What Does a Necropsy Technician Do?
Calm, careful people with strong stomachs do best in this line of work. Necropsy technicians work beside veterinary pathologists in diagnostic labs, veterinary schools and research companies, opening animal bodies with care and saving the tissues that show why each one died. The cases range from a farmer's calf or a family dog to rats in a drug safety study.
Necropsy Technician Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a necropsy technician include:
- Receive animal remains, check submission forms and log each case into the lab system.
- Open carcasses and remove organs for the pathologist, following the lab's dissection routine.
- Weigh and measure organs, photograph lesions and record the findings the pathologist dictates.
- Collect tissue, fluid and swab samples and route them to bacteriology, virology or toxicology.
- Place tissues in formalin, label cassettes and deliver them to the histology lab.
- Clean and disinfect tables, saws and floors between cases to stop disease spreading.
- Operate the walk-in cooler, bone saw and carcass disposal equipment under biosafety rules.
- Wear respirators and full protective gear for rabies suspects and diseases people can catch from animals.
- Package samples for outside labs following courier and dangerous goods shipping rules.
- Restock instruments, blades and supplies, and keep the necropsy room ready for inspection.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a necropsy technician, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Veterinary technician credential, often preferred
- Animal anatomy and dissection technique
- Biosafety practice and protective equipment
- A strong stomach for odors and difficult cases
- Careful labeling and sample custody records
- Strength for moving large carcasses with hoists
- Sharpening and caring for knives and saws
- Courtesy with farmers and vets who drop off cases
Education and Training
An associate's degree in veterinary technology is the standard route into necropsy work. Lab animal and veterinary assistant jobs offer a second way in, with the training done on the job. Many labs prefer credentialed technicians, and necropsy skills carry over later to histology, lab management or research support.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $38,910 - $57,650 per year, with a median of $47,380.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Employment of veterinary technologists and technicians is projected to grow about 9 percent from 2025 to 2035, according to BLS. Most of the group's roughly 13,400 openings a year are likely to be in animal hospitals and clinics, so necropsy posts are far fewer and tend to cluster around veterinary schools and state diagnostic labs.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Veterinary technologists and technicians.