How to become a vet nurse in Australia
Veterinary Nurses care for animals under treatment and in temporary residence at veterinary facilities and assist Veterinarians to perform procedures and operations.
The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the veterinary nurses group are projected to grow 11.7% between May 2025 and May 2035, slower than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Holding animals to allow examination and treatment by veterinarians
- Cleaning and sterilising examination tables and equipment
- Preparing instruments and handing them to the veterinarian
- Assisting veterinarians to administer anaesthetics and oxygen during operations
- Placing animals in cages for recovery from operations and monitoring their condition
- Giving medications to animals
How to get there
What it usually takes. A Certificate III or IV, including at least two years of on-the-job training where it is a Certificate III. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the veterinary nurses group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 15% a degree or higher, 11% a diploma, 49% a Certificate III or IV.
Apprenticeship or traineeship. This job isn't on the current Priority List we checked, which only covers occupations in demand, so that doesn't rule one out. Ask a TAFE or an Apprentice Connect provider.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
Estimate your ATAR and this page shows the gap to each course. Your marks stay on your device.
Victoria1 match
VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.
NSW and ACT2 matches
UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.
Bachelor of Veterinary Technology · Charles Sturt83.75Queensland2 matches
QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.
Bachelor of Veterinary Technology · UQ, Gatton77.00 Bachelor of Veterinary Technology · Southern Cross, Lismore70.00Western Australia0 matches
TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.
No match in TISC's list. Some courses, medicine especially, don't publish a cutoff or use their own admissions.
Matched on course names, 5 across four admissions centres. A lowest selection rank includes adjustment points and moves every year. Check prerequisites and whether the course is accredited for this job.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Realistic, Investigative, Conventional.
From O*NET ratings for "Veterinary Technologists and Technicians", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a good match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
Careers with similar interests
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.