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Veterinary technician salary
Average veterinary technician salary
$38,441
Average Veterinary Technician Salary
The average salary for a veterinary technician in the United States is approximately $38,441 per year, or about $18 per hour. This figure can vary based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and specific areas of expertise. For example, veterinary technicians working in metropolitan areas often earn higher salaries compared to those in rural regions.
Veterinary Technician Salaries by Experience Level
Entry-level veterinary technicians can expect to earn less than their experienced counterparts. Those with several years of experience may see their salaries increase significantly. Typically, technicians with specialized certifications or advanced training may command higher wages, further enhancing their earning potential.
Highest Paying States for Veterinary Technicians
States such as California, New York, and Massachusetts often offer the highest salaries for veterinary technicians. Factors such as the cost of living and demand for veterinary services contribute to these differences. Understanding regional salary trends can help job seekers make informed decisions about where to pursue their careers.
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Where can a Veterinary Technician earn more?
Veterinary technician salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level veterinary technician | $33,600 | $16.15 |
| Mid-level veterinary technician | $35,600 | $17.12 |
| Senior-level veterinary technician | $43,100 | $20.70 |
Veterinary technician salary estimates from across the web
Average veterinary technician salary by state
The average veterinary technician salary in California, Massachusetts, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average veterinary technician salary states are Missouri, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for veterinary technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $45,718 | $21.98 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $45,920 | $22.08 |
| 3 | Maine | $41,492 | $19.95 |
| 4 | California | $50,580 | $24.32 |
| 5 | Virginia | $45,131 | $21.70 |
| 6 | Washington | $44,539 | $21.41 |
| 7 | New York | $45,309 | $21.78 |
| 8 | Vermont | $41,409 | $19.91 |
| 9 | Nevada | $42,415 | $20.39 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $41,874 | $20.13 |
| 11 | Arizona | $40,201 | $19.33 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $38,715 | $18.61 |
| 13 | Idaho | $42,988 | $20.67 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $43,848 | $21.08 |
| 15 | Oregon | $42,057 | $20.22 |
| 16 | Delaware | $40,153 | $19.30 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $39,719 | $19.10 |
| 18 | Colorado | $39,613 | $19.04 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $40,476 | $19.46 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $40,507 | $19.47 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $37,130 | $17.85 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $39,532 | $19.01 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $38,554 | $18.54 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $37,880 | $18.21 |
| 25 | Michigan | $36,513 | $17.55 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $37,669 | $18.11 |
| 27 | Illinois | $37,194 | $17.88 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $35,699 | $17.16 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $36,374 | $17.49 |
| 30 | Alabama | $36,127 | $17.37 |
| 31 | Kansas | $37,174 | $17.87 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $39,714 | $19.09 |
| 33 | Utah | $34,426 | $16.55 |
| 34 | Ohio | $35,835 | $17.23 |
| 35 | Florida | $34,370 | $16.52 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $36,340 | $17.47 |
| 37 | Indiana | $35,974 | $17.30 |
| 38 | District of Columbia | $39,234 | $18.86 |
| 39 | Texas | $33,128 | $15.93 |
| 40 | Georgia | $33,363 | $16.04 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $34,008 | $16.35 |
| 42 | Maryland | $35,471 | $17.05 |
| 43 | Iowa | $33,265 | $15.99 |
| 44 | Montana | $33,563 | $16.14 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $32,158 | $15.46 |
| 46 | Missouri | $32,476 | $15.61 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $32,642 | $15.69 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $30,226 | $14.53 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $32,032 | $15.40 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $31,667 | $15.22 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $29,370 | $14.12 |
Highest paying cities for veterinary technicians
The highest-paying cities for veterinary technicians are San Rafael, CA, Natick, MA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Rafael, CA | $50,900 | $24.47 |
| 2 | Natick, MA | $45,990 | $22.11 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $45,458 | $21.85 |
| 4 | Beaverton, OR | $41,950 | $20.17 |
| 5 | Portland, ME | $41,654 | $20.03 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $40,259 | $19.36 |
| 7 | Colorado Springs, CO | $39,643 | $19.06 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | $38,582 | $18.55 |
| 9 | Madison, WI | $38,578 | $18.55 |
| 10 | Mount Laurel, NJ | $37,564 | $18.06 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $37,240 | $17.90 |
| 12 | Lawrence, KS | $37,121 | $17.85 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $36,623 | $17.61 |
| 14 | Raleigh, NC | $35,815 | $17.22 |
| 15 | Indianapolis, IN | $35,784 | $17.20 |
| 16 | Baltimore, MD | $35,608 | $17.12 |
| 17 | Sarasota, FL | $34,674 | $16.67 |
| 18 | Salt Lake City, UT | $34,348 | $16.51 |
| 19 | Columbia, SC | $34,033 | $16.36 |
| 20 | San Antonio, TX | $33,494 | $16.10 |
Veterinary Technicians are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Veterinary technician salary details
A veterinary technician's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $48,000 at the 90th percentile.
