How to become a vet tech
To become a vet tech in most states, you finish a veterinary technology program accredited by the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA), pass the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE), and then apply to your state for its credential. Most accredited programs are two-year associate degrees, and some are four-year bachelor's degrees. You can study on campus or through an accredited distance program, but every accredited program includes hands-on clinical experience. Your state's title may be RVT, LVT or CVT, and a few states allow other routes.
What a vet tech does
Veterinary technicians work under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. In a clinic or hospital, the AVMA lists tasks such as taking medical histories, collecting specimens and running lab tests, nursing care, preparing animals and instruments for surgery, giving medications, giving and monitoring anesthesia, dental cleanings, X-rays and other imaging, and educating clients.
Vet techs cannot diagnose, prescribe or perform surgery, and they cannot do anything else a state's veterinary practice act reserves for veterinarians. What a credentialed tech may do beyond that depends on the state. If you are deciding between roles, see vet tech vs vet assistant.
Steps to become a vet tech
- Check your state's rules first. States set the title, the requirements and whether other routes exist. Start at the vet tech license by state hub.
- Enroll in an AVMA CVTEA-accredited program. Choose a two-year associate degree or a four-year bachelor's degree, on campus or through an accredited distance program. The AAVSB says graduates of accredited programs can use this route in all jurisdictions.
- Complete your clinical experience. Every accredited program includes supervised hands-on work in a veterinary practice, often called a practicum, preceptorship, internship or externship.
- Get verified for the VTNE. If you graduated before January 1, 2025, your school sends your transcript to the AAVSB. If you graduate after that date, your program director uploads a roster, and you cannot test until you are on it. Some programs let you test in your last semester.
- Apply for and pass the VTNE. You apply online with the AAVSB, pay the exam fee and test in one of four yearly windows. See our VTNE guide.
- Apply for your state credential. The AAVSB only gives the exam. You apply to your state board or credentialing body, which may have its own forms, fees or exams.
- Keep your credential current. Most state boards require continuing education hours to renew.
Choosing an accredited program
The AVMA keeps a directory of accredited veterinary technology programs in the United States and Canada. In October 2026, the AVMA listed about 220 accredited programs. About 30 of them offer a four-year degree, and 13 are accredited distance programs. Use the AVMA directory, not a school's own claim, to confirm a program is accredited.
Accreditation matters for the exam. AVMA CVTEA and CVMA accredited graduates are accepted for the VTNE in all jurisdictions, while other routes are accepted only in some.
| Option | Typical length | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Associate degree (on campus) | About two years | The most common route, according to the AVMA. |
| Bachelor's degree | About four years | The AVMA lists about 30 accredited programs that offer a four-year degree. The BLS says technologists usually hold a bachelor's degree. |
| Distance or hybrid program | Set by the program | Same accreditation standards as campus programs and must include a clinical component. The AVMA lists 13 accredited distance programs. |
Vet tech programs online and clinical hours
You can earn an accredited degree online, but you cannot skip the hands-on part. In the distance model, you take classes remotely and do your clinical work at outside veterinary facilities, while the program's staff evaluate your skills.
CVTEA Standard 10d says practical experiences should total at least 240 cumulative contact hours, monitored by the program director or a faculty or staff appointee who is a licensed veterinarian or credentialed veterinary technician. This standard applies to all accredited programs, not only distance ones. Distance programs set their own clinical arrangements, so ask each program how many clinical hours it requires and whether you must find your own site.
Before you enroll in any distance program, check its current status in the AVMA's distance education directory. In October 2026, one listed distance program was on probationary accreditation. The AVMA says programs on probationary accreditation are still accredited.
The VTNE
The Veterinary Technician National Exam is owned and run by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB). It is a three-hour, 170-question multiple-choice exam, and 150 of those questions count toward your score. The AAVSB reports scores on a scale of 200 to 800, and 425 is a passing score. Our VTNE guide covers eligibility, windows, fees, scoring and retakes.
Vet tech certification: RVT, LVT and CVT
"Vet tech certification" usually means your state credential. The AAVSB itself does not license, certify or register anyone. Each state decides the title and the rules, so a certified veterinary technician (CVT) in one state may be called a registered (RVT) or licensed (LVT) veterinary technician in another. Some states have no state credential and use a voluntary one run by a professional association instead.
| State | Title (AAVSB list, August 2026) | State regulates vet techs? |
|---|---|---|
| California | RVT | Yes |
| Colorado | RVT | Yes |
| Florida | CVT (voluntary, through FVTA and FVMA) | No |
| Illinois | CVT | Yes |
| Minnesota | LVT | Yes |
| New York | LVT | Yes |
| North Carolina | RVT | Yes |
| Ohio | RVT | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | CVT | Yes |
| Texas | LVT | Yes |
The AAVSB's August 2026 list counts 42 regulated states plus the District of Columbia, and 8 states that use a voluntary credential. For other states, see the state-by-state hub.
