Licenses Required for Veterinary Technician Careers

The different licenses required for veterinary careers vary depending on what your career path is. If you are thinking about becoming a veterinarian, for example, you will need to get a very different license than a veterinary technician. As a veterinary assistant, you might not even need a license at all. The licenses aren’t the only requirements that vary for each veterinary profession, though. Education and training also varies widely for the different careers in this field.


Veterinarians


In order to become a legitimate practicing veterinarian in the United States, you will need the proper education and licensing. The schooling will be intense—you will need to earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, which will take approximately seven to eight years. The school(s) you attend must be accredited. You may also choose a specialty such as radiology, surgery, dentistry or anesthesiology. Then at the very end, you will study to pass the complicated and rigorous state examinations to become licensed.


Veterinary Technicians and Technologists


Not everyone’s up for completing a doctorate, but you can still have an important role in the world of veterinary medicine without going to school for nearly a decade. As a veterinary technician, you can begin working after completing a two-year associate’s degree, or as a veterinary technologist you will need to complete a four-year bachelors degree in Veterinary. Some states also require that all vet techs pass the National Examination for certification. And again, it is imperative that your degree is from an accredited institution of higher learning, or it won’t be worth anything in the professional world.


Other Options That Don’t Require Licenses


Veterinary careers, such as animal training, pet grooming and zoo caretaking, typically do not require a license or any specific degree, although college education never hurt anyone. Some employers may require at least some postsecondary education, and most require experience working with animals. The training for these positions could be as quick and easy as a two-week program, though, so it’s worthwhile to look into your options if you want to work with animals but don’t want to complete all the schooling and licenses required for veterinary careers.


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