Veterinary nurse
Assist veterinarians with clinical procedures, animal handling and client communication in veterinary practices.
Jobs, demand and who does this work
Figures for the ANZSCO occupation Veterinary Nurse (361311), the closest official match for veterinary nurse, from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia data, sourced 2026-09-23).
- People employed
- 17,600
- Future demand
- Strong
- Work full-time
- 49%
- Average full-time hours
- 40 a week
- Women
- 97%
- Median age
- 29
Where the jobs are (share of workers)
| NSW | 32.8% |
| VIC | 22.6% |
| QLD | 26.1% |
| WA | 8.6% |
| SA | 5.9% |
| TAS | 2% |
| ACT | 1.4% |
| NT | 0.8% |
Highest qualification held by workers
| Postgraduate qualification | 1.3% |
| Bachelor degree | 13.9% |
| Diploma or advanced diploma | 10.8% |
| Certificate I-IV | 48.7% |
| Year 12 | 12.8% |
| Below Year 12 | 4.8% |
What a veterinary nurse actually does
Veterinary nurses run the clinical floor of a vet practice. A morning shift starts with team handover, drug stock checks and surgical preparation: sterilising instruments, setting up anaesthetic machines and clipping the patient. The bulk of the day mixes inpatient nursing (monitoring post-op recovery, IV fluid management, bandage changes), reception of new admissions, assisting the vet during consults and procedures, and client phone calls about lab results and post-op care. Anaesthetic monitoring is a core skill: the nurse runs the gas machine, watches vital signs and adjusts depth while the vet operates. Emergency and after-hours practices add overnight rosters and trauma triage. Most general-practice vet nurses work 38 hours a week with some Saturday shifts and the occasional public-holiday on-call. The pay is famously low for the responsibility carried, but job satisfaction can be very high. The work is physically demanding (lifting, restraining, cleaning) and emotionally heavy when euthanasias stack up.
Typical tasks
- Triage and admit animal patients.
- Monitor anaesthesia and recovery.
- Maintain surgical suites and pharmacy stock.
Skills you'll use
- Anaesthetic induction, monitoring and recovery
- IV catheter placement and fluid therapy
- Pathology sample collection and basic in-house diagnostics
- Pharmacology and accurate drug-dose calculation
- Surgical preparation and theatre nursing
- Animal handling and low-stress restraint
- Client communication about post-op care and grief
- Stock and Schedule 4/8 drug management
How to become one
- 1Finish Year 10 (minimum) or Year 12 with general literacy and at least a science subject
- 2Complete a Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing (ACM40418) at TAFE or a private RTO
- 3Pass the supervised work placement hours - many clinics offer traineeships that combine work with study
- 4Consider stepping up to a Diploma of Veterinary Nursing (General Practice) for specialty skills
- 5Apply for veterinary nurse roles at general-practice, emergency or specialist clinics
- 6Get experience across small-animal, mixed-practice or equine work
- 7Consider further specialty training in emergency and critical care, anaesthesia, surgical nursing or dentistry
Where you can work
- General-practice small-animal clinics
- Emergency and 24-hour animal hospitals
- Specialist referral hospitals (surgery, oncology, internal medicine)
- Equine and large-animal practices
- Zoos, wildlife parks and rescue centres
- University teaching hospitals
- Mixed-practice rural clinics
Career progression
Typical stages and roles. Years of experience are a rough guide; pay at each stage depends on the employer, award or agreement.
- Trainee vet nurse0-1 yearsTypical roles: Veterinary nurse trainee, Cert IV student
- Qualified vet nurse1-5 yearsTypical roles: General-practice vet nurse, Emergency vet nurse
- Senior or head nurse5+ yearsTypical roles: Head veterinary nurse, Surgical nurse specialist, Clinic manager
Is this for you?
You might love this if
- You love animals but understand the job is more clinical than cuddly
- You can stay calm during emergencies and difficult euthanasias
- You're comfortable with bodily fluids, smells and surgery
- You're physically fit enough to restrain large dogs and clean kennels
- You can sit with grieving owners without making it about you
This might not suit you if
- You can't handle euthanasias multiple times a week
- You need a salary that matches the level of responsibility
- You can't take a clinic-floor culture that's physically and emotionally demanding
- You don't want to deal with difficult animal owners
Ways in
Uni and TAFE routes for veterinary nurse. We only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.
University
Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.
No direct undergraduate pathway. Consider postgraduate study after a related bachelor degree.
TAFE / VET
Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.
Sources
ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Your Career (yourcareer.gov.au) directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.