Animal Health Technician Jobs
Animal Health Technician jobs are open across veterinary practices, research facilities, zoos, and animal shelters, from entry-level to senior and supervisory roles, with specializations in clinical care, diagnostic imaging, and anesthesia support. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 68+ Animal Health Technician jobs
The Animal Health Technician I provides essential veterinary and clinical support for UCLA's Campus Animal Health Program.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to conducting daily health assessments of laboratory animals, identifying and reporting health concerns, assisting with the treatment and care of sick or injured animals, administering medications, collecting clinical samples, maintaining medical records, implementing environmental enrichment, and supporting veterinary procedures.
The position also assists with facility health monitoring, inventory management, weekend and holiday coverage, and ensuring compliance with institutional policies and applicable animal welfare regulations. The successful candidate will help maintain high standards of animal care and support UCLA's biomedical research programs.
Salary range: $27.25 - $34.29 Hourly
Pay range: $27.25 - $34.29 an hour
Qualifications
Required:
- Ability to recognize abnormalities in behavior of laboratory animals and signs that indicate disease.
- Ability to effectively communicate with faculty and staff who have varying degrees of veterinary medical training.
- Ability to lift animals up to 50 pounds.
- Skill in administering oral (including gavage) and parenteral (ID, SQ, IM, IP) medications including fluids to different species.
- Skill in handling and restraining laboratory animals.
- Skill in the collection of animal body fluids, feces and urine. And, knowledge in sample submission
- Ability to complete tasks in an orderly and timely fashion.
- Skill in writing health reports and other records with legible handwriting, or using computer systems
- Skill in prioritizing assignments in a timely and accurate manner.
- Skill in medical procedures including treatment administration and follow up, post operative care, and bandaging.
- Skill in preparing and sterilizing instrument packs.
- Skill in preparing animals for surgery and necropsy.
- Skill in cleaning laboratory, surgery and necropsyrooms.
- Ability to euthanize animals using CO2 chambers. Knowledge of appropriate disposal of the animals, including bio-hazardous animals.
- Skill in teaching and assess proficiency of personnel conducting biomedical procedures including animal handling, restraint, oral and parenteral administration of substances, specimen collection, aseptic technique, and/or surgery
- Ability to follow safety procedures.
- Familiar with local, state, and federal regulations governing Animal Research: The Animal Welfare Act ( 9 CFR, Sub.Ch A), Good Laboratory Practice for Nonclinical Laboratory Studies ( 21 CFR Part 58), The Guide 8th Ed., and Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
- Knowledge of and ability to accurately follow SOPs.
- Knowledge of the institutional environmental enrichment program(s), and skills to implement and assess it.
- Knowledge of proper documentation practices with the skills to perform this task.
Preferred:
- Ability to assist in class preparation and delivery.
- Bachelor in science or RVT + 1 years of experience in laboratory animals. Or, High school diploma + ALAT AALAS Certification + 3 years of experience in laboratory animals.
The Animal Health Technician I provides essential veterinary and clinical support for UCLA's Campus Animal Health Program.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to conducting daily health assessments of laboratory animals, identifying and reporting health concerns, assisting with the treatment and care of sick or injured animals, administering medications, collecting clinical samples, maintaining medical records, implementing environmental enrichment, and supporting veterinary procedures.
The position also assists with facility health monitoring, inventory management, weekend and holiday coverage, and ensuring compliance with institutional policies and applicable animal welfare regulations. The successful candidate will help maintain high standards of animal care and support UCLA's biomedical research programs.
Salary range: $27.25 - $34.29 Hourly
Pay range: $27.25 - $34.29 an hour
Qualifications
Required:
- Ability to recognize abnormalities in behavior of laboratory animals and signs that indicate disease.
- Ability to effectively communicate with faculty and staff who have varying degrees of veterinary medical training.
- Ability to lift animals up to 50 pounds.
- Skill in administering oral (including gavage) and parenteral (ID, SQ, IM, IP) medications including fluids to different species.
- Skill in handling and restraining laboratory animals.
- Skill in the collection of animal body fluids, feces and urine. And, knowledge in sample submission
- Ability to complete tasks in an orderly and timely fashion.
- Skill in writing health reports and other records with legible handwriting, or using computer systems
- Skill in prioritizing assignments in a timely and accurate manner.
- Skill in medical procedures including treatment administration and follow up, post operative care, and bandaging.
- Skill in preparing and sterilizing instrument packs.
- Skill in preparing animals for surgery and necropsy.
- Skill in cleaning laboratory, surgery and necropsyrooms.
