How to Become a Vet Office Manager in Minnesota

Minnesota boasts a community of passionate animal lovers committed to the welfare of their pets.

If you’re eager to turn this passion into a career, consider becoming a veterinary office manager.

This role allows you to contribute to animal care by overseeing veterinary practice operations, without engaging in medical procedures or surgeries.

As a veterinary office manager, you’ll handle essential administrative tasks that keep the office running smoothly.

Interested?

Keep reading to learn more!

Job Description for Vet Office Managers

Veterinary office managers are employed in animal clinics, hospitals, and sometimes with rescue organizations.

Their duties are similar to those of administrative assistants or general office managers, although specific tasks can vary by workplace.

Typical responsibilities for veterinary office managers include:

• Scheduling appointments
• Billing pet owners
• Ordering supplies
• Supervising office staff

These responsibilities are important for both employers, usually veterinary practice owners, and potential employees to understand.

To qualify for a veterinary office manager position, candidates are generally expected to have:

• 1 to 7 years of relevant work experience
• At least a high school diploma or GED, though some positions may require a degree related to the field.

Becoming a Vet Office Manager in Minnesota

If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a veterinary office manager, here’s how you can get started.

Begin by completing high school or earning a GED.

Next, consider enrolling in an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program, ideally in business administration or a related field.

Alternatively, after high school, you can enhance your credentials by obtaining a certification.

One option is certification from the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA).

To achieve this, you’ll need to enroll in their program and pass an exam.

While membership in the VHMA is optional, it can provide additional benefits.

The certification exam is offered at various testing centers across Minnesota and has associated fees:

• $675 for VHMA members
• $825 for non-members

Vet Office Manager Training Programs in Minnesota

You should also know where you could get trained to become a vet assistant in Minnesota.

The training schools are listed below.

Hennepin Technical College

This college offers a Veterinary Assistant hybrid course with a total of 60 hours:

• In-Person Classroom Instruction – 30 hours
• Online Learning – 30 hours

This program equips students with the skills, knowledge, and hands-on experience necessary to embark on a career working with animals.

Even if this course is for a veterinary assistant, remember that you need some related experience before working as an office manager in a veterinary practice.

You’ll learn about:

• Professional conduct,
• Medical terminology,
• Basic anatomy and physiology,
• Disease, behavior and restraint,
• Patient care.

Course fee includes:

• 60 hours of course instruction
• Textbook and course materials
• Possible internship opportunity
  • Internships may require students to wear scrubs, which are not included in the tuition.
  • Internships have a duration of 40 hours

Before registering, you must either:

• Take the Accuplacer Reading exam (available free at the HTC Testing Center)
• Or provide official transcripts confirming qualifications for a test waiver.

Prerequisite Qualifications:

• Accuplacer Exam Scores:
  • Classic Test: 78 or higher
  • Next Gen Test: 253 or higher
• College-level English course completion with a grade of C or higher may qualify for a test waiver.
• Must be 17 years of age or older.

To initiate the test waiver or Accuplacer exam scheduling process, email the CTS Registration and specify the course you’re interested in attending.

CTS Registration will coordinate exam scheduling and assess test waiver qualifications.

Once you provide a passing test score or waiver verification, CTS Registration will retain these documents and proceed with course registration.

This course is approved under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

This allows qualifying participants to receive tuition reimbursement.

The courses offered through Continuing Education and Customized Training are not eligible for Financial Aid, but funding or assistance may be available through government programs.

Salary for Vet Office Manager in Minnesota

At this point, you know almost everything about the vet office manager position.

In Minnesota, veterinary office managers typically earn an average annual salary of $88,370.

It’s important to note that salary ranges can differ based on the specific region within the state.

For detailed insights into these variations, please consult the table below.

Regional Salary in Minnesota

Vet Office Manager by State