calliecritturs
Posted : 7/9/2013 1:10:21 PM
Meagan -- unfortunately there really is no job involving animals that is at all "high paying". Not until you get to the level of owning your own business and then that is VERY difficult to succeed at. Unlike human doctors -- a vet OWNS everything in their practice -- they don't have some big hospital paying for a new x-ray machine, THEY do.
Same with a groomer -- it is their business ... and a lot of groomers "sub-contract" (meaning they work in someone's shop and pay "rent" for the space they use for customers) just so they don't have all the hassle of liability and insurance, etc. Some groomers try to win contests so they can work for dog show people. It's competitive and not something you just walk into easily.
It is even why most "breeders" are the good kind of breeders because in order to be a *good* breeder you have to be committed to a lot of veterinary expenses, testing, and the costs of showing an animal (which can be huge).
In short -- they do it because they love it -- NOT because it's a way to make good money. But at the same time you can be enterprising and use your love of dogs to make money while you are in school.
Things like doing boarding out of your home, or learning grooming (I know of at least two vets who have told me that one of the ways they put themselves thru school was being a groomer because it was something they could do on their own without a lot of cash outlay for a business and once they developed a clientele they could work out a schedule that was convenient.
Dog-walking -- it's never going to make you rich, but it can be again a good way to earn money while you are in school. It takes business skills to do something like that successfully. Walking the actual dogs is the easy part -- the "not easy" part is managing the business side of it, getting people to pay you properly and making sure you aren't leaving yourself open to liability.
Being a vet tech? Much depends on who you work for -- how much they value their staff, and how easy (or hard) they are to work for.
I've never worked in a job where I could be around animals -- but I've paid a lot of money TO people who do and I've learned to respect the fact that they are business people and they aren't earning fabulous sums of money just to take care of my dog.
In many, many ways it's like teaching given that most teachers teach because they love it -- NOT because they're going to get rich doing it. But that said -- you can make a decent living at these things if you want to work hard - particularly if you want your own business.
PS -- after reading what I wrote, I need to come out and "say" to you -- in the education you get, you really will do yourself a huge favor if you take some business classes. Knowing how to keep your own books -- even in a casual part-time business -- if you don't keep track of it you can wind up loosing money. Keeping books, marketing, even paying your own taxes -- those are the types of things it would be really helpful to have some college classes in to help you do what you want to do.
Those are also skills that may help you "pay the rent" while you are doing other things.
I wanted to teach from the time I was a little tiny girl -- when I was in high school my mother MADE ME take typing. I told her I didn't want to be a secretary!!
Well -- push comes to shove?? 40 years after high school? I did teach ... but ultimately i wound up .... being a secretary. BUT -- to be perfectly honest with you? it pays the vet bills!!! That's actually more serious than you'd think -- because for David and I - our passion is not only for pet therapy (me + dogs + kids!!) but it's also taking dogs who have serious health issues - getting them well, and then often that dog winds up being really good around medicine and sick children. So honestly? I "teach" - just in a different way.
Sometimes things don't work out the way you thought they would. But if you have your own goals in mind - you'll get there.