What Are the Duties of a Necropsy Technician?

What Are the Duties of a Necropsy Technician?
Written By
Diane Stevens
Diane Stevens
Apr 29, 2010
1 minute read

A necropsy technician assists a veterinarian or veterinary pathologist with the autopsy of an animal. The reason for the autopsy may be to determine cause of death, for research or for instructional purposes. Typical duties include maintaining equipment, cleaning and preparing examination and laboratory areas, assisting with the removal and processing of organs and disposal of remains.

Background Required

A high school diploma is required, with additional technical coursework on dissection and anatomy, or the equivalent through experience. A necropsy technician should be organized and able to maintain accurate records. He must be comfortable working in the necropsy laboratory environment where, for instance, chemicals and decomposition can create unpleasant odors.

Photo Credits

Huntstock/DisabilityImages/Getty Images

Diane Stevens

Diane Stevens' professional experience started in 1970 with a computer programming position. Beginning in 1985, running her own business gave her extensive experience in personal and business finance. Her writing appears on Orbitz's Travel…

Sponsored
Career Trend Logo

Career Trend is the go-to guide for readers navigating their careers, offering diverse and credible content for those looking to achieve professional success.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.