Animal Care & Veterinary Careers
Exploring Animal Care & Veterinary Careers
There are amazing opportunities to work with animals. If you're interested in making positive impact for animals and their owners, there are many ways to gain experience and practical skills that open doors to careers in animal preventive care, rehabilitation, and conservation. This guide showcases a few animal care career paths, the employment outlook, median salaries and local and state programs to get you on the path forward.
Occupational Profiles Show Us:
- Projected Employment
- Typical Wages
- Education, Certifications, Licensure & Apprenticeships
- Activities, Knowledge, Abilities & Skills
- Related Occupations
I Am in High School. How Do I Get Started?
One of the best ways to learn about a range of career opportunities is through experiential (hands-on) learning through volunteering, internships, or job shadowing. There are numerous opportunities across Wayne and neighboring counties to gain this type of real-world exposure to careers in animal care and service.
These include:
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Veterinarian assistants and laboratory animal caretakers play an important role in animal surgeries and overall care. They sterilize all equipment and operating tables, provide veterinarians tools during surgery, and closely monitor animals after surgery. Additionally, they may also disinfect kennels, administer medication to animals, perform routine laboratory tests such as x-rays, and collect samples, such as blood, urine, or tissue needed for diagnostic testing.
Education & Training
Veterinarian assistants and laboratory animal caretakers need a high school diploma. They don't always need certification to be hired, however certification demonstrates levels of competency in animal care & related business and can increase employment opportunities. Additionally, there is typically on the job training involved.
Pre-Veterinary Medicine, Technicians & Nursing
Veterinarians diagnose, treat, and research diseases and injuries of animals. Some work with smaller, domesticated animals, while others work with wild, farm & larger animals.
Veterinary technologists and technicians are responsible for the careful and humane handling of laboratory animals. Veterinary technologists and technicians, supervised by licensed veterinarians, do medical tests that help diagnose animals' injuries and illnesses.
Education & Training
Pre-Veterinarian courses are assigned to students who enter college after high school. Most veterinarians earn a Bachelor's degree in a related field and continue four additional years of education to earn a Doctoral Veterinarian Medical (DVM) degree.
Veterinarian technologists and technicians must complete a postsecondary program in veterinary technology. Technologists/Nurses usually require a four-year bachelor's degree and technicians need a two-year associate's degree.
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There are also information webinars for those wanting to learn more about veterinary career pathways and programs offered by MSU.
Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists
Zoologists and wildlife biologists study animals and other wildlife and how they interact with their ecosystems. They study the physical characteristics of animals, animal behaviors, and the impacts humans have on wildlife and natural habitats.
Education & Training
Zoologists and wildlife biologists typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. Students may pursue a degree in zoology, wildlife biology, or a related field, such as natural resources. Some students major in biology and take coursework in zoology and wildlife biology. Coursework focuses on life and physical sciences, data analysis and often includes academic, laboratory, and field work.
Applying for Financial Aid
- Obtain FSA ID
- Complete the FAFSA Form
- Add the FAFSA school code
Scholarship Websites
This document includes just a sample of programs available in the Metro-Detroit area. Remember to check college or university websites for program offerings. Your school's career exploration tools will also highlight a variety of related careers and education and training institutions.
References: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook
Note: Inclusion of a program in our database does not indicate an endorsement by Wayne RESA. The database is for informational purposes only.
Department of Workforce Development, CTE, Adult Ed and Career Counseling