A good veterinary technician job description names the credential the job requires, lists the clinical work the tech will actually do, states the schedule and a real pay range, and separates essential physical requirements from nice-to-haves. The template below covers all of that. Copy it, replace everything in [brackets], and delete what doesn't apply.
Most vet tech job descriptions online are generic lists of duties that could describe any clinic. Techs read dozens of them. The listings that get answered are the specific ones.
Before you write: three decisions
Is this a credentialed tech job? If the role includes inducing and monitoring anesthesia, placing catheters, taking dental radiographs, and running lab work, you're hiring a credentialed veterinary technician (CVT, LVT, RVT, or LVMT, depending on your state). If it's mostly restraint, kennel care, and cleaning, you're hiring an assistant, and the title should say so. Our guide to vet tech vs. vet assistant roles covers the differences.
Can you legally use the title? A growing number of states protect the title "veterinary technician." NAVTA's 2022 review found 11 jurisdictions with general title protection, and Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and South Carolina have added protection since (NAVTA). NAVTA also asks employers to use "veterinary nurse" only for credentialed techs and to say in the posting that the credential is required. Check your state's practice act before you publish.
Where will they work, and when? Surgery, dentistry, treatment, appointments, ICU, or a rotation. Four 10s or five 8s. Weekends and overnights. Candidates filter on these before anything else.
The template
Job title: Credentialed Veterinary Technician [or Veterinary Nurse, if your state allows it], [Department, e.g. Surgery and Dentistry]
Location: [Practice name], [City, State]
Pay: $[XX] to $[XX] per hour, based on experience and credentials
Schedule: [Full-time, four 10-hour shifts, Monday to Friday, one Saturday a month / rotating weekends / overnights]
About us
[Two or three sentences a tech would care about. Practice type (general, emergency, specialty, mixed animal). Number of doctors, techs, and assistants on a typical day. Anything specific: Fear Free certified, AAHA accredited, teaching hospital, new building, low turnover.]
Example: "We're a four-doctor small animal general practice with seven credentialed techs and five assistants. Most of our techs have been with us more than three years. We see dogs, cats, and a growing number of pocket pets."
What you'll do
- Induce, monitor, and recover patients under general anesthesia, using [multiparameter monitor with ECG, SpO2, capnography, blood pressure, and temperature]
- Perform dental cleanings and take full-mouth dental radiographs
- Place IV catheters, draw blood, and collect urine samples
- Run in-house chemistry, CBCs, urinalysis, fecals, and cytology preparation
- Position patients for and take digital radiographs
- Administer treatments and medications as directed by the veterinarian
- Educate clients on discharge instructions, medications, and preventive care
- Mentor and train veterinary assistants [if applicable]
[Keep this to the six to ten tasks that fill most of the week. Delete anything your techs don't actually do. If you have a dedicated anesthesia tech or a tech-run appointment schedule, say so.]
What we offer
- Pay: $[XX] to $[XX] per hour
- Health insurance, with [XX]% of the employee premium paid by the practice
- [Retirement plan] with [X]% employer match
- [XX] days of paid time off per year
- $[XXX] annual CE allowance plus [X] paid CE days
- Paid credential renewal and [NAVTA / state association] dues
- [Scrub allowance, pet care discount, student loan assistance, parental leave]
What you'll need
Required:
- Current [CVT / LVT / RVT / LVMT] credential in [State], or graduation from an AVMA-accredited veterinary technology program with the VTNE scheduled
- years of experience in [small animal / emergency / specialty] practice [or: New graduates welcome, and we'll train you]
Preferred:
- [Fear Free certification, dental radiography experience, VTS in anesthesia, experience with a specific practice software]
Physical requirements and work environment
This job requires standing for most of a [10]-hour shift, lifting and restraining animals up to [40] pounds on your own and heavier patients with help, and working with sharps, radiation, anesthetic gases, and animals that may bite or scratch. We provide [PPE, dosimetry badges, low-stress handling equipment]. Reasonable accommodations are available for qualified candidates.
How to apply
[Apply through VeterinaryHire / email a resume to name@practice.com]. We respond to every applicant within [X] business days. Our process is a 20-minute phone call, then a paid half-day working interview.
Why each section matters
Pay range. Many states now require one. Colorado, California, Washington, New York, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, Hawaii, and Washington, D.C. have pay transparency laws covering job postings, and details differ by state (Jackson Lewis, 2026). Even where it isn't required, "competitive pay" reads as "below market" to most techs.
To set the range, start with BLS data for your area. In May 2025, the national median for veterinary technologists and technicians was $22.78 an hour, with the 25th percentile at $18.71 and the 75th at $27.72 (BLS). State medians range much higher in places like California and Washington. If you want an experienced surgery or anesthesia tech, price the job near the 75th percentile for your area, not the median. Our veterinary salary guide has state figures.
Specific duties. Techs want to know they'll use their training. Only 36% of respondents in NAVTA's 2024 member survey felt fully utilized (NAVTA, 2025). A list that says "anesthesia monitoring, dental radiographs, catheter placement" tells a tech you mean it. "Assist the veterinarian as needed" doesn't.
Physical requirements. Under the ADA, the essential functions of a job are the duties an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation (EEOC). Listing them in writing helps show what's essential. State the actual requirement, such as lifting a 40-pound dog with help, rather than vague phrases like "must be in excellent physical condition."
Inclusive wording. Job ads can't express a preference based on age, sex, disability, or other protected traits. The EEOC's own example is that an ad seeking "recent college graduates" may discourage applicants over 40 (EEOC). "New graduates welcome" invites new grads without shutting anyone out.
Variations
Emergency or specialty hospital. Add triage, CPR, blood transfusions, constant-rate infusions, and ICU monitoring to the duties. State the overnight or swing shift clearly, and the shift differential if you pay one.
New graduate role. Say what training looks like: how long a new tech will be paired with a mentor, and which skills you'll teach first. New grads are choosing between practices on this.
Specialty (VTS) role. Name the specialty, whether you'll support someone working toward a VTS, and whether you pay more for the credential. There are 16 NAVTA-recognized specialty academies covering 27 specialties (NAVTA).
Per diem or relief tech. State the hourly rate, minimum shift length, how shifts are offered, and how much notice you give.
Common mistakes
- Using "veterinary technician" in the title for an uncredentialed assistant role
- A long list of generic duties copied from another listing
- "Competitive pay" instead of a number
- No schedule, or "flexible schedule" with no detail
- Requiring a credential, then listing only assistant work
- Asking for "high energy" or "young, fun team" (see the wording note above)
Next steps
When your description is ready, post it on VeterinaryHire. You can write and preview the listing before you choose a plan, and tag the clinical skills and practice type so techs filtering for anesthesia or dentistry find you. For the rest of the process, see how to hire a veterinary technician and our guide to running a working interview.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS profile for veterinary technologists and technicians, May 2025 national wage percentiles.
- NAVTA, Veterinary nurse and technician job title use resources, 2024 Demographic Survey results (1,404 member responses), and veterinary technician specialties.
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, The ADA: Your Responsibilities as an Employer and Prohibited Employment Policies/Practices.
- Jackson Lewis P.C., Navigating 2026: Pay Transparency Laws and Employer Obligations.
This template is a starting point, not legal advice. Title protection, scope of practice, and pay transparency rules differ by state, so check them with your state board and employment advisor before you post. Sources checked September 28, 2026.