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The Nevada Humane Society is the only open-admission, no-kill shelter in the state of Nevada, with lifesaving goals. Since 2007, the mission of the NHS is that of lifesaving and promoting animal welfare, including finding homes and providing care for homeless pets. The NHS moved to a new facility in Carson City in October of 2016 and boasts that more than 100,000 animals have been placed into homes since 2007.
Services include pet adoptions, animal rescue and care, an animal resource center, and low-cost spay and neuter services. Volunteers are welcome and care for animals as well as completing office work and helping with special events. Volunteers can even foster animals in their homes.
If nursing animals back to health and helping veterinarians to care for those animals sounds like a career worth considering, then you might consider becoming a veterinary technician (or vet tech). Researching veterinary technician schools in Nevada is a great place to start.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2023) projects that there will be a much higher growth rate for the vet tech career—21 percent from 2022 to 2032—than for all occupations combined during the same period (3 percent). Becoming a veterinary technician can offer stability as well as a worthwhile career helping furry, scaly, and other types of creatures.
Read on to discover AVMA-accredited vet tech programs in Nevada, including details on coursework and local salaries.
| School Website | main address | online program | Avma Accredited |
|---|---|---|---|
| College of Southern Nevada - Charleston Campus | 6375 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89146 | No | Yes |
| Pima Medical Institute-Las Vegas | 3333 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89121 | Hybrid | Yes |
| Truckee Meadows Community College | 7000 Dandini Blvd, Reno, Nevada, 89512-3999 | No | Yes |
AVMA-Accredited Vet Tech Programs in Nevada
Prospective students looking for a vet tech program in Nevada, or outside the state, need to make sure they choose one that is accredited through the Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA), the accrediting body of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Accreditation means that the program meets certain standards and expectations and can successfully train students for a vet tech career.
A list of accredited vet tech schools around the country is provided on the AVMA’s website. There are currently three CVTEA-accredited vet tech schools in Nevada for students to consider.
The College of Southern Nevada-Charleston Campus, in Las Vegas, offers an associate of applied science (AAS) degree in veterinary nursing. The college was the first post-secondary program in the state to have full accreditation from the AVMA, and its courses cover vet tech fundamentals and provide hands-on experiences. Students must demonstrate competency in skills required by the AVMA and state board to pass national and state exams.
In addition to general education courses, vet tech courses include an introduction to animal health technology; basic animal nursing; veterinary office and clinical procedures; clinical anatomy and physiology; parasitology; animal nutrition; large animal procedures; and more. Students complete two directed clinical practice courses to gain hands-on skills in veterinary technology. Between 2020 and 2023, 80 percent of graduates passed the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) on their first try.
The Pima Medical Institute, in Las Vegas, also offers an associate of applied science (AAS) degree in veterinary technology. The school has full accreditation, so students are able to take the VTNE after graduation or in the months leading up to it, and the program takes just 18 months to complete. This veterinary technician program incorporates a mix of online and classroom-based instruction and real-world experiences. Courses include:
- Diagnostic imaging
- Exotic animals
- Large animal care and nursing
- Equine medicine and nursing
- Laboratory animal science
- Dentistry techniques
- Clinical surgery and lab
- Surgical nursing
Students also complete a clinical externship in which veterinary professionals mentor them to gain hands-on experience. Between 2020 and 2023, 77.78 percent of Pima Las Vegas graduates passed the VTNE on their first attempt.
Finally, Truckee Meadows Community College, in Reno, offers another veterinary technician AAS degree. This two-year, 73-credit program prepares students for animal dental cleaning, animal nursing care, diagnostic testing, and much more. Prerequisites include cell and molecular biology lecture and lab, composition, and fundamentals of college math.
The vet tech AAS degree courses include veterinary diagnostic imaging, clinical and general pathology, lab animal science and exotics, animal nutrition, veterinary office procedures, pharmacology and toxicology, small animal critical care, and more. Students also complete an advanced clinical practice. Between 2020 and 2023, Truckee students’ first-time pass rate on the VTNE was an impressive 94 percent.
Those interested in one of the distance-based, CVTEA-accredited programs can visit our online vet tech schools page.
