Home / Industry / Commentary: The Importance of Credentialed Veterinary Technicians in Equine Practice
Commentary: The Importance of Credentialed Veterinary Technicians in Equine Practice
A licensed veterinary technician explains how fully integrating CrVTs as members of the medical team can change the trajectory of equine practice for the better.
Trust is essential between equine veterinarians and CrVTs. | Adobe Stock
According to an article published by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in September 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) declared that 243 rural areas in 46 states are experiencing veterinary shortages, the highest number ever reported. These statistics are reported retroactively, often after veterinarians retire, move, or close their practices; they don’t account for future projections as the percentage of veterinarians currently in food animal/equine practice hovers around 3-5% of the total workforce. A 2024 AVMA/AAEP report described similar findings, with just 3.1% (3,785) of public/private-practice veterinarians (total number 124,068) in exclusively equine practice. Many of the small percentage of new veterinary graduates who enter equine practice leave within five years due to a combination of factors, including long work hours, issues with emergency coverage, and lower salaries compared to small animal medicine. I believe fully integrating credentialed veterinary technicians as members of the medical team can change this trajectory for the better.
I want to start by addressing a common concern from the solo equine practitioner’s perspective: the cost of hiring credentialed veterinary technicians (credentialing requires attending a two- to four-year AVMA-accredited degree program and passing the Veterinary Technician National Examination, or VTNE). Specific legal terminology for veterinary technicians varies by state (certified/registered/licensed), so for simplicity I’ll use the term “credentialed veterinary technician” (CrVT) throughout this piece. The revenue structure for many solo equine practitioners currently depends heavily on billable hours/services provided, in contrast to small animal practitioners in urban/suburban areas that have much higher support-staff-to-DVM ratios. On average, solo practitioners reduced income by only $130.00 after hiring an assistant (credentialing was not clear), per a report on staff retention published in a 2022 issue of AAEP Proceedings. Surveys of the monetary value of hiring CrVTs exclusive to equine practice are lacking. That said, the potential revenue increase provided by employing CrVTs can be up to 36%, according to the American Animal Hospital Association. One study analyzing the value of CrVTs in small animal hospitals in Canada found a revenue increase of $93,000 per veterinarian for every CrVT hired.
One daunting statistic new CrVTs confront is the average “career life span” of 5 to 7 years. This short career span, coupled with projected 9% employment growth of veterinary technicians in the United States in the next decade, leads to chronic CrVT shortages across equine and small animal practices. Similar to equine veterinarians exiting large animal practice, there are many reasons CrVTs decide to leave the veterinary industry. That said, I will address two of the most common ones in brief: lack of professional trust between DVMs and technicians, often leading to underutilization of CrVTs, and compensation.
Establishing Trust Between Veterinarians and Techs
Trust is one of the most important relational components for all members of medical teams. While university hospitals often employ multiple CrVTs who mentor DVM students, sometimes there’s an “understanding gap” between the capabilities of CrVTs and the practices that employ them, along with role confusion between CrVTs and veterinary assistants. In one small research study of new CrVTs, participants cited role confusion (no change in job duties, tasks performed, or responsibility before or after credentialing) and team conflict as major stressors.
Taking the time to have clear, open conversations between DVMs, hospital managers, and CrVTs about the CrVTs’ skill levels, particular interests, and utilization can help increase career satisfaction and, above all, patient care. Having unified practice protocols for CrVT training/onboarding and clear differentiation between staff roles (while encouraging cross-training where appropriate) reduces the chance of miscommunication/medical mistakes and also provides clarity for clients. For a useful starting framework to assess technician utilization, I recommend the 2024 working documents called “Guidelines for Utilization of the CrVT” issued by the American Association of Equine Technicians and Assistants (of which I am a member). The American Animal Hospital Association, referenced earlier, also has helpful technician utilization guidelines, although these are geared more toward small animal medicine.
Appropriate Compensation
Overall wages for CrVTs have thankfully increased in recent years. In the 2024 demographic survey by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians, the average hourly rate reported was $32.89, compared to an average hourly rate of $26.50 in 2022. Seventy-seven percent of 2024 survey respondents also reported having a second job despite working full-time in a clinic, with “needing supplemental income” as the most commonly cited reason. This hourly rate does vary widely based on geographic area and practice type; only 4% of 2022 respondents worked exclusively in equine practice, and 14% of respondents overall reported working in rural areas. Receiving compensation commensurate with a CrVT’s education and skill level, combined with a collaborative team culture, can go a long way toward increasing career satisfaction and longevity. This includes opportunities for continuing education and advancement.
In Summary
Credentialed veterinary technicians are qualified medical professionals trained to care and advocate for patients and alert doctors to changes in status that might otherwise be missed. Creating a team framework in practice that respects the unique contributions of DVMs, CrVTs, and all other staff ultimately helps provide the best care for our patients, the horses that inspired us all to join this field in the first place. That’s always a win-win.
