1. The Role of the Technician
• Utilize your education and training as a Veterinary
Technician to support veterinary and research staff:
– Collect and process laboratory samples
– Anesthesia support
– Surgery and surgical support
– Regulatory Compliance
– Husbandry management
– Environmental enrichment
– Clinical care for animals
– Ensure humane animal care and valid research
results

2. Career Opportunities
• Laboratory Animal Health Technician
• Training Coordinator
• Research Associate
• Supervisor/Manager
• IACUC Specialist
• Environmental Enrichment Coordinator

3. Where are these Technicians?
• Pharmaceutical industry
• Non-profit institutions
• Academia (Universities)
• Biomedical research
• Nutritional or food companies
• Zoos and wildlife/ conservation
• Government / Military

4. Pay Scale
Research National Average
Private Practice National Average
$40,500-$77,000 $26,560-$30,500
• $40,000 Staff Research • $31,520 Northeast
Associate • $29,370 South
• $41,000 Laboratory Animal • $29,060 Midwest
Health Technician • 29,010 West
• $53,050 Training
Coordinator/Supervisor
• $77,000 Manager AALAS 2005 Compensation Survey
• $60,000 IACUC Specialist NAVTA November 2003

5. Benefits/Downside?
Benefits Downside
• Non-traditional veterinary • Less client and pet interaction
medicine
• Stress of being responsible for
• Work environment
thousands of animals
• Variety-no two days will be the
same! • Public perception and animal
• Diverse laboratory animal rights extremists
species – Veterinarians and
• People and communication
skills veterinary technicians
• Publishing are there to ensure
• Continuing education and health and welfare of
travel animals
• Benefits
• Paperwork and more paperwork!

6. Other research team members
• Principal Investigator (PI)
• Co-investigator & Research technicians
• Laboratory Animal Veterinarian
• Laboratory Animal Technicians
• Animal Suppliers/Equipment Manufacturers

7. Educational Opportunities
• Drexel University- Masters of Laboratory
Animal Science (MLAS)
• Ohio State University- Masters in Laboratory
Animal Medicine