How much do veterinary assistants make a year

According to The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) 2021 Occupational Employment Statistics, salaries may vary greatly based on specialization within the field, location, years of experience and a variety of other factors.

Here’s what the BLS has to say about vet tech salaries by state:

Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

National data

Median Salary: $36,850

Projected job growth: 19.6%

10th Percentile: $28,370

25th Percentile: $29,810

75th Percentile: $45,750

90th Percentile: $48,100

Projected job growth: 19.6%

State data

StateMedian SalaryBottom 10%Top 10%Alaska$47,040$29,150$47,550Alabama$29,180$22,590$46,100Arkansas$29,120$22,880$37,510Arizona$36,690$29,110$46,860California$45,540$31,220$59,360Colorado$37,630$29,380$47,850Connecticut$46,190$30,610$59,390District of Columbia$47,010$36,820$184,640Delaware$36,360$28,240$49,700Florida$36,520$28,340$46,540Georgia$36,540$26,150$49,680Hawaii$38,940$36,590$57,550Iowa$35,930$28,820$46,210Idaho$36,330$28,620$46,190Illinois$37,950$29,310$51,620Indiana$35,980$28,010$46,150Kansas$36,140$27,980$46,410Kentucky$29,180$22,990$38,260Louisiana$28,040$18,680$37,550Massachusetts$44,210$35,460$56,350Maryland$37,390$29,730$47,690Maine$37,180$29,550$46,340Michigan$37,440$29,270$47,850Minnesota$37,240$29,650$46,780Missouri$32,170$22,850$42,050Mississippi$27,830$22,250$36,900Montana$36,210$22,730$44,190North Carolina$36,590$27,340$47,090North Dakota$36,840$29,210$46,880Nebraska$36,940$28,070$47,790New Hampshire$38,880$30,090$48,030New Jersey$38,920$29,590$54,950New Mexico$30,020$23,050$45,850Nevada$46,230$28,950$59,260New York$46,020$30,440$59,340Ohio$36,350$28,180$47,440Oklahoma$35,630$22,960$38,980Oregon$37,630$29,340$58,670Pennsylvania$36,720$28,750$48,100Rhode Island$37,190$29,670$46,870South Carolina$36,680$28,320$48,830South Dakota$36,380$28,500$46,190Tennessee$30,600$23,450$45,850Texas$30,430$23,090$43,940Utah$30,620$23,700$37,830Virginia$44,520$28,710$58,120Vermont$36,620$29,030$37,570Washington$47,010$36,990$60,210Wisconsin$36,880$28,980$47,400West Virginia$29,690$22,180$43,500Wyoming$29,450$28,800$45,850

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2021 median salary; projected job growth through 2031. Actual salaries may vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.

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How Do Veterinary Technician Salaries Compare?

Animal caretakers need talented assistants and the field of technology around animal care is growing. Because of this, new treatments and procedures are available to keep animals healthy and alive longer, so there will be an increase in services needed.

What is the Job Growth for This Field?

The job growth for veterinary technicians is projected to be higher than average; employment for vet techs is expected to grow 20 percent through 2031. Too, employment for veterinary assistants is expected to grow by 19 percent, while all other occupations in the U.S. are projected to grow 5 percent over the same time span.

What Kinds of Institutions Hire Veterinary Techs?

The majority of veterinary technicians work in the veterinary services industry—in fact, 91 percent of them do. If you focus on a certain specialization during your vet tech program, you might find yourself working somewhere more closely tied to that concentration. Specializations can be completed through professional certification, where you’ll study coursework to prep for the area you’re interested in and take an exam to earn the title offered through professional agencies offering the credential.

Veterinary technologists and technicians do medical tests that help diagnose animals’ injuries and illnesses.

Work Environment

Veterinary technologists and technicians work in private clinics, laboratories, and animal hospitals. Their jobs may be physically or emotionally demanding. Many work evenings, weekends, or holidays.

How to Become a Veterinary Technologist or Technician

Veterinary technologists and technicians must complete a postsecondary program in veterinary technology. Technologists usually need a 4-year bachelor’s degree, and technicians need a 2-year associate’s degree. Typically, both technologists and technicians must take a credentialing exam and become registered, licensed, or certified, depending on the requirements of the state in which they work.

Pay

The median annual wage for veterinary technologists and technicians was $36,850 in May 2021.

Job Outlook

Employment of veterinary technologists and technicians is projected to grow 20 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.

About 15,500 openings for veterinary technologists and technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

State & Area Data

Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for veterinary technologists and technicians.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of veterinary technologists and technicians with similar occupations.

Learn more about veterinary technologists and technicians by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.

What Veterinary Technologists and Technicians Do About this section

How much do veterinary assistants make a year

Veterinary technologists and technicians are responsible for the careful and humane handling of laboratory animals.

Veterinary technologists and technicians, supervised by licensed veterinarians, do medical tests that help diagnose animals’ injuries and illnesses.

Duties

Veterinary technologists and technicians typically do the following:

  • Observe the behavior and condition of animals
  • Provide nursing care or emergency first aid to recovering or injured animals
  • Bathe animals, clip nails or claws, and brush or cut animals’ hair
  • Restrain animals during exams or procedures
  • Administer anesthesia to animals and monitor their responses
  • Take x rays and collect and perform laboratory tests, such as urinalyses and blood counts
  • Prepare animals and instruments for surgery
  • Administer medications, vaccines, and treatments prescribed by a veterinarian
  • Collect and record animals’ case histories

In addition to helping veterinarians during animal exams, veterinary technologists and technicians do a variety of clinical, care, and laboratory tasks.

Veterinary technologists and technicians who work in research-related jobs ensure that animals are handled carefully and are treated humanely. They may help veterinarians or scientists on research projects in areas such as biomedical research, disaster preparedness, and food safety.

