A veterinarian makes significantly more than a veterinary technician.
You can be trained to maintain veterinary records as a veterinary assistant. However, the pay is fairly minimal for this type of work, and most veterinarians either keep their records themselves or have a veterinary technician assist with the records.
Yes, you can work as a lay vet tech at a veterinary clinic while you are in vet school, and for many students this is partially how they pay for vet school in the United States. A fair number of veterinary students worked in vet clinics as vet assistants or lay (unregistered) vet techs to gain the veterinary experience they needed to apply to vet school; most of them continue to work part time at the same clinics while in vet school.
In most places, a veterinarian needs a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) degree. Also, the pay for a veterinarian varies from place to place.
Pay for veterinary technicians and assistants varies based upon geographic location, education, experience and the type of practice in which the person is employed. Veterinary assistants' starting pay is typically around minimum wage, and the average varies from $13-$14.58 an hour based upon a 2013 survey. Veterinary technicians typically make more than veterinary assistants and should expect minimum starting pay around $10 an hour. Veterinary technicians average between $28,000 to $38,000 a year, with some making up to $45,000 a year.
There aren't really promotions for a veterinary assistant as you would have to go back to school to become a veterinarian. Pay raises are possible and you could work up to being the office manager or head vet tech.
The American Veterinarian Medical Association has a list of vet tech schools that could help you find something local to you (http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/vettech_programs/vettech_programs.asp). The Veterinarian Technician and Training Schools Directory also has useful information (http://www.veterinarytechnicianschools.com/Directory-of-veterinary-tech-schools.aspx). If you're looking for something that's affordable, it could be worth looking into online programs that let you pay as you go, like Ashworth College (www.ashworthcollege.edu).
This will depend upon your definition of "better". A veterinary technician tends to have more training and a higher pay scale, but also has more responsibilities. A veterinary assistant tends to have less training, minimal or no formal training and a lower pay scale, but also tends to have less responsibility.
Pay for veterinary technicians varies from $29,000 to $48,000 a year depending on location, type of employment, education and experience.
There are several differences in being a vet tech and a veterinarian.. Mainly, the years of schooling, the job description, and the pay Typically, a vet technician goes to school 4 years. A veterinarian goes to school 4 years for the Pre-vet program, 4 more for the DVM degree, and then more if there a specialty degree (like human specialists). A vet tech can take an animals vitals, record all test results, administer some vaccinations, conduct some lab tests, clip nails, assist with surgeries, etc. A veterinarian writes prescriptions, performs surgeries, reviews all lab results, consults with the owner, checks the animal for whatever the reason for the visit, etc. The pay varies for each job depending on location, small vs large client base, abilities, and seniority.
Most people who want to be a veterinarian don't need to be persuaded to pursue this option - there tend to be more people who want to be a veterinarian than actually become a veterinarian. However, to persuade people that veterinary medicine is a career within their reach, I would suggest focusing on the following facts: - Veterinarians help animals and the animals' owners - Veterinarians are the leaders of a team that provides medical care to pets - Veterinarians can generally set their own hours and their own pay
20,000 - 30,000 starting out. depending on where you live though. The more experienced the more pay.
The yearly incomve of veterinary technicians is $30,000-$45,000. A licensed veterinary technician averages $17 an hour. Location, education, experience and the type of practice worked in all affect the overall pay of a veterinary technician.