue University provides a part-time, online AAS program for vet techs that consists of 27 courses and 18 clinical mentorships.

The school boasts incredible 88.5 percent of distance-based vet tech graduates who passed the exam when they first tried, while 100 percent of its on-campus students passed the VTNE on their first attempt.

Finally, San Juan College of New Mexico also provides an AAS in veterinary technology with unique coursework.

As there are more than 200 distance learning programs across the USA, you can discover more options and determine which one best suits you.

Requirements to Become a Licensed Veterinary Technician in Wyoming

It is worth mentioning that, unlike most states, Wyoming does not require you to attend a Veterinary Technician program, nor does it require certification, registration, or licensure for Veterinary Technicians to work in the state.

However, there are some reasons why you should decide to get the certification.

If you move to another state which requires licensure, you will not be allowed to work.

Also, veterinarians would rather employ a person with than without certification.

Finally, your salary will definitely be higher if your qualifications are better.

Even though licensure is not required, according to The US Bureau of Labor & Industry website, there are personal characteristics that you must meet if you want to reach a successful career as a Veterinary Technician in Wyoming:

• Communication skills, as you will spend quite a lot of time communicating with supervisors, animal owners, and other staff.
• Compassion, as you must treat animals with kindness and must be sensitive when dealing with the owners of sick pets.
• Detail-oriented, as you must pay attention to details and be precise.
• Manual dexterity, as you will be working with medical instruments, and laboratory equipment that requires extreme care.
• Problem-solving skills, as you will need to identify and explain injuries and illnesses to the Veterinarian.

If you think that you possess them all and that your love towards animals is so great that you want to devote your life to their care, then you are an ideal person for a vet tech job.

Job Prospects and Veterinary Technicians’ Average Annual Salary in Wyoming

The best way to find out about the Wyoming Veterinary Technician Job Outlook is to take a look at the statistics offered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The claim that veterinary technicians and technologists nationwide are expected to see their employment opportunities explode in the years to come, so they do not need to worry about their job prospects.

The BLS predicts a 20 percent increase in vet tech openings in Wyoming, being that this state has long been known for its love of animals.

There are many places where well-educated people can look for employment, such as ranches and farms, zoos, private practice, animal shelters and hospitals, and many other facilities that take care of animals.

When the salary is in question, there are 103,430 vet techs employed around the country and they get an annual average salary of $ 32020.

One of the reasons why salaries for vet techs in Wyoming are lower than the national average is that Wyoming residents enjoy a relatively low cost of living compared to the rest of the country.

If you want to find a job as a vet tech, you can take a look at iHireVeterinary which has posted opportunities at facilities including the Avenues Pet Clinic.

The Wyoming Veterinary Technician Association (WVTA) also has posted additional openings at employers such as the Stock Doc and the Frontier Veterinary Clinic.

Regional Salary in Wyoming

Veterinary Technicians by State