Shock, D.A., Roche S.M., Genore R., Renaud D.L. (2020). The economic impact that registered veterinary technicians have on Ontario Veterinary Practices. The Canadian Veterinary Journal. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7155880/
Reinhard, A. R., Celt, V. P., Pilewki, L. E., Hendricks, M. K. (2025). The newly credentialed veterinary technician: perceptions, realities, and career challenges. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1437525
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Home / Industry / Commentary: The Importance of Credentialed Veterinary Technicians in Equine Practice
Commentary: The Importance of Credentialed Veterinary Technicians in Equine Practice
According to an article published by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in September 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) declared that 243 rural areas in 46 states are experiencing veterinary shortages, the highest number ever reported. These statistics are reported retroactively, often after veterinarians retire, move, or close their practices; they don’t account for future projections as the percentage of veterinarians currently in food animal/equine practice hovers around 3-5% of the total workforce. A 2024 AVMA/AAEP report described similar findings, with just 3.1% (3,785) of public/private-practice veterinarians (total number 124,068) in exclusively equine practice. Many of the small percentage of new veterinary graduates who enter equine practice leave within five years due to a combination of factors, including long work hours, issues with emergency coverage, and lower salaries compared to small animal medicine. I believe fully integrating credentialed veterinary technicians as members of the medical team can change this trajectory for the better.
I want to start by addressing a common concern from the solo equine practitioner’s perspective: the cost of hiring credentialed veterinary technicians (credentialing requires attending a two- to four-year AVMA-accredited degree program and passing the Veterinary Technician National Examination, or VTNE). Specific legal terminology for veterinary technicians varies by state (certified/registered/licensed), so for simplicity I’ll use the term “credentialed veterinary technician” (CrVT) throughout this piece. The revenue structure for many solo equine practitioners currently depends heavily on billable hours/services provided, in contrast to small animal practitioners in urban/suburban areas that have much higher support-staff-to-DVM ratios. On average, solo practitioners reduced income by only $130.00 after hiring an assistant (credentialing was not clear), per a report on staff retention published in a 2022 issue of AAEP Proceedings. Surveys of the monetary value of hiring CrVTs exclusive to equine practice are lacking. That said, the potential revenue increase provided by employing CrVTs can be up to 36%, according to the American Animal Hospital Association. One study analyzing the value of CrVTs in small animal hospitals in Canada found a revenue increase of $93,000 per veterinarian for every CrVT hired.
One daunting statistic new CrVTs confront is the average “career life span” of 5 to 7 years. This short career span, coupled with projected 9% employment growth of veterinary technicians in the United States in the next decade, leads to chronic CrVT shortages across equine and small animal practices. Similar to equine veterinarians exiting large animal practice, there are many reasons CrVTs decide to leave the veterinary industry. That said, I will address two of the most common ones in brief: lack of professional trust between DVMs and technicians, often leading to underutilization of CrVTs, and compensation.
Establishing Trust Between Veterinarians and Techs
Trust is one of the most important relational components for all members of medical teams. While university hospitals often employ multiple CrVTs who mentor DVM students, sometimes there’s an “understanding gap” between the capabilities of CrVTs and the practices that employ them, along with role confusion between CrVTs and veterinary assistants. In one small research study of new CrVTs, participants cited role confusion (no change in job duties, tasks performed, or responsibility before or after credentialing) and team conflict as major stressors.
Taking the time to have clear, open conversations between DVMs, hospital managers, and CrVTs about the CrVTs’ skill levels, particular interests, and utilization can help increase career satisfaction and, above all, patient care. Having unified practice protocols for CrVT training/onboarding and clear differentiation between staff roles (while encouraging cross-training where appropriate) reduces the chance of miscommunication/medical mistakes and also provides clarity for clients. For a useful starting framework to assess technician utilization, I recommend the 2024 working documents called “Guidelines for Utilization of the CrVT” issued by the American Association of Equine Technicians and Assistants (of which I am a member). The American Animal Hospital Association, referenced earlier, also has helpful technician utilization guidelines, although these are geared more toward small animal medicine.
Appropriate Compensation
Overall wages for CrVTs have thankfully increased in recent years. In the 2024 demographic survey by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians, the average hourly rate reported was $32.89, compared to an average hourly rate of $26.50 in 2022. Seventy-seven percent of 2024 survey respondents also reported having a second job despite working full-time in a clinic, with “needing supplemental income” as the most commonly cited reason. This hourly rate does vary widely based on geographic area and practice type; only 4% of 2022 respondents worked exclusively in equine practice, and 14% of respondents overall reported working in rural areas. Receiving compensation commensurate with a CrVT’s education and skill level, combined with a collaborative team culture, can go a long way toward increasing career satisfaction and longevity. This includes opportunities for continuing education and advancement.
In Summary
Credentialed veterinary technicians are qualified medical professionals trained to care and advocate for patients and alert doctors to changes in status that might otherwise be missed. Creating a team framework in practice that respects the unique contributions of DVMs, CrVTs, and all other staff ultimately helps provide the best care for our patients, the horses that inspired us all to join this field in the first place. That’s always a win-win.
References
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