How to Become a Vet Office Manager in South Carolina

If you grew up with a pet or more, you likely have a heart for animals.

Being able to turn that heart into a passion is a great way to continue being around them.

While it’s the dream of many to work with animals, not everyone can complete a several-year, comprehensive program like veterinary school.

That doesn’t mean you’ve run out of options.

Imagine a veterinary office.

Several roles need to be filled in the office alone.

One of the most rewarding, because it has the most access to pets, is the vet office manager.

If you’d like to learn more about how to become a vet office manager in South Carolina, stay tuned.

We’re just about to get you prepped for a new career!

Vet Office Manager Duties in South Carolina

The first responsibility of an office manager is the staff.

As a manager, you’ll be the one making schedules, training new hires, and hiring.

In addition, you’ll have to have eyes and ears everywhere, so giving performance evaluations makes sense.

The manager also deals with accounts, billing, and even compliance with insurance.

While walking around and keeping an eye on employees, inventory will also be a daily need.

Next would be client relations.

Each day, the manager is responsible for getting back with any clients as well as greeting the ones who come in.

Office managers often double as HR and have to deal with any behind-the-scenes issues and ethical standards.

Licensing Requirements to Become a Vet Office Manager in South Carolina

There are no licensing requirements to become an office manager of a veterinary clinic in South Carolina.

While there are no licensing requirements, it couldn’t hurt to get a certification from the Veterinary Hospital Manager’s Association.

Having some sort of education in the field for which you’re applying can always be helpful.

Many programs come with internships, too, so you can also gain hands-on experience while you learn.

Vet Office Manager Programs

University of South Carolina Upstate

This self-paced, online course can be started as soon as enrollment is official.

Once students begin the vet office manager program, the timer starts.

You have up to a year to complete all the coursework necessary to claim expert status.

In addition to learning the non-clinical side of a veterinary clinic, students get a voucher to take the QuickBooks Certified User Exam.

With the exam being from QuickBooks, it’s probably no secret that part of the course also includes a focus on bookkeeping.

Overall, this 382-hour course costs $3,800.

Veterinary Hospital Managers Association

At the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association, students can get not only get certified but they can also take the course there.

Logically, the program is called Certified Veterinary Office Manager.

The focus is on turning students into management professionals.

This program is new so getting to learn in a new environment in a fresh setting could be a benefit.

Before getting certified, students will have to learn about financial, marketing, law, qualities of leadership, human resources, and administrative duties.

Salary

The median annual salary for a vet office manager in South Carolina is $81,000.

Of course, that can vary quite a bit, depending on experience.

If you live in a city and have been doing this for a while, you can command as much as $97,000.

However, if you’re relatively new and perhaps working in a small town, that salary might be closer to $63,000.

As always, living in a more populated area will result in a higher salary no matter how much experience.

That doesn’t mean that small towns don’t have great opportunities, though.

Be sure to do a thorough check before choosing one place to settle.

Regional Salary in South Carolina