Other routes some states allow
A degree from an accredited program is accepted in all jurisdictions. Some states also accept other routes into the VTNE and the credential:
- On-the-job training (OJT). The AAVSB's candidate handbook says OJT is a valid route to licensure only in Montana, Wisconsin, Alaska and Utah. You document your work experience on a form your supervising veterinarian signs.
- Alternate pathway. Some jurisdictions accept graduates of programs that are not AVMA CVTEA or CVMA accredited, sometimes with required work experience. The AAVSB says these routes "vary widely by jurisdiction."
- California. The California Veterinary Medical Board lists an Alternate Route program certificate and the PAVE program as RVT routes besides an accredited degree. Details are on our California guide.
Be careful with these routes. The AAVSB warns that taking the VTNE through OJT or an alternate pathway may limit where you can practice later, and you might have to take the VTNE again through a different route to be licensed in another state.
How long it takes
Plan on about two years for an associate degree or about four years for a bachelor's degree, based on the AVMA's description of accredited programs. Distance programs set their own pace. After you finish, add time for the VTNE: the AAVSB runs four testing windows a year, and its handbook says eligibility review can take up to two weeks once your documents arrive. Then allow for your state's own processing time.
What it costs
The VTNE application fee is $375, listed by the AAVSB as of October 2026. Your state adds its own application and renewal fees. Program tuition varies widely by school, state, residency and format, and the accrediting and licensing bodies do not publish typical totals, so compare each school's published cost of attendance.
Vet tech pay and job outlook
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $47,380 for veterinary technologists and technicians in May 2025. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $35,710 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $63,180.
The BLS projects employment to grow 9 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 13,400 openings a year on average. The occupation held about 131,400 jobs in 2025. Pay depends on where you work, your experience and your state.
Vet tech specialties
Once credentialed, you can work toward the Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) designation. Specialty academies are recognized by NAVTA's Committee on Veterinary Technician Specialties. Each academy sets its own requirements. The AVMA describes academy members as credentialed technicians who have completed work experience, specialized training, testing and certification. NAVTA lists these academies:
- Emergency and critical care
- Dental technology
- Internal medicine (including cardiology, neurology, oncology, small animal and large animal)
- Anesthesia and analgesia
- Zoological medicine
- Clinical practice
- Laboratory animal medicine
- Behavior
- Clinical pathology
- Dermatology
- Equine nursing
- Physical rehabilitation
- Nutrition
- Ophthalmology
- Surgery
- Diagnostic imaging
FAQ
Can you become a vet tech online?
Yes, through an AVMA CVTEA-accredited distance program. The coursework is online, but you must still complete supervised clinical work at a veterinary facility. The AVMA lists 13 accredited distance programs.
How long does it take to become a vet tech?
About two years for an associate degree or four years for a bachelor's degree, plus time to take the VTNE and get your state credential.
What is the difference between an RVT, LVT and CVT?
They are state titles for the same kind of role: registered, licensed or certified veterinary technician. Which title you hold depends on your state. The requirements behind each title are also set by the state, so check your state's guide on the state-by-state hub.
Can I take the VTNE without going to vet tech school?
Only in some states. The AAVSB lists on-the-job training as valid for licensure only in Montana, Wisconsin, Alaska and Utah, and some jurisdictions have alternate pathways. Check your state's rules before you count on one.
Do I need a credential to work as a vet tech?
It depends on the state. Most states regulate vet techs, and state law sets who may use the title and what a credentialed tech may do. Some states use only a voluntary credential. If you want to start working in a clinic without a degree, see how to become a veterinary assistant.
Sources
- American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA): Veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants
- AVMA: Programs accredited by the AVMA CVTEA (general statistics)
- AVMA: Veterinary technology programs accredited by the AVMA CVTEA
- AVMA: Distance education programs accredited by the AVMA CVTEA
- AVMA CVTEA: Accreditation standards and guidelines
- American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB): VTNE Candidate Information Handbook
- AAVSB: Verifying your VTNE eligibility
- AAVSB: Applying to take the VTNE
- AAVSB: Veterinary Technician Regulated and Non-regulated Jurisdictions (August 2026)
- California Veterinary Medical Board: RVT applicants
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
- National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA): Veterinary Technician Specialties
Get veterinary jobs in your state by email
We are adding vet tech, assistant and veterinarian jobs state by state. Leave your email and state, and we will write when jobs in your state go up or your state's rules change. One email a week at most.