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 veterinary technician jobs
The highest paying types of veterinary technicians are surgery technician, certified veterinary technician, and licensed veterinary technician.
| 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 |
Top companies hiring veterinary technicians now:
Which companies pay veterinary technicians the most?
Veterinary technician salaries at Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute and Catapult Systems are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average veterinary technician salary at companies like Columbia University in the City of New York and Brigham and Women's Hospital are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute | $60,705 | $29.19 |
| 2 | Catapult Systems | $57,126 | $27.46 |
| 3 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $53,825 | $25.88 |
| 4 | Brigham and Women's Hospital | $53,734 | $25.83 |
| 5 | Massachusetts General Hospital | $52,967 | $25.46 |
| 6 | Michigan State University | $52,326 | $25.16 |
| 7 | AbbVie | $51,103 | $24.57 |
| 8 | Leidos | $50,981 | $24.51 |
| 9 | Genentech | $50,861 | $24.45 |
| 10 | Culver Academies | $49,288 | $23.70 |
| 11 | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | $48,922 | $23.52 |
| 12 | City of Los Angeles | $48,596 | $23.36 |
| 13 | Ross Institute | $48,489 | $23.31 |
| 14 | The Rockefeller University | $48,155 | $23.15 |
| 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 |
| 18 | Emory University | $47,496 | $22.83 |
| 19 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $47,233 | $22.71 |
| 20 | Tampa Bay Water | $46,644 | $22.43 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Veterinary technician salary trends
The average veterinary technician salary has risen by $6,488 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average veterinary technician earned $31,953 annually, but today, they earn $38,441 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for veterinary technicians over the last decade.
Compare veterinary technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average veterinary technician salary over time
Compare veterinary technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Veterinary technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $38,400 | $18.48 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $37,400 | $18.00 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | $36,500 | $17.54 | +3.0% |
| 2022 | $35,400 | $17.02 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $34,400 | $16.56 | +2.1% |
Recently added veterinary technician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota | Veterinary Technician or Senior Veterinary Technician-Oncology | Minneapolis, MN | 06/30/2025 | $51,904 |
| University of Wisconsin Madison | Veterinary Technician: Large Animal Hospital: 9A-9P X 3 Days/Week | Madison, WI | 06/30/2025 | $38,317 |
| Abbvie | Veterinary Technician II | North Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $48,001 |
| Alliance Animal Health | Veterinary Technician | Lubbock, TX | 06/29/2025 | $34,436 |
| Veterinary Care | Veterinary Technician | Wildwood, MO | 06/29/2025 | $37,566 |
| Petvet Care Centers | Veterinary Technician | Bohemia, NY | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| Bond Vet | Veterinary Technician | Boston, MA | 06/29/2025 | $39,653 |
| Actalent | **Veterinary Technician** | Montgomery City, MO | 06/29/2025 | $45,760 |
| Altasciences Co | Veterinary Technician | Everett, WA | 06/29/2025 | $48,001 |
| Bond Vet | Veterinary Technician-East 86Th Street | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $39,653 |
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