Survey shows veterinary technicians grapple with new, old challenges

Results from a recent study of veterinary technicians reveals that the more the field of veterinary technology changes, the more it stays the same.

The 2007 demographic survey was commissioned by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America and was the association’s fifth quadrennial survey since 1991. Results are published in The NAVTA Journal, and represent input from members and nonmembers alike.

For this survey, as for all of the previous surveys, veterinary technicians chose salary as the number one problem they face in their career. On the most recent questionnaire, two-thirds of NAVTA members and three-fourths of nonmembers ranked low income among the top three problems they face. Other concerns voiced by respondents included the lack of professional recognition, job burnout, the lack of career advancement opportunities, and competition with assistants trained on the job.

That’s not to say the salary situation, or at least the perception of it, hasn’t changed. For instance, when respondents were asked whether they thought “veterinary technicians are so underpaid that the feasibility of staying in the profession is declining,” the percentage of members who agreed or strongly agreed with the statement dropped from 87.7 percent in 2003 to 78.7 percent in 2007.

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