Typically working with small-animal practitioners who care for cats and dogs, veterinary technologists and technicians also may have tasks that involve mice, cattle, or other animals.

Veterinary technologists and technicians may specialize in a particular discipline, such as dentistry, anesthesia, emergency and critical care, and zoological medicine.

Veterinary technologists typically work in more advanced research-related jobs, usually under the guidance of a scientist or veterinarian. Some technologists work in private clinical practices. Working primarily in a laboratory setting, they may administer medications; prepare tissue samples for examination; or record an animal’s genealogy, weight, diet, and signs of pain.

Veterinary technicians generally work in private clinical practices under the guidance of a licensed veterinarian. Technicians may do laboratory tests, such as a urinalysis, and help veterinarians conduct a variety of other diagnostic tests. Although they do some of their work in a laboratory, technicians also talk with animal owners. For example, they explain a pet’s condition or how to administer medication prescribed by a veterinarian.

Work Environment About this section

How much do veterinary assistants make a year

Veterinary technologists and technicians typically work in private clinics and animal hospitals.

Veterinary technologists and technicians held about 122,800 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of veterinary technologists and technicians were as follows:

Veterinary services91%Junior colleges, colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private3Social advocacy organizations2

Veterinary technologists and technicians typically work in private clinics and animal hospitals. They also may work in laboratories, colleges and universities, and humane societies.

Their jobs may be physically or emotionally demanding. For example, they may witness abused animals or may need to help euthanize sick, injured, or unwanted animals.

Injuries and Illnesses

Veterinary technologists and technicians risk injury on the job. They may be bitten, scratched, or kicked while working with scared or aggressive animals. Injuries may happen while the technologist or technician is holding, cleaning, or restraining an animal.

Work Schedules

Veterinary technologists and technicians may have to work evenings, weekends, or holidays.

How to Become a Veterinary Technologist or Technician About this section

How much do veterinary assistants make a year

Typically, both technologists and technicians must pass a credentialing exam and must become registered, licensed, or certified, depending on the state in which they work.

Veterinary technologists and technicians must complete a postsecondary program in veterinary technology. Technologists usually need a 4-year bachelor’s degree, and technicians need a 2-year associate’s degree. Typically, both technologists and technicians must pass a credentialing exam to become registered, licensed, or certified, depending on the requirements of the state in which they work.

Education

Veterinary technologists usually have a 4-year bachelor’s degree in veterinary technology. Veterinary technicians usually have a 2-year associate’s degree in a veterinary technology program. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredits veterinary technology programs. Most of these programs offer a 2-year associate’s degree for veterinary technicians; others offer a 4-year bachelor’s degree for veterinary technologists

People interested in becoming a veterinary technologist or technician can prepare by taking biology and other science courses in high school.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Although each state regulates veterinary technologists and technicians differently, most candidates must pass a credentialing exam. Most states require technologists and technicians to pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE), offered by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards.

Important Qualities

Communication skills. Veterinary technologists and technicians communicate with supervisors, other staff, and animal owners. A growing number of technicians counsel pet owners on animal behavior and nutrition.

Compassion. Veterinary technologists and technicians must treat animals with kindness and must be sensitive when dealing with the owners of sick pets.

Detail oriented. Veterinary technologists and technicians must pay attention to detail. They must be precise when recording information, performing diagnostic tests, and administering medication.

Manual dexterity. Veterinary technologists and technicians must handle animals, medical instruments, and laboratory equipment with care. They need a steady hand for intricate tasks such as doing dental work, giving anesthesia, and taking x rays.

Physical strength. Veterinary technologists and technicians need to be able to manage and lift animals.

Pay About this section

Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

Median annual wages, May 2021

Health technologists and technicians

$46,910

Total, all occupations

$45,760

Veterinary technologists and technicians

$36,850

 

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

The median annual wage for veterinary technologists and technicians was $36,850 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,370, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $48,100.

In May 2021, the median annual wages for veterinary technologists and technicians in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

Junior colleges, colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private$46,780Veterinary services36,770Social advocacy organizations35,480

Veterinary technologists and technicians working in research positions often earn more than those in other fields.

Veterinary technologists and technicians may have to work evenings, weekends, or holidays.

Job Outlook About this section

Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31

Veterinary technologists and technicians

20%

Health technologists and technicians

7%

Total, all occupations

5%

 

Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program

Employment of veterinary technologists and technicians is projected to grow 20 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.

About 15,500 openings for veterinary technologists and technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

As the number of households with pets and spending on pets continue to rise, demand is expected to increase for veterinary technologists and technicians to do laboratory work and imaging services on household pets.

Employment projections data for veterinary technologists and technicians, 2021-31Occupational TitleSOC CodeEmployment, 2021Projected Employment, 2031Change, 2021-31Employment by IndustryPercentNumeric

SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program

Veterinary technologists and technicians

29-2056122,800146,9002024,100Get data

State & Area Data About this section

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area.

  • Veterinary technologists and technicians

Projections Central

Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state’s websites where these data may be retrieved.

CareerOneStop

CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.

What is the top pay for veterinary assistant?

While ZipRecruiter is seeing hourly wages as high as $18.75 and as low as $8.17, the majority of Veterinary Assistant wages currently range between $11.54 (25th percentile) to $15.14 (75th percentile) across the United States.

What state pays vet assistants the most?

1. Alaska.

How much do vet assistants make an hour in PA?

Salaries by years of experience in Pennsylvania.

How much does a vet assistant make in Ohio?

How much does a Veterinary Assistant make in Ohio? The average Veterinary Assistant salary in Ohio is $31,601 as of November 23, 2022, but the range typically falls between $25,462 and $38,118.