Veterinary Technician Salary
Average Veterinary Technician Salary
$38,441yearly
How much does a Veterinary Technician make?
The average salary for a veterinary technician in the United States is $38,441. Veterinary technician salaries typically range between $30,000 and $48,000 a year. The average hourly rate for veterinary technicians is $18.48 per hour.
Location, education, and experience impacts how much a veterinary technician can expect to make. Veterinary technicians make the most in California, Massachusetts, Alaska, New York, and Virginia.
The average salary for a veterinary technician is $38,441 in the US. The average veterinary technician salary ranges between $30,000 and $48,000 in the US. Hourly rates for veterinary technicians in the US typically range between $14 and $23 an hour. The average veterinary technician salary is $50,580 in California, $45,920 in Massachusetts, and $45,718 in Alaska. These are the three highest-paying states for veterinary technicians in the US. Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute has the highest average salary for veterinary technicians. Health care is the highest-paying industry for veterinary technicians in the US.
Highest Paying States For Veterinary Technicians
- State View
- County View
Veterinary Technician average salary by State
| Rank | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
| 1 | Alaska | $45,718 | $21.98 | 112 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $45,920 | $22.08 | 760 |
| 3 | Maine | $41,492 | $19.95 | 143 |
| 4 | California | $50,580 | $24.32 | 2,086 |
| 5 | Virginia | $45,131 | $21.70 | 730 |
| 6 | Washington | $44,539 | $21.41 | 546 |
| 7 | New York | $45,309 | $21.78 | 964 |
| 8 | Vermont | $41,409 | $19.91 | 67 |
| 9 | Nevada | $42,415 | $20.39 | 140 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $41,874 | $20.13 | 348 |
| 11 | Arizona | $40,201 | $19.33 | 548 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $38,715 | $18.61 | 453 |
| 13 | Idaho | $42,988 | $20.67 | 59 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $43,848 | $21.08 | 23 |
| 15 | Oregon | $42,057 | $20.22 | 272 |
| 16 | Delaware | $40,153 | $19.30 | 124 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $39,719 | $19.10 | 139 |
| 18 | Colorado | $39,613 | $19.04 | 654 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $40,476 | $19.46 | 76 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $40,507 | $19.47 | 113 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $37,130 | $17.85 | 105 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $39,532 | $19.01 | 91 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $38,554 | $18.54 | 436 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $37,880 | $18.21 | 31 |
| 25 | Michigan | $36,513 | $17.55 | 526 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $37,669 | $18.11 | 600 |
| 27 | Illinois | $37,194 | $17.88 | 853 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $35,699 | $17.16 | 671 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $36,374 | $17.49 | 745 |
| 30 | Alabama | $36,127 | $17.37 | 282 |
| 31 | Kansas | $37,174 | $17.87 | 171 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $39,714 | $19.09 | 49 |
| 33 | Utah | $34,426 | $16.55 | 256 |
| 34 | Ohio | $35,835 | $17.23 | 580 |
| 35 | Florida | $34,370 | $16.52 | 1,540 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $36,340 | $17.47 | 166 |
| 37 | Indiana | $35,974 | $17.30 | 401 |
| 38 | District of Columbia | $39,234 | $18.86 | 49 |
| 39 | Texas | $33,128 | $15.93 | 1,506 |
| 40 | Georgia | $33,363 | $16.04 | 770 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $34,008 | $16.35 | 289 |
| 42 | Maryland | $35,471 | $17.05 | 389 |
| 43 | Iowa | $33,265 | $15.99 | 218 |
| 44 | Montana | $33,563 | $16.14 | 60 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $32,158 | $15.46 | 194 |
| 46 | Missouri | $32,476 | $15.61 | 384 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $32,642 | $15.69 | 38 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $30,226 | $14.53 | 363 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $32,032 | $15.40 | 151 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $31,667 | $15.22 | 74 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $29,370 | $14.12 | 145 |
Recent Job Searches
Highest Paying Cities For Veterinary Technicians
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Count |
| 1 | San Rafael, CA | $50,900 | $24.47 | |
| 2 | Natick, MA | $45,990 | $22.11 | 5 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $45,458 | $21.85 | 40 |
| 4 | Beaverton, OR | $41,950 | $20.17 | 5 |
| 5 | Portland, ME | $41,654 | $20.03 | 2 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $40,259 | $19.36 | 13 |
| 7 | Colorado Springs, CO | $39,643 | $19.06 | 5 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $38,582 | $18.55 | 8 |
| 9 | Madison, WI | $38,578 | $18.55 | 7 |
| 10 | Mount Laurel, NJ | $37,564 | $18.06 | 3 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $37,240 | $17.90 | 16 |
| 12 | Lawrence, KS | $37,121 | $17.85 | 2 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $36,623 | $17.61 | 20 |
| 14 | Raleigh, NC | $35,815 | $17.22 | 14 |
| 15 | Indianapolis, IN | $35,784 | $17.20 | 5 |
Here Are The Five Most In Demand Cities Right Now:
Veterinary Technician Salary by Years of Experience
Veterinary Technician Salary By Experience Level
| Experience Level | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
| Entry Level | $33,600 | $16.15 |
| Mid Level | $35,600 | $17.12 |
| Senior Level | $43,100 | $20.70 |
Veterinary Technicians Salary Details
What is a Veterinary Technician’s Salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
| 90th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
| 75th Percentile | $43,000 | $3,583 | $21 |
| Average | $38,441 | $3,203 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
Highest Paying Types of Veterinary Technicians
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
| Laboratory Animal Technician | $30,382 | $2,532 | $14.61 | 63,768 |
| Animal Health Technician | $37,267 | $3,106 | $17.92 | 89,376 |
| Medical Service Technician | $37,943 | $3,162 | $18.24 | 189,362 |
| Technician | $38,045 | $3,170 | $18.29 | 596,842 |
| Animal Care Technician | $29,617 | $2,468 | $14.24 | 96,973 |
| Animal Technician | $31,378 | $2,615 | $15.09 | 39,917 |
Which Companies Pay Veterinary Technicians The Most?