- Ability to euthanize animals using CO2 chambers. Knowledge of appropriate disposal of the animals, including bio-hazardous animals.
- Skill in teaching and assess proficiency of personnel conducting biomedical procedures including animal handling, restraint, oral and parenteral administration of substances, specimen collection, aseptic technique, and/or surgery
- Ability to follow safety procedures.
- Familiar with local, state, and federal regulations governing Animal Research: The Animal Welfare Act ( 9 CFR, Sub.Ch A), Good Laboratory Practice for Nonclinical Laboratory Studies ( 21 CFR Part 58), The Guide 8th Ed., and Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
- Knowledge of and ability to accurately follow SOPs.
- Knowledge of the institutional environmental enrichment program(s), and skills to implement and assess it.
- Knowledge of proper documentation practices with the skills to perform this task.
Preferred:
- Ability to assist in class preparation and delivery.
- Bachelor in science or RVT + 1 years of experience in laboratory animals. Or, High school diploma + ALAT AALAS Certification + 3 years of experience in laboratory animals.
Animal Health Technician Jobs by Experience Level
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Find Animal Health Technician JobsAnimal Health Technician Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Mixlab13
- Cencora8
- PetVet Care Centers5
- UC Davis4
- Patterson Companies3
Top Industries Hiring
- Education
- Science & Research
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in animal health technician jobs.
- Associate degree or bachelor's degree in veterinary technology or animal science
- Veterinary technician licensure or certification as required by state law
- Experience with patient restraint, venipuncture, and IV catheter placement
- Proficiency in anesthesia monitoring, induction, and patient recovery
- Ability to operate and interpret diagnostic imaging equipment including digital radiography
- Familiarity with practice management software and accurate medical record documentation
Tips for Your Animal Health Technician Job Search
List every credential you hold
Veterinary technician credentials vary by state, so name your specific license or certification clearly on your resume. Include the issuing state and credential type so hiring managers don't have to guess whether you meet their local requirements.
Tailor your resume to the setting
A zoo or wildlife facility expects different skills than a small animal clinic or research lab. Adjust your resume to highlight species experience, equipment familiarity, and setting-relevant procedures that match each type of employer you're targeting.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists animal health technician openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Show anesthesia and monitoring competency
Many job postings specifically ask for hands-on anesthesia monitoring experience. If you've managed induction, intubation, or recovery, call that out explicitly in your work history rather than leaving it buried under general duties.
Prepare for skills-based interview questions
Expect interviewers to ask you to walk through how you'd handle a specific clinical scenario, like a patient in anesthetic distress or an aggressive animal. Practice clear, step-by-step answers that show your clinical reasoning and calm under pressure.
Follow up with a clinical detail
When you send a follow-up after an interview, reference one specific clinical topic discussed, such as a protocol question or equipment you mentioned. It reinforces your technical knowledge and makes your message more memorable than a generic thank-you.
Animal Health Technician Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most animal health technicians?
The companies hiring the most animal health technicians right now include Mixlab, Cencora, and PetVet Care Centers, with the largest share of openings in California, Texas, and Wisconsin, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Multi-location veterinary groups and animal hospital networks typically post the highest volume of roles at any given time.
How many animal health technician jobs are remote?
About 38% of animal health technician openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the hands-on clinical nature of most roles. The positions most likely to allow remote work are in telehealth triage, medical records review, or pharmaceutical and industry-based technical support rather than direct patient care.
How do you become an animal health technician?
Start by completing an accredited veterinary technology program, which typically results in an associate or bachelor's degree in veterinary technology. After graduating, pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination and meet your state's specific licensure requirements. Gaining hands-on clinical hours during your program and in externships strengthens your application significantly when you start applying.
How do you get hired as an animal health technician with little or no experience?
Focus on roles at general practice clinics or animal shelters, which are more likely to train newer graduates than specialty or emergency hospitals. Highlight any externship hours, volunteer work with animals, or coursework in anesthesia and diagnostics. Getting your state license or certification as soon as you're eligible removes one of the main barriers employers cite for entry-level candidates.
What does the animal health technician interview process look like?
Most practices start with a phone or video screen to confirm your credentials and availability, followed by an in-person or working interview at the clinic. Working interviews are common in this field and may involve handling animals, assisting with a procedure, or demonstrating how you'd operate equipment. Some employers also ask scenario-based questions about clinical emergencies or difficult client interactions.
Where can I find and apply to animal health technician jobs?
You can find and apply to animal health technician jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your credentials, preferred setting, and location, then apply directly to each one that fits.
See All 68 Animal Health Technician Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Animal Health Technician Jobs