How to Become a Veterinary Technician in New Jersey

With the increased ownership of pets in New Jersey, there’s also an increased demand for qualified personnel to ensure their wellbeing.

If you consider you’re good to work with animals, maybe a career as a veterinary technician in New Jersey is for you!

Read this guide to learn what you need to do to enter this field!

Veterinary Technician Job Description and Duties in New Jersey

Licensed veterinarians are doctors that treat all sorts of animals.

Vet technicians are like nurses in this field, and vets give them a variety of tasks to complete.

The assigned tasks generally are:

• Administering medications
• Taking x-rays,
• Processing tissue samples,
• Assisting in surgery and emergency care
• Performing lab tests
• Teeth cleaning,
• Electrocardiography,
• Bandaging,
• Wound cleaning,
• Maintaining detailed and accurate records
  • Of meds, supplies, patients

There are 2 major things that vet techs cannot do, and that is to perform surgeries and to decide on a treatment plan.

Education and Training Required for Veterinary Technicians in New Jersey

In New Jersey, like in several other states, you must obtain a license before you can start working.

The license is issued by the New Jersey Veterinary Technician Association (NJVTA).

You’ll need a degree before getting licensed, and your degree has to be in Applied Science with a specialization in veterinary technology.

You can choose to enroll in any degree program, as long as it is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Don’t expect to earn your diploma earlier than 2 years.

This formal education has 2 parts, theory and practice.

Longer programs will require more time spent accumulating experience through the practice period.

These are the New Jersey schools that you can check out.

If these schools don’t offer something you’re interested in, don’t rule out the possibility of enrolling in an online program.

In such a situation you’ll have to arrange for the practice period and exams on your own, through approved third parties.

When signing up for a degree, you can be asked for:

• Minimum age of 18
• A high school diploma or GED
• The test scores on ACT, SAT, or Accuplacer
• Obtaining grades over “C” in biology, English composition, math, basic computer science, psychology, humanities, and public speaking.
  • These classes need to be completed right before the first semester of the program.
• 2 letters of recommendation
  • One must come from a veterinarian.
• Health insurance
• Buying a medical malpractice policy
• Passing an interview
• 360 hours of previous practical experience

The grades are important because of the limited number of spots in each program.

Loans, grants, and even scholarships can be accessed by those who find the tuition too high.

For instance, dependents and family members of a veteran may qualify for various benefits.

Your knowledge of these areas will improve during training:

• Introduction to veterinary technology
• Anatomy and physiology
• Emergency care and first aid
• Pathology
• Anesthesiology
• Radiology
• Immunology
• Pharmacology
• Parasitology
• Toxicology
• Nutrition

Becoming a Licensed Veterinary Technician in New Jersey

Passing the Veterinary Technician National Examination is how you’ll become licensed as a veterinary technician across the country.

The passing score is 70% and to be able to take the exam you have to graduate from an accredited program.

These are the documents for the exam:

• An application form
• School transcripts
• Some fees
  • $300 for the exam
  • $100 for the license

Candidates will have 3 hours to answer 150 questions.

Once you become licensed, you need to complete 20 units every 2 years, to keep your credential current.

Employment and Salaries for Veterinary Technicians in New Jersey

You probably want to learn more about your potential workplace and salary.

You can find a job in these type of institutions:

• Private clinical practices
• Zoos
• Veterinary teaching hospitals
• Rescue centers
• Wildlife or exotic animal rehabilitation centers
• Humane societies,
• Research facilities,
• Feedlots,
• Pharmaceutical companies

Below are listed some of the most important employers in New Jersey:

• Belle Mead Animal Hospital, Hillsborough Township
• Raritan Animal Hospital, Edison
• Rutherford Animal Hospital, Rutherford
• Princeton Animal Hospital, Princeton

In New Jersey, the average salaries for vet techs are pretty high as the table below shows.

Additional Information for Veterinary Technicians in New Jersey

The websites of the associations below can help you stay informed with the news in the industry:

• New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association
• New Jersey Veterinary Technicians and Assistants Association
• National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America
• Vetcetera
• Veterinary Career Network
• Vet Tech Life
• Where Techs Connect