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
| 1 | Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute | $60,705 | $29.19 | 6 |
| 2 | Catapult Systems | $57,126 | $27.46 | |
| 3 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $53,825 | $25.88 | 74 |
| 4 | Brigham and Women’s Hospital | $53,734 | $25.83 | 5 |
| 5 | Massachusetts General Hospital | $52,967 | $25.46 | 5 |
| 6 | Michigan State University | $52,326 | $25.16 | |
| 7 | AbbVie | $51,103 | $24.57 | 5 |
| 8 | Leidos | $50,981 | $24.51 | 2 |
| 9 | Genentech | $50,861 | $24.45 | |
| 10 | Culver Academies | $49,288 | $23.70 | |
| 11 | St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital | $48,922 | $23.52 | 3 |
| 12 | City of Los Angeles | $48,596 | $23.36 | 1 |
| 13 | Ross Institute | $48,489 | $23.31 | |
| 14 | The Rockefeller University | $48,155 | $23.15 | 2 |
| 15 | Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc | $48,112 | $23.13 | |
| 16 | University of Colorado Boulder | $47,785 | $22.97 | |
| 17 | City of Jacksonville | $47,723 | $22.94 | 1 |
| 18 | Emory University | $47,496 | $22.83 | |
| 19 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $47,233 | $22.71 | 13 |
| 20 | Tampa Bay Water | $46,644 | $22.43 |
Veterinary Technician Pay Trends
Average Veterinary Technician Salary Over Time
Compare salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Veterinary Technician Salary By Year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
| 2023 | $38,400 | $18.48 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $37,400 | $18.00 | +2.5% |
| 2021 | $36,500 | $17.54 | +3.0% |
| 2020 | $35,400 | $17.02 | +2.7% |
| 2019 | $34,400 | $16.56 | +2.1% |
Recently Added Veterinary Technician Salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
| Labcorp | Veterinary Technician-Clinical Research | Madison, WI | 11/28/2022 | $48,001 |
| National Veterinary Associates | Veterinary Technician-Non-Credentialed | Billings, MT | 11/28/2022 | $31,305 |
| National Veterinary Associates | Veterinary Technician Lead | Camarillo, CA | 11/28/2022 | $48,001 |
| National Veterinary Associates | Veterinary Technician-Credentialed | Des Moines, IA | 11/28/2022 | $35,479 |
| Petco | Veterinary Technician | Denver, CO | 11/28/2022 | $39,131 |
| Alpine Animal Hospital | Veterinary Technician | Alpine, UT | 11/28/2022 | $22,957 |
| South Sioux Animal Hospital | Veterinary Technician | South Sioux City, NE | 11/28/2022 | $35,479 |
| Ethos Veterinary Health LLC | Veterinary Technician (RVT)-Neurology | San Diego, CA | 11/27/2022 | $52,175 |
| Veterinary Practice Partners | Veterinary Technician ! | Flexible Schedule | | Perkasie, PA | 11/27/2022 | $39,653 |
| Banfield Pet Hospital | Veterinary Technician | Las Vegas, NV | 11/26/2022 | $37,566 |
Veterinary Technician Salaries FAQs
What State Pays Veterinary Technicians The Most?
California pays Veterinary Technicians the most in the United States, with an average salary of $50,580 per year, or $24.32 per hour.
How Do I Know If I’m Being Paid Fairly As A Veterinary Technician?
You know if you are being paid fairly as a Veterinary Technician if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Massachusetts you should be paid close to $45,920 per year.
What Is A Good Starting Salary For A Veterinary Technician?
A good starting salary for a veterinary technician is $28,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a veterinary technician in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for veterinary technicians is $37,434, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a veterinary technician can vary by state.
What Is The Beginning Salary For A Vet Tech?
The beginning salary for a vet tech is typically around $25,000 a year. This salary tends to be low because the veterinary technician has limited experience in critical specialties of the field.
Search For Veterinary Technician Jobs
