Side Income for Veterinary Technicians: 5 Ways to Use Your Certification

Your certification and comfort with animals both have real market value outside your clinic — here's where vet techs are earning extra in 2026.

Vet techs have two separate assets to work with: a clinical certification that other clinics will pay for directly, and a comfort with animals that pet owners will pay for informally. The five options below use both, along with honest notes on the emotional and liability trade-offs specific to this field.

Relief shifts and pet sitting both use your existing skills directly and pay the fastest; telehealth and instructor work take more setup but offer a break from in-clinic physical demands.

Where the real money is

1 Pick up relief (per diem) shifts

Other clinics and emergency hospitals hire relief techs, often $22-35/hr, sometimes higher for overnight or emergency shifts. The catch: relief shifts mean walking into an unfamiliar clinic's systems and team on short notice, which adds real stress compared to your regular job. Getting started: reach out to a couple of nearby clinics or emergency hospitals about relief availability, since many rely on informal networks rather than job boards for this.

2 Pet sit or dog walk

Rover and Wag! connect you with local pet owners, and your veterinary background is a genuine selling point for owners with medical-needs animals, often $20-40/visit or $25-45/night for boarding. The catch: you're liable for the animal's wellbeing while in your care, so confirm the platform's insurance and guarantee coverage before booking medically complex pets. Getting started: create a Rover or Wag! profile that specifically highlights your veterinary background, since it's a genuine differentiator pet owners search for.

3 Work veterinary telehealth triage

Platforms like Dutch and Airvet pay hourly or per-consult for telehealth triage work. The catch: telehealth roles are newer and openings are more limited than in-clinic relief work, so it may take time to land a spot. Getting started: check openings on Dutch or Airvet's careers pages, since telehealth roles are more limited than in-clinic relief work.

4 Become a pet first-aid instructor

Certification through a program like Pet Tech lets you teach pet first-aid and CPR classes to owners or shelter staff for a per-class fee. The catch: building a class roster from scratch takes marketing and partnerships with local shelters, boarding facilities, or trainers. Getting started: look into Pet Tech's instructor certification program and its cost before committing to building a class business around it.

5 Assist with in-home hospice care

Mobile vets sometimes hire techs to assist with in-home hospice and euthanasia visits, paid per visit. The catch: this work is emotionally heavy on top of an already emotionally demanding full-time job — be honest with yourself about burnout risk before taking it on. Getting started: talk to a mobile hospice vet in your area about whether they use techs for in-home visits, since this isn't standard at every practice.

How much should you realistically expect?

A vet tech picking up a relief shift or two a month can realistically add $200-500/month. Pet sitting and dog walking add a smaller, more flexible amount, often $100-400/month, and work well as a lower-commitment option alongside relief shifts. As with any of these, treat the first few weeks as a trial run to see how the extra hours actually feel before committing to a regular weekly schedule.

Questions worth answering before you start

Do I need my own liability coverage for relief shifts?
Often the hiring clinic provides coverage for work performed at their facility, but confirm this explicitly before your first relief shift rather than assuming it's included.

Can I pet sit animals with medical needs safely?
Your training is a real asset here, but confirm the platform's guarantee and insurance coverage for medically complex pets, and be clear with owners about what you can and can't manage outside a clinical setting.

Is in-home hospice work right for everyone?
No — it's emotionally demanding work on top of an already emotionally demanding full-time job, so it's worth trying a single visit before committing to a regular arrangement.

Do employers mind relief work at other clinics?
Some clinics have exclusivity expectations for full-time staff, so it's worth a direct conversation with your manager before picking up regular relief shifts elsewhere.

The bottom line

With limited hours, relief shifts through your existing professional network are usually the fastest and most reliable option. Pet sitting through Rover or Wag! is a lower-commitment complement, especially if you're not ready to commit to a regular relief shift schedule yet.

A few other licensed or portable-skill situations pair well with this one. See Side Income for Nurses: 5 Ways to Turn Your License Into Extra Pay, Side Income for Massage Therapists: 5 Ways to Book More Paid Hours, and Side Income for Military Spouses: 5 Portable Ways to Earn Through a PCS.

Income figures above are general ranges reported by workers and industry sources at the time of writing, not guarantees — actual pay depends on your market, experience, and platform terms, which change over time. Always confirm current licensing, certification, and platform requirements before starting any of these.