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Veterinary technician assistant salary

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Jamie Rauscher RVT

Average veterinary technician assistant salary

$39,025

$18.76 hourly rate

Entry-level veterinary technician assistant salary
$30,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding the Veterinary Technician Assistant Salary

The Veterinary Technician Assistant role is essential in veterinary practices, where professionals assist in diagnosing and treating animals. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is $39,025 annually, translating to about $19 per hour. Factors influencing this salary include geographical location, experience level, and the specific veterinary setting.

Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level assistants may earn less, while those with several years of experience can command higher wages. According to various sources, the pay can range from $30,000 to upwards of $50,000 depending on experience and additional certifications.

Highest Paying States

States such as California, New York, and Texas offer some of the highest salaries for Veterinary Technician Assistants. For instance, in California, the average salary exceeds $45,000, reflecting the demand for skilled professionals in metropolitan areas.

Overall, pursuing a career as a Veterinary Technician Assistant offers a pathway to contribute positively to animal health while enjoying competitive compensation.

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Where can a Veterinary Technician Assistant earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
62k
42k
22k
2k
Columbus, OH$49,326
Corpus Christi, TX$31,765
Compare salary by company
Vs
65k
45k
25k
5k
University of Wisconsin System$49,714
St Francis$34,855

Veterinary technician assistant salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level veterinary technician assistant$34,100$16.40
Mid-level veterinary technician assistant$36,200$17.38
Senior-level veterinary technician assistant$43,700$21.01

Veterinary technician assistant salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter and Comparably, the average salary for a veterinary technician assistant typically falls between $36,814 and $67,268.
zippia
$39,025yearly
glassdoor[1]
$41,746yearly
comparably[2]
$67,268yearly
ZipRecruiter[3]
$36,814yearly

Average veterinary technician assistant salary by state

The average veterinary technician assistant salary in California, Virginia, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average veterinary technician assistant salary states are Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Louisiana.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for veterinary technician assistants

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Alaska$46,214$22.22
2Virginia$48,082$23.12
3California$48,939$23.53
4Nevada$44,244$21.27
5Washington$45,217$21.74
6Oregon$46,074$22.15
7Massachusetts$45,206$21.73
8Wisconsin$43,864$21.09
9Arizona$41,318$19.86
10New York$46,012$22.12
11Delaware$42,498$20.43
12Connecticut$41,997$20.19
13Maine$40,213$19.33
14North Dakota$44,037$21.17
15Colorado$40,852$19.64
16Idaho$43,856$21.08
17Nebraska$40,974$19.70
18Minnesota$40,349$19.40
19New Hampshire$38,829$18.67
20Rhode Island$40,067$19.26
21Pennsylvania$37,844$18.19
22West Virginia$38,889$18.70
23Hawaii$41,234$19.82
24Vermont$40,389$19.42
25New Jersey$38,622$18.57
26Mississippi$39,582$19.03
27Wyoming$38,555$18.54
28Ohio$37,129$17.85
29Michigan$37,329$17.95
30Illinois$38,059$18.30
31Kansas$37,994$18.27
32Utah$35,228$16.94
33Indiana$36,927$17.75
34District of Columbia$42,111$20.25
35North Carolina$36,552$17.57
36Kentucky$37,154$17.86
37Florida$33,807$16.25
38Maryland$37,865$18.20
39Georgia$33,477$16.09
40Alabama$36,194$17.40
41South Carolina$34,251$16.47
42Texas$31,761$15.27
43Montana$34,007$16.35
44Iowa$33,916$16.31
45Oklahoma$32,458$15.60
46South Dakota$33,235$15.98
47Tennessee$30,480$14.65
48Missouri$32,862$15.80
49New Mexico$32,454$15.60
50Louisiana$32,033$15.40
51Arkansas$29,602$14.23
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Highest paying cities for veterinary technician assistants

The highest-paying cities for veterinary technician assistants are Bakersfield, CA, Portland, OR, and Greenfield, WI.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Bakersfield, CA$49,326$23.71
2Portland, OR$45,912$22.07
3Greenfield, WI$43,906$21.11
4Newark, DE$42,421$20.39
5Urban Honolulu, HI$41,253$19.83
6Highlands Ranch, CO$40,895$19.66
7Minneapolis, MN$40,328$19.39
8Toms River, NJ$39,048$18.77
9Garden City, KS$38,819$18.66
10Chicago, IL$38,169$18.35
11Baltimore, MD$38,013$18.28
12Medina, OH$37,671$18.11
13Crown Point, IN$37,202$17.89
14Cary, NC$36,907$17.74
15Gainesville, FL$33,627$16.17
16Saint Louis, MO$32,738$15.74
17Corpus Christi, TX$31,765$15.27

