Can you make a living as a vet assistant?

Question

Zippia Team · Accepted Answer

No, you can not make a living as a vet assistant. Working as a vet assistant earns you, on average, $28,000 a year ($13.50 an hour) with a modest range between $20,000 a year ($10.02 an hour) to $38,000 a year ($18.27 an hour).

While this is decent money, it would be hard to get by working just as a vet assistant based on the cost of living in most places.

A vet assistant working in New York, NY, for example, averages $38,876 a year ($18.69 an hour). Compared to the average cost of a studio apartment in New York, NY, which is $3,237 a month.

On a similar note, a vet assistant working in Miami, FL, averages $26,124 a year ($12.56 an hour), and the average price of a studio there is $1,998 a month.

The number of years of experience does improve earnings over time, but not by that much. Someone in the first few years of their career as a vet assistant can expect to make around $11.93 an hour, whereas those with 20 plus years of experience earn around $15.00 an hour.