Career Outlook for Nevada Veterinary Technicians
The job outlook for vet techs is good, at least according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS 2024). The BLS estimates job growth for the vet tech occupation to be at 21 percent from 2022 to 2032. This growth rate is faster than the average for all occupations and 25,200 new vet tech positions could become available if this holds true.
When zooming in on opportunities in Nevada, specifically, the outlook is even brighter. CareerOneStop (2024) predicts that between 2020 and 2030, the vet tech occupation is anticipated to grow by 27 percent in Nevada.
Vet techs in Nevada have the opportunity to work in a number of different environments, including animal clinics, hospitals, research facilities, zoos, and even casinos that have animals. The Nevada Veterinary Medical Association keeps a current listing of opportunities for those in the animal medicine world in Nevada. Job opportunities for vet techs in Nevada are available at places like Siena Animal Hospital, A Cat Hospital, Mesquite Veterinary Clinic, Animal Emergency Center, Pet Medical Center, and Washoe Valley Veterinary Hospital.
Nevada Vet Tech Salary Data
Not only is there a bright career outlook for veterinary technicians in Nevada, but the salary prospects are promising as well. According to the BLS (May 2023), the 540 vet techs in Nevada made, on average, $46,830 per year—a rate higher than the national average of $44,040.
The following table illustrates the earning potential in Nevada at different earning levels compared to national salary figures:
| United States | Nevada | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of vet techs employed | 122,000 | 540 |
| Average annual salary | $44,040 | $46,830 |
| 10th percentile | $30,180 | $38,290 |
| 25th percentile | $36,340 | $39,430 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $43,740 | $47,950 |
| 75th percentile | $48,900 | $49,560 |
| 90th percentile | $59,310 | $57,720 |
The higher salaries may be due to the higher cost of living in the state. To illustrate this point, the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC 2024) found that Nevada had the 21st highest cost of living when compared to other major states and regions in the United States. Nevada has higher than average cost of living in every category minus utilities. Prospective vet techs should keep this in mind while evaluating salary potentials.
| VETERINARY CAREER | NEVADA JOBS | SALARY DATA (BLS MAY 2023) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW SALARY (10TH %ILE) | MEDIAN SALARY (50TH %ILE) | HIGH SALARY (90TH %ILE) | ||
| VET TECH | 540 | $38,290 | $47,950 | $57,720 |
| VET ASSISTANT | 1,310 | $29,540 | $35,180 | $41,780 |
Licensure for Vet Techs in Nevada
The Nevada State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners has a wealth of links and information for those in the veterinary medical field. Vet techs can find information on the site about how they can apply for a license in the state. To do so, they need to have a degree as a vet tech from one of the vet tech schools in Nevada or another state and graduate from a program that is accredited through the American Veterinary Medical Association and pay an application fee.
Vet techs in training have a licensure option as well. As long as they are in their second year of a two-year school, or in their fourth year of a four-year school, they can apply for tech-in-training status. Before being licensed, all applicants need to take and pass the VTNE, as well as the Nevada State take-home jurisprudence exam.
They must also supply a letter of recommendation from someone in the field, have all required skills signed off on by the supervising agent, and submit proof of 4,000 hours of clinical experience in a veterinary hospital supervised by a licensed veterinarian.
Check out the State of Nevada Licensed Veterinary Technician Qualification List, which outlines all skills that the veterinary technician’s supervising agent must approve before the technician can take the state exam.
Students looking for veterinary technician schools in Nevada should check to ensure the school they choose is AVMA-accredited. This organization has stringent guidelines for granting accreditation and aims to ensure that graduating vet techs have a certain level of competency to bring to the job.
| VET TECHS MUST BE LICENSED TO PRACTICE | LICENSED VET TECHS ARE CALLED | LICENSING REQUIREMENTS | ADDITIONAL RESOURCES | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRADUATE FROM AN AVMA-ACCREDITED PROGRAM | PASS THE VTNE | ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS | |||
| Yes | LVT | No | Yes | Candidates must also complete a child support form and complete a take-home Nevada State Jurisprudence Examination. | Nevada Veterinary Medical Association |
