Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 29-2056.00
Perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals. Prepare vaccines and serums for prevention of diseases. Prepare tissue samples, take blood samples, and execute laboratory tests, such as urinalysis and blood counts. Clean and sterilize instruments and materials and maintain equipment and machines. May assist a veterinarian during surgery.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.14
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Exposed tasks only31 rated tasks · 8 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (25.8%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Maintain controlled drug inventory and related log books.29-2056.00 | 0.005551.2 |
Provide information or counseling regarding issues such as animal health care, behavior problems, or nutrition.29-2056.00 | 0.005248.8 |
| Not observed on any surface — 29 task(s) — These tasks have no row in the source for this release. The 0 in the share row is a display-stage composition ratio; absence is what the — in the raw row states. | |
Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals' responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted. | —0 |
Care for and monitor the condition of animals recovering from surgery. | —0 |
Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians. | —0 |
Perform laboratory tests on blood, urine, or feces, such as urinalyses or blood counts, to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of animal health problems. | —0 |
Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures. | —0 |
Collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination. | —0 |
Clean and sterilize instruments, equipment, or materials. | —0 |
Provide veterinarians with the correct equipment or instruments, as needed. | —0 |
Fill prescriptions, measuring medications and labeling containers. | —0 |
Prepare animals for surgery, performing such tasks as shaving surgical areas. | —0 |
Take animals into treatment areas and assist with physical examinations by performing such duties as obtaining temperature, pulse, and respiration data. | —0 |
Observe the behavior and condition of animals and monitor their clinical symptoms. | —0 |
Take and develop diagnostic radiographs, using x-ray equipment. | —0 |
Maintain laboratory, research, or treatment records, as well as inventories of pharmaceuticals, equipment, or supplies. | —0 |
Give enemas and perform catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings, or gavages. | —0 |
Prepare treatment rooms for surgery. | —0 |
Maintain instruments, equipment, or machinery to ensure proper working condition. | —0 |
Perform dental work, such as cleaning, polishing, or extracting teeth. | —0 |
Clean kennels, animal holding areas, surgery suites, examination rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease. | —0 |
Provide assistance with animal euthanasia and the disposal of remains. | —0 |
Dress and suture wounds and apply splints or other protective devices. | —0 |
Perform a variety of office, clerical, or accounting duties, such as reception, billing, bookkeeping, or selling products. | —0 |
Bathe animals, clip nails or claws, and brush or cut animals' hair. | —0 |
Supervise or train veterinary students or other staff members. | —0 |
Monitor medical supplies and place orders when inventory is low. | —0 |
Restrain animals during exams or procedures. | —0 |
Discuss medical health of pets with clients, such as post-operative status. | —0 |
Schedule appointments and procedures for animals. | —0 |
Conduct specialized procedures, such as animal branding or tattooing or hoof trimming. | —0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Perform a variety of office, clerical, or accounting duties, such as reception, billing, bookkeeping, or selling products.O*NET Task ID 4198 | 1.0 |
Maintain controlled drug inventory and related log books.O*NET Task ID 18548 | 1.0 |
Perform laboratory tests on blood, urine, or feces, such as urinalyses or blood counts, to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of animal health problems.O*NET Task ID 4179 | 0.5 |
Take and develop diagnostic radiographs, using x-ray equipment.O*NET Task ID 4188 | 0.5 |
Maintain laboratory, research, or treatment records, as well as inventories of pharmaceuticals, equipment, or supplies.O*NET Task ID 4189 | 0.5 |
Provide information or counseling regarding issues such as animal health care, behavior problems, or nutrition.O*NET Task ID 4195 | 0.5 |
Monitor medical supplies and place orders when inventory is low.O*NET Task ID 18550 | 0.5 |
Schedule appointments and procedures for animals.O*NET Task ID 20424 | 0.5 |
Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals' responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted.O*NET Task ID 4176 | 0.0 |
Care for and monitor the condition of animals recovering from surgery.O*NET Task ID 4177 | 0.0 |
Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians.O*NET Task ID 4178 | 0.0 |
Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures.O*NET Task ID 4180 | 0.0 |
Collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination.O*NET Task ID 4181 | 0.0 |
Clean and sterilize instruments, equipment, or materials.O*NET Task ID 4182 | 0.0 |