Veterinary technician assistant salary details

A veterinary technician assistant's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $49,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average veterinary technician assistant salary graph
Average veterinary technician assistant salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a veterinary technician assistant's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$49,000$4,083$24
75th Percentile$44,000$3,667$21
Average$39,025$3,252$19
25th Percentile$34,000$2,833$16
10th Percentile$30,000$2,500$14

Highest paying veterinary technician assistant jobs

The highest paying types of veterinary technician assistants are surgery technician, certified veterinary technician, and licensed veterinary technician.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Animal Health Technician$37,267$3,106$17.9289,376
Laboratory Animal Technician$30,382$2,532$14.6163,768
Technician$38,045$3,170$18.29596,842
Kennel Technician$26,664$2,222$12.8230,123
Animal Technician$31,378$2,615$15.0939,917
Clinical Technician$35,760$2,980$17.19161,812

How would you rate the starting salaries for veterinary technician assistants, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

I live in Georgia. Starting salaries for a RVT in this state is around $17 an hour. 25 years ago I made $5 an hour walking dogs and cleaning kennels. My salary now is set to cover that of a RVT with management duties. Again, I do believe that employers that pay their staff well will be able to retain them longterm. If you feel like you deserve a raise, prove it, stand up for yourself, and ask for it! Technicians that obtain their specialties or go into management will make more as their education/skills progress.

Which companies pay veterinary technician assistants the most?

Veterinary technician assistant salaries at University of Wisconsin System and Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average veterinary technician assistant salary at companies like Ethos Veterinary Health and DoveLewis are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1University of Wisconsin System$49,714$23.90
2Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs$49,196$23.65
3Ethos Veterinary Health$42,799$20.58
4DoveLewis$42,278$20.33
5Best Friends Animal Society$41,975$20.18
6University Of Minnesota Physicians$41,444$19.93
7VCA Animal Hospitals$41,080$19.75
8The Animal Medical Center$40,838$19.63
9Riverview$40,814$19.62
10Ohana Pediatrics$40,796$19.61
11BluePearl Vet$40,746$19.59
12noahshospitals$40,414$19.43
13Agri Beef$39,761$19.12
14iHire$39,518$19.00
15HARBORSIDE HEALTHCARE CORP$38,846$18.68
16VetCor$38,123$18.33
17Fairview Hospital / Cleveland Clinic$37,802$18.17
18Banfield Pet Hospital$37,555$18.06
19University of Colorado Denver$37,375$17.97
20St Francis$34,855$16.76

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$40,000$39,800$39,600$39,400$39,200$39,000
MaleFemale

Veterinary technician assistant salary trends

The average veterinary technician assistant salary has risen by $6,587 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average veterinary technician assistant earned $32,438 annually, but today, they earn $39,025 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for veterinary technician assistants over the last decade.

Compare veterinary technician assistant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average veterinary technician assistant salary over time

Compare veterinary technician assistant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Veterinary technician assistant salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$39,000$18.76+2.6%
2025$38,000$18.28+2.5%
2024$37,000$17.81+3.0%
2023$35,900$17.28+2.7%
2022$35,000$16.81+2.1%

Recently added veterinary technician assistant salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
VCA Animal HospitalsVeterinary Technician AssistantRowe, MA06/28/2025$37,566
Metropolitan Veterinary AssociatesVeterinary Technician Assistant-DischargeNorristown, PA06/27/2025$39,653
Petvet Care CentersVeterinary Technician AssistantLakewood, CO06/27/2025$34,561
Texas A&M UniversityVeterinary Technician Assistant-Small Animal AnesthesiaCollege Station, TX06/27/2025$34,122
Southern Veterinary Partners, LLCVeterinary Assistant/Veterinary TechnicianNew Orleans, LA06/24/2025$31,305
VetcorVeterinary Assistant/TechnicianOxnard, CA06/21/2025$37,566
Alliance Animal HealthVeterinary Technician/AssistantDecatur, GA06/20/2025$35,479
North Dekalb Veterinary ClinicVeterinary Technician/AssistantDecatur, GA06/20/2025$35,479
Charles RiverVeterinary Technician Assistant IRowe, MA06/19/2025$45,914
National Veterinary AssociatesVeterinary Technician or Veterinary AssistantTorrance, CA06/18/2025$37,566

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