Animal Care Technician Jobs in Missouri

Animal Care Technician jobs in Missouri are consistently active, with steady demand across veterinary clinics, research institutions, animal shelters, and zoological facilities serving a state with a strong agricultural and life sciences foundation. The heaviest hiring is in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Columbia, where large employers like the Saint Louis Zoo, University of Missouri, and Banfield Pet Hospital maintain ongoing staffing needs. The most in-demand specialties are laboratory animal care, companion animal support, and shelter operations. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.

Find Animal Care Technician Jobs

Overview

Open roles14
Top employerPipestone
Top cityColumbia, MO
Cities hiring10
Top credentialHigh school diploma or GED
Companies hiring7

Showing 5 of 14+ Animal Care Technician jobs

University of Missouri
Part-Time Veterinary Assistant, Small Animal Emergency & Critical Care
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University of Missouri
Added 3d ago
Part-Time Veterinary Assistant, Small Animal Emergency & Critical Care
University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Customer Service
Customer Support
Hospitality & Guest Services
No high school diploma
10,000+

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Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium
Animal Care Team Lead - Water's Edge Team (Full Time)
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Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium
Added 4d ago
Animal Care Team Lead - Water's Edge Team (Full Time)
Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium
Kansas City, Missouri
Business Operations
Office Management
Project Management
Bachelor's degree in animal science

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PetVet Care Centers
Veterinary Receptionist (Care Coordinator) - Gentle Doctor Animal Hospital
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PetVet Care Centers
Added 1w ago
Veterinary Receptionist (Care Coordinator) - Gentle Doctor Animal Hospital
PetVet Care Centers
O'Fallon, Missouri
Customer Service
Customer Support
Hospitality & Guest Services
$15.51 - $18.94/hr
High school diploma or GED

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University of Missouri
Veterinary Assistant, Small Animal Emergency & Critical Care (After-Hours Shifts)
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University of Missouri
Added 1w ago
Veterinary Assistant, Small Animal Emergency & Critical Care (After-Hours Shifts)
University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Customer Service
Customer Support
Hospitality & Guest Services
No high school diploma
10,000+

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PetVet Care Centers
Emergency Veterinary Receptionist (Care Coordinator) - Animal Emergency Clinic - St. Louis
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PetVet Care Centers
Added 2w ago
Emergency Veterinary Receptionist (Care Coordinator) - Animal Emergency Clinic - St. Louis
PetVet Care Centers
Kirkwood, Missouri
Business Analysis
Customer Service & Support
Product Management
Project Management
$17.28 - $21.12/hr
High school diploma or GED

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See All 14 Animal Care Technician Jobs in Missouri

Find roles in Missouri that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

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Animal Care Technician Jobs by City in Missouri

Where Missouri roles are concentrated, by current openings.

Columbia
4 jobs
Saint Joseph
2 jobs
Butler
1 job
Trenton
1 job
Kirkwood
1 job
O'Fallon
1 job
Salisbury
1 job
Kansas City
1 job
Warrensburg
1 job

Animal Care Technician Job Market in Missouri

A snapshot from current Missouri openings, updated as new roles post.

Who's Hiring

Pipestone
Pipestone4 open roles
University of Missouri
University of Missouri3 open roles
Nestlé Purina
Nestlé Purina2 open roles

What Missouri Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in animal care technician jobs across Missouri.

  • High school diploma or GED required by most Missouri animal care employers
  • Experience handling dogs, cats, or small animals in a professional setting
  • Ability to lift and restrain animals weighing up to 50 pounds or more
  • Knowledge of basic animal health monitoring, feeding, and sanitation protocols
  • Familiarity with kennel management software or electronic animal records systems
  • Availability for early morning, weekend, or rotating shift schedules

Animal Care Technician Jobs in Missouri: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a animal care technician in Missouri?

Missouri does not require a state-issued license specifically for animal care technicians, so most employers hire based on hands-on experience and education. A high school diploma is the baseline, while an associate or bachelor's degree in veterinary technology, animal science, or biology improves competitiveness. For laboratory animal roles at Missouri research institutions, the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science offers the AALAS certification, which many Missouri employers treat as a strong hiring credential.

Which companies hire animal care technicians in Missouri?

Companies currently hiring animal care technicians in Missouri include Pipestone, University of Missouri, and Nestlé Purina, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of October 2026. Missouri's mix of academic medical centers, zoo and wildlife facilities, and national veterinary clinic chains means openings appear across a broad range of employer types throughout the state.

Which Missouri cities have the most animal care technician jobs?

Columbia, Saint Joseph, and Butler consistently post the most animal care technician openings in Missouri. Kansas City and St. Louis drive volume through their large veterinary hospital networks, university research programs, and humane society operations, while Columbia benefits from the University of Missouri's research and veterinary medicine campus, which generates ongoing demand for laboratory and clinical animal care staff.

How can I get hired as a animal care technician in Missouri with little or no experience?

The most realistic entry path is volunteering or taking a part-time kennel assistant role at a Missouri humane society or county animal shelter, since those organizations routinely bring on candidates with no formal background. Large Missouri employers like the Humane Society of Missouri and Kansas City Pet Project run volunteer-to-staff pipelines. Adjacent roles like veterinary receptionist or animal shelter clerk also provide a foothold. Pursuing even the entry-level AALAS Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician certification signals commitment and gives candidates an edge when applying to university or pharmaceutical research positions in Missouri.

Where can I find and apply to animal care technician jobs in Missouri?

You can find and apply to animal care technician jobs in Missouri on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers hiring in the state right now. Search the listings, find roles that match your experience and location, and apply directly to the ones that fit.

See All 14 Animal Care Technician Jobs in Missouri

Find roles in Missouri that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

Find Animal Care Technician Jobs