Provide veterinarians with the correct equipment or instruments, as needed.O*NET Task ID 4183 | 0.0 |
Fill prescriptions, measuring medications and labeling containers.O*NET Task ID 4184 | 0.0 |
Prepare animals for surgery, performing such tasks as shaving surgical areas.O*NET Task ID 4185 | 0.0 |
Take animals into treatment areas and assist with physical examinations by performing such duties as obtaining temperature, pulse, or respiration data.O*NET Task ID 4186 | 0.0 |
Observe the behavior and condition of animals and monitor their clinical symptoms.O*NET Task ID 4187 | 0.0 |
Give enemas and perform catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings, or gavages.O*NET Task ID 4190 | 0.0 |
Prepare treatment rooms for surgery.O*NET Task ID 4191 | 0.0 |
Maintain instruments, equipment, or machinery to ensure proper working condition.O*NET Task ID 4192 | 0.0 |
Perform dental work, such as cleaning, polishing, or extracting teeth.O*NET Task ID 4193 | 0.0 |
Clean kennels, animal holding areas, surgery suites, examination rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease.O*NET Task ID 4194 | 0.0 |
Provide assistance with animal euthanasia and the disposal of remains.O*NET Task ID 4196 | 0.0 |
Dress and suture wounds and apply splints or other protective devices.O*NET Task ID 4197 | 0.0 |
Bathe animals, clip nails or claws, and brush or cut animals' hair.O*NET Task ID 4199 | 0.0 |
Conduct specialized procedures, such as animal branding or tattooing or hoof trimming.O*NET Task ID 4200 | 0.0 |
Supervise or train veterinary students or other staff members.O*NET Task ID 18549 | 0.0 |
Restrain animals during exams or procedures.O*NET Task ID 20422 | 0.0 |
Discuss medical health of pets with clients, such as post-operative status.O*NET Task ID 20423 | 0.0 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (31)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals' responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted. | Core |
| Care for and monitor the condition of animals recovering from surgery. | Core |
| Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians. | Core |
| Perform laboratory tests on blood, urine, or feces, such as urinalyses or blood counts, to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of animal health problems. | Core |
| Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures. | Core |
| Collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination. | Core |
| Clean and sterilize instruments, equipment, or materials. | Core |
| Provide veterinarians with the correct equipment or instruments, as needed. | Core |
| Fill prescriptions, measuring medications and labeling containers. | Core |
| Prepare animals for surgery, performing such tasks as shaving surgical areas. | Core |
| Take animals into treatment areas and assist with physical examinations by performing such duties as obtaining temperature, pulse, or respiration data. | Core |
| Observe the behavior and condition of animals and monitor their clinical symptoms. | Core |
| Take and develop diagnostic radiographs, using x-ray equipment. | Core |
| Maintain laboratory, research, or treatment records, as well as inventories of pharmaceuticals, equipment, or supplies. | Core |
| Give enemas and perform catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings, or gavages. | Core |
| Prepare treatment rooms for surgery. | Core |
| Maintain instruments, equipment, or machinery to ensure proper working condition. | Core |
| Perform dental work, such as cleaning, polishing, or extracting teeth. | Core |
| Clean kennels, animal holding areas, surgery suites, examination rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease. | Core |
| Provide information or counseling regarding issues such as animal health care, behavior problems, or nutrition. | Core |
| Provide assistance with animal euthanasia and the disposal of remains. | Core |
| Dress and suture wounds and apply splints or other protective devices. | Core |
| Perform a variety of office, clerical, or accounting duties, such as reception, billing, bookkeeping, or selling products. | Core |
| Bathe animals, clip nails or claws, and brush or cut animals' hair. | Core |
| Maintain controlled drug inventory and related log books. | Core |
| Supervise or train veterinary students or other staff members. | Core |
| Monitor medical supplies and place orders when inventory is low. | Core |
| Restrain animals during exams or procedures. | Core |
| Discuss medical health of pets with clients, such as post-operative status. | Core |
| Schedule appointments and procedures for animals. | Core |
| Conduct specialized procedures, such as animal branding or tattooing or hoof trimming. | Supplemental |
0.29/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals' responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted. | E0 none |
| Care for and monitor the condition of animals recovering from surgery. | E0 none |
| Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians. | E0 none |
| Perform laboratory tests on blood, urine, or feces, such as urinalyses or blood counts, to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of animal health problems. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures. | E0 none |
