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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.
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.
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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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly 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 |
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.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $46,214 | $22.22 |
| 2 | Virginia | $48,082 | $23.12 |
| 3 | California | $48,939 | $23.53 |
| 4 | Nevada | $44,244 | $21.27 |
| 5 | Washington | $45,217 | $21.74 |
| 6 | Oregon | $46,074 | $22.15 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $45,206 | $21.73 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $43,864 | $21.09 |
| 9 | Arizona | $41,318 | $19.86 |
| 10 | New York | $46,012 | $22.12 |
| 11 | Delaware | $42,498 | $20.43 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $41,997 | $20.19 |
| 13 | Maine | $40,213 | $19.33 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $44,037 | $21.17 |
| 15 | Colorado | $40,852 | $19.64 |
| 16 | Idaho | $43,856 | $21.08 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $40,974 | $19.70 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $40,349 | $19.40 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $38,829 | $18.67 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $40,067 | $19.26 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $37,844 | $18.19 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $38,889 | $18.70 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $41,234 | $19.82 |
| 24 | Vermont | $40,389 | $19.42 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $38,622 | $18.57 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $39,582 | $19.03 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $38,555 | $18.54 |
| 28 | Ohio | $37,129 | $17.85 |
| 29 | Michigan | $37,329 | $17.95 |
| 30 | Illinois | $38,059 | $18.30 |
| 31 | Kansas | $37,994 | $18.27 |
| 32 | Utah | $35,228 | $16.94 |
| 33 | Indiana | $36,927 | $17.75 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $42,111 | $20.25 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $36,552 | $17.57 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $37,154 | $17.86 |
| 37 | Florida | $33,807 | $16.25 |
| 38 | Maryland | $37,865 | $18.20 |
| 39 | Georgia | $33,477 | $16.09 |
| 40 | Alabama | $36,194 | $17.40 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $34,251 | $16.47 |
| 42 | Texas | $31,761 | $15.27 |
| 43 | Montana | $34,007 | $16.35 |
| 44 | Iowa | $33,916 | $16.31 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $32,458 | $15.60 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $33,235 | $15.98 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $30,480 | $14.65 |
| 48 | Missouri | $32,862 | $15.80 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $32,454 | $15.60 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $32,033 | $15.40 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $29,602 | $14.23 |
The highest-paying cities for veterinary technician assistants are Bakersfield, CA, Portland, OR, and Greenfield, WI.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bakersfield, CA | $49,326 | $23.71 |
| 2 | Portland, OR | $45,912 | $22.07 |
| 3 | Greenfield, WI | $43,906 | $21.11 |
| 4 | Newark, DE | $42,421 | $20.39 |
| 5 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $41,253 | $19.83 |
| 6 | Highlands Ranch, CO | $40,895 | $19.66 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $40,328 | $19.39 |
| 8 | Toms River, NJ | $39,048 | $18.77 |
| 9 | Garden City, KS | $38,819 | $18.66 |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $38,169 | $18.35 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $38,013 | $18.28 |
| 12 | Medina, OH | $37,671 | $18.11 |
| 13 | Crown Point, IN | $37,202 | $17.89 |
| 14 | Cary, NC | $36,907 | $17.74 |
| 15 | Gainesville, FL | $33,627 | $16.17 |
| 16 | Saint Louis, MO | $32,738 | $15.74 |
| 17 | Corpus Christi, TX | $31,765 | $15.27 |
A veterinary technician assistant's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $49,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly 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 |
The highest paying types of veterinary technician assistants are surgery technician, certified veterinary technician, and licensed veterinary technician.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Health Technician | $37,267 | $3,106 | $17.92 | 89,376 |
| Laboratory Animal Technician | $30,382 | $2,532 | $14.61 | 63,768 |
| Technician | $38,045 | $3,170 | $18.29 | 596,842 |
| Kennel Technician | $26,664 | $2,222 | $12.82 | 30,123 |
| Animal Technician | $31,378 | $2,615 | $15.09 | 39,917 |
| Clinical Technician | $35,760 | $2,980 | $17.19 | 161,812 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for veterinary technician assistants, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Jamie Rauscher RVT
Medical Manager, Animal Hospital of Towne Lake and Cat Clinic of Woodstock
Top companies hiring veterinary technician assistants now:
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.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin System | $49,714 | $23.90 |
| 2 | Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs | $49,196 | $23.65 |
| 3 | Ethos Veterinary Health | $42,799 | $20.58 |
| 4 | DoveLewis | $42,278 | $20.33 |
| 5 | Best Friends Animal Society | $41,975 | $20.18 |
| 6 | University Of Minnesota Physicians | $41,444 | $19.93 |
| 7 | VCA Animal Hospitals | $41,080 | $19.75 |
| 8 | The Animal Medical Center | $40,838 | $19.63 |
| 9 | Riverview | $40,814 | $19.62 |
| 10 | Ohana Pediatrics | $40,796 | $19.61 |
| 11 | BluePearl Vet | $40,746 | $19.59 |
| 12 | noahshospitals | $40,414 | $19.43 |
| 13 | Agri Beef | $39,761 | $19.12 |
| 14 | iHire | $39,518 | $19.00 |
| 15 | HARBORSIDE HEALTHCARE CORP | $38,846 | $18.68 |
| 16 | VetCor | $38,123 | $18.33 |
| 17 | Fairview Hospital / Cleveland Clinic | $37,802 | $18.17 |
| 18 | Banfield Pet Hospital | $37,555 | $18.06 |
| 19 | University of Colorado Denver | $37,375 | $17.97 |
| 20 | St Francis | $34,855 | $16.76 |
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.
Compare veterinary technician assistant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly 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% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VCA Animal Hospitals | Veterinary Technician Assistant | Rowe, MA | 06/28/2025 | $37,566 |
| Metropolitan Veterinary Associates | Veterinary Technician Assistant-Discharge | Norristown, PA | 06/27/2025 | $39,653 |
| Petvet Care Centers | Veterinary Technician Assistant | Lakewood, CO | 06/27/2025 | $34,561 |
| Texas A&M University | Veterinary Technician Assistant-Small Animal Anesthesia | College Station, TX | 06/27/2025 | $34,122 |
| Southern Veterinary Partners, LLC | Veterinary Assistant/Veterinary Technician | New Orleans, LA | 06/24/2025 | $31,305 |
| Vetcor | Veterinary Assistant/Technician | Oxnard, CA | 06/21/2025 | $37,566 |
| Alliance Animal Health | Veterinary Technician/Assistant | Decatur, GA | 06/20/2025 | $35,479 |
| North Dekalb Veterinary Clinic | Veterinary Technician/Assistant | Decatur, GA | 06/20/2025 | $35,479 |
| Charles River | Veterinary Technician Assistant I | Rowe, MA | 06/19/2025 | $45,914 |
| National Veterinary Associates | Veterinary Technician or Veterinary Assistant | Torrance, CA | 06/18/2025 | $37,566 |
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