13 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Spring 2014 • www.bls.gov/ooq

My career

What do you do?

I am a Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT) at an 

emergency animal hospital. Animals are brought here 

when they are sick, hurt, or in need of medical attention. 

Depending on which part of the hospital I am scheduled 

to work in, I do lots of different types of tasks as an LVT.

Being an LVT means getting your hands dirty and 

doing some grunt work. No matter which part of the hospital I’m scheduled to work in, I always have to do things 

like clean out cages, wipe down tables, sterilize instruments, and clean up messes.

Describe the different kinds of tasks you do 

in each part of the hospital.

As an assistant in the exam room, I meet with pet owners to talk about the reason for their visit and record their 

pet’s weight and medical history. I assist the vet during 

the appointment with tasks such as retrieving medications 

and controlling the animal during the exam, if needed. 

Working in the pharmacy, I fill prescriptions, prepare 

controlled substances, and restock medications.

When I am scheduled to help with surgeries, I do 

things like prepping the animal, starting the IV, and 

monitoring the anesthesia. 

When I work in the treatment room, I take care of all 

of the hospitalized animals. When an animal is admitted, I give it an IV and set it up on fluids. Throughout the 

day, depending on how sick the animals are, I may have 

to administer medication or care for them in other ways. 

And, of course, I give them extra love and attention.

On other days, I see the scheduled appointments that 

don’t require the presence of a vet. These appointments 

can be as simple as giving a vaccine or more complicated, 

such as removing a suture or changing a bandage. 

Emergency hospitals can get incredibly busy, so it 

helps to have an extra set of hands in the lab. I might help 

with spinning tubes of blood or urine, testing and sending 

out bloodwork, or making and viewing slides under the 

microscope.

How does your education tie in with your career?

I have a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. After 

college, I became an elementary school teacher and taught 

4th grade for 5 years.

But animals have always been my true passion. And, 

after teaching for a few years, I realized I wanted to 

do something that I was passionate about. So I decided 

to go back to school, and I got my associate’s degree 

Lindsay Calhoun

Wyckoff, New Jersey

Veterinary technician

BLS fast facts: Veterinary technologists and technicians

•	 May 2013 employment: 87,870 

(excludes self-employed)

•	 2012–22 projection: 30 percent growth 

(much faster than average)

•	 May 2013 median wage: $14.66 hourly, 

$30,500 annually

•	 Typical education and training: Associate’s degree

•	 May 2013 top employing industries: Veterinary 

services; state colleges, universities, and professional 

schools; social advocay organizations; research and 

development in the physical, engineering, and life 

sciences; and federal government, excluding postal 

service
14 Occupational Outlook Quarterly • Spring 2014 • www.bls.gov/ooq

in veterinary technology. The program was incredibly 

hands-on and informative, and it included learning with 

live animals. After I graduated, I passed a national exam 

and became an LVT.

While my main job is working at the animal hospital, I am also an adjunct teacher in the program where I 

earned my associate’s degree. I teach two classes: clinical 

lab and surgical nursing lab. Teaching allows me to use 

the skills from my background in education. I also attend 

continuing education seminars to keep my knowledge and 

skills current.

How did you get your current job?

After my first year of schooling for my associate’s degree, 

a former coworker told me about the job opening at an 

animal hospital. Once the hospital received my application and referrals, I went in for a formal interview and was 

asked about my education and work experience.

Then I was asked back for a working interview, 

in which I was paired with a veterinary assistant who 

worked there. I shadowed her on the job, both observing 

and helping out so I could demonstrate my skills. This 

helped show if I meshed with the hospital staff as well as 

how much on-the-job training I would need.

Since I was still in my second year of school at that 

time, the hospital hired me as a veterinary assistant. But 

once I passed the LVT certification exam after school, 

they hired me on as an LVT.

Did anything else help prepare you for your job?

I have always loved animals and been interested in helping them. When I was a kid, I rode horses and had dogs, 

cats, lizards, fish, and a guinea pig. I also took in and 

cared for a few stray animals. Being around a variety of 

animals throughout my life has definitely helped prepare 

me for working at an animal hospital.

What do you hope to do next?

For now, I like working in emergency animal medicine, 

but I also hope to begin volunteering my time and donating my skills to local animal shelters for things like vaccination clinics and spaying and neutering stray animals.

What’s your best advice for aspiring vet techs?

Go through school and get your license. It is possible to 

work without a license in some states, but with the proper 

schooling, you’ll get all of the skills and knowledge that 

you’ll need. And once you pass the exam and receive your 

license, you’ll have more job options and be able to earn 

more money.

Also, I think it’s important to get a job in an animal hospital as soon as you can. It doesn’t matter if you 

don’t have any practical experience yet. Apply to work 

in the kennel to get your foot in the door, and work your 

way up from there. Hands-on experience, along with the 

knowledge you will get in school, will make you a better 

veterinary technician.

Lindsay Calhoun was interviewed by Sara Royster, an economist in the Office of Occupational Statistics and 

Employment Projections, BLS. Sara can be reached at (202) 691-5645 or at royster.sara@bls.gov.