| Collect, prepare, and label samples for laboratory testing, culture, or microscopic examination. | E0 none |
| Clean and sterilize instruments, equipment, or materials. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Provide veterinarians with the correct equipment or instruments, as needed. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Fill prescriptions, measuring medications and labeling containers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Prepare animals for surgery, performing such tasks as shaving surgical areas. | E0 none |
| Take animals into treatment areas and assist with physical examinations by performing such duties as obtaining temperature, pulse, or respiration data. | E0 none |
| Observe the behavior and condition of animals and monitor their clinical symptoms. | E0 none |
| Take and develop diagnostic radiographs, using x-ray equipment. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Give enemas and perform catheterizations, ear flushes, intravenous feedings, or gavages. | E0 none |
| Prepare treatment rooms for surgery. | E0 none |
| Maintain instruments, equipment, or machinery to ensure proper working condition. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Perform dental work, such as cleaning, polishing, or extracting teeth. | E0 none |
| Clean kennels, animal holding areas, surgery suites, examination rooms, or animal loading or unloading facilities to control the spread of disease. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Provide assistance with animal euthanasia and the disposal of remains. | E0 none |
| Dress and suture wounds and apply splints or other protective devices. | E0 none |
| Bathe animals, clip nails or claws, and brush or cut animals' hair. | E0 none |
| Maintain controlled drug inventory and related log books. | E2 structured facilities |
| Restrain animals during exams or procedures. | E0 none |
| Conduct specialized procedures, such as animal branding or tattooing or hoof trimming. | E0 none |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 131K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 144K
- Change (2025–35)
- +9.4%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $47,380
- Typical education needed for entry
- Associate's degree
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43311 | 동물 보건사 | Same scope | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 3240Veterinary Technicians and Assistants
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Veterinary technicians and assistants carry out advisory, diagnostic, preventive and curative veterinary tasks more limited in scope and complexity than those carried out by, and with the guidance of, veterinarians. They care for animals under treatment and in temporary residence at veterinary facilities, perform routine procedures and assist veterinarians to perform procedures and operations.
Tasks
- (a) advising communities and individuals on the treatment of animals and their diseases and injuries;
- (b) conducting examinations of animals to make diagnoses or refer more difficult cases to veterinarians when needed;
- (c) treating ill or injured animals, especially for common diseases and disorders;
- (d) cleaning and sterilising examination tables and instruments and preparing materials used in the examination and treatment of animals;
- (e) carrying out technical tasks connected with artificial insemination of animals;
- (f) getting animals ready for examination or treatment and restraining or holding them during treatment;
- (g) assisting veterinarians to administer anaesthetics and oxygen during treatment;
- (h) placing animals in cages for recovery from operations and monitoring their condition;
- (i) producing radiographs, collecting samples and performing other laboratory tests to assist in diagnosis of animal health problems;
- (j) performing routine animal dental procedures and assisting veterinarians with animal dentistry.
Example occupations
Artificial inseminator · Veterinary assistant · Veterinary nurse · Veterinary vaccinator
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- veterinary technicianESCO 3240.2Same scope
Veterinary technicians provide the technical and administrative support to the veterinarian in accordance with national legislation.
- veterinary nurseESCO 3240.2.4Overlapping, not the same
Veterinary nurses support animals undergoing veterinary treatment and give advice to veterinary clients in the promotion of animal health and disease prevention in accordance with national legislation.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| A1501 | Auxiliaire vétérinaire | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| A1512 | Dentiste équin | Related, not a match |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 3327 | Ayudantes de veterinaria | Same scopeprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 81142 | Tiermedizinische Fachangestellte - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 81242 | Medizinisch-technische Berufe in der Veterinärmedizin - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is broader |
| 81243 | Medizinisch-technische Berufe in der Veterinärmedizin - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 379 | その他の保健医療サービス職業従事者 | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources