Keeping credentialed veterinary technicians: 3 retention factors to address

Credentialed veterinary technicians are an integral part of any veterinary team. Utilizing technicians to the full extent of their training and ability not only leads to improved workflows, but it also leads to improved job satisfaction for those technicians, as shown in the 2023 AAHA Technician Utilization Guidelines.

But that’s not the only key to keeping technicians happy and improving the retention of this vital role.

AAHA’s Stay, Please retention study, which utilized data from two separate surveys in 2023 and 2024, looked into the factors that inspired people in veterinary medicine to stay and drove them away, then broke those factors down by role. From there, the study determined how those factors were defined (again, broken down by role) as well as how various team members ranked their daily reality working in clinical practice to what they expected when entering the profession.

The bad news: Some of the factors that technicians consider most important are also the factors that they said fell far short of what they’d expected.

However, there’s also good news: Understanding this gives leadership the tools—and technicians the talking points—to make the necessary changes.

With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the factors driving attrition and retention among veterinary technicians—and what vet med can do to allow technicians to stay in the jobs they’ve trained for.

Retention and attrition factors

When it comes to the retention factors (meaning the elements of the job that inspire folks to stay in their current role), credentialed technicians cite modern medicine, staff working as a team, fair compensation, meaningful work, and work being appreciated as their top five. Notably, all five of those factors scored similarly; there was a clear ranking, but no single factor stood out by much.

Attrition factors (meaning the parts of the job that, when done poorly, drive them away from their current position, or even out of vet med entirely) looked a little different. A lack of fair compensation was ranked nearly twice as high as any other attrition factor. So, if you’re in a practice that’s losing technicians at a steady rate, evaluating pay is a great place to begin.

(We discussed that topic in this May 2025 Trends article, which goes into detail about fair pay, credentialed techs leaving practice, and steps leadership can take to address this factor.)

While fair compensation is the most impactful place to begin, other attrition factors of note include opportunities for career development, work being appreciated, caring and inspiring leadership, benefits or insurance, and staff working as a team give us the top six (with the bottom two nearly tying).

You may have noticed a bit of overlap between the attrition and retention factors: Fair compensation, work is appreciated, and staff working as a team. In a world where we’re all working with finite resources, it’s unreasonable to try to address every factor listed—but narrowing it down to three that can create a better work environment for technicians considering leaving and those who are looking for reasons to stay seems like a good start, right?

What these factors mean

You might think that defining these factors is straightforward—and in some cases, that proved to be true. Factors that tend to rank stronger as retention drivers also tended to have solid agreement on definitions across roles. Staff working as a team, for example, was defined by respondents in all roles as “a culture where collaboration and mutual support are standard.” Most of us would probably say that tracks. Supporting one’s colleagues and collaborating on solutions are pretty basic tenants of teamwork.

Two definitions for work is appreciated ranked highly, with a stark divide by practice role. Owners defined it as “informal gestures of appreciation, such as thank you notes or small personal acknowledgement, which may include small tokens of appreciation such as gift cards or similar.” All other roles—including credentialed technicians—defined it as “fair compensation and benefits reflecting the value the organization places on staff.” In other words, those who aren’t owners or practice leaders want to be shown appreciation for their work in their paycheck.

And that’s a perfect segue to the strongest attrition driver (and the number three retention factor) for techs: Fair compensation.

Technicians selected a couple of definitions for this, choosing “compensation that reflects one’s qualifications, experience, and workload,” as well as “compensation that allows for financial stability and personal growth outside of work.” In other words, they’re trained professionals who believe their credentials and experience should be a factor in their salaries, and they want to earn enough to pay their bills without needing to take on a second (or third) job.

How veterinary technicians experience these factors

It’s important to note that, overall, technicians’ “expectations vs. reality” scores were significantly lower, across all factors, than those for owners/leaders, associate veterinarians, and practice managers/hospital administrators. And the factor scoring the lowest for techs? You guessed it: Fair compensation.

Fair compensation: Very close to “worse than expected”

Staff works as a team: Slightly above “worse than expected”

Work is appreciated: About midway between “worse than expected” and “about as expected”

To be clear, these scores are not great. Whether the scores are low because the expectations were unrealistically high or because the reality is truly that much worse than these technicians had been led to expect is unknown, but the fact remains that scores like these are a clear indication of a disconnect. When our expectations are consistently unmet, we become dissatisfied.

Is it any wonder, with scores like these on factors that are so important to credentialed technicians, that many practices are having trouble keeping great people in this role?

Making a difference

If we keep our focus narrowed to these three factors and how they impact the credentialed technicians in our practice, the logical step is to consider why, based on their definitions of these factors, techs might feel that their reality doesn’t live up to the expectations.

Fair compensation

It’s not hard to get a handle on this one. A 2022 NAVTA Demographic Survey showed that, while the average veterinary technician was earning 25% more than they had in 2016, they’re earning an average of $26.50 an hour and working an average of 37.5 hours a week. That’s $993.75 per week (before taxes), which comes to $51,675 a year.

To put that into context, try looking up your location using the MIT Living Wage Calculator. This tool shows the hourly rate that an individual in a household must earn to support themselves and/or their families working full-time, based on geographic location. If we look at a couple of examples, we’ll see that, on average in Michigan, an individual with no children would need to make $20.97 an hour to earn a living wage; with one child factored in, that hourly wage goes up to $35.97, and with two kids, it’s $44.41. If there’s a child and another adult who isn’t working, the hourly wage is $35.66.

Staff works as a team

Support and collaboration are often tied closely to respect. Do the technicians in your practice get the respect they deserve—from colleagues and/or clients?

If the answer is anything other than, “Absolutely!” it’s probably something to address.

Among coworkers, implementing an element of cross-training can make a big difference in how various roles view one another. While it doesn’t make sense for veterinarians to spend the majority of their time on tasks that technicians are allowed to do and are capable of doing (once again, check out those Technician Utilization Guidelines!), it is wise to make sure they have a full understanding of all the things that land on their techs’ plates—and that everyone on the team is as willing to show support for technicians as for the doctors.

With clients, there’s some education involved, because many pet parents truly don’t understand what’s involved in becoming a credentialed technician. Providing a brochure or small informational sign in the exam room could be an option, and sharing information about various roles, including techs, on the practice website or social media is also a great idea. Emails highlighting the tasks these techs can do, the benefits of tech-only appointments, and providing information about what’s involved in becoming credentialed may help more clients understand the role—and show them the appropriate respect. The veterinarian can also make a difference here by acknowledging the skills and experience of those in this position.

Work is appreciated

Considering the real takeaway of the definition for this factor was, essentially, to show that appreciation in the form of a paycheck, addressing the fair compensation element should make a big impact here, too.

However, there are other important ways to show recognition and appreciation for the work being done, like through gratitude. Inadequate reward and recognition is considered a psychological hazard by the International Organization for Standardization’s ISO 45003 standard, which  provides guidelines for managing psychosocial risk within an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system. And, on a less official level, recognition simply helps people feel seen and appreciated.

Appreciation, gratitude, and recognition can come in many forms, and the best way to show it depends on how those you appreciate want to receive it. Surveys—or other forms of feedback—are a great way to ensure you understand what forms of recognition, aside from compensation, resonate with members of the team.

It’s easy to get used to things being a certain way—but that doesn’t mean you can’t actively look for opportunities to change and improve your workplace. Those changes can add up, resulting in improved retention, and that’s something that benefits your practice, your patients, and your clients, too.

Photo credit: fstop123/E+ via Getty Images 

Disclaimer: Trends™ content is meant to inform, educate, and inspire by providing an array of diverse viewpoints. Any content published should not be viewed as an official stance, position, or endorsement by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) or its Board of Directors.