Salary guide
Veterinary Salary Guide
What veterinary teams earn in every state, from the newest federal wage data, side by side with what things cost there. Use the calculator to place yourself in your state's range, then share it or see jobs that pay it.
Pay calculator
Estimated pay for you (national)
$35,710/yr
$35,710/yrMedian $47,380/yr$63,180/yr
- National median
- $47,380/yr
- Cost of living index
- 100.0
- Buying power
- $47,380/yr
- Rank (pay / buying power)
- —
How the estimate works: we place you along your state's 10th–90th percentile range by years of experience, and move credentialed techs 10 points higher. The credential step is our assumption, not a BLS figure; NAVTA's mostly credentialed members averaged $26.50 an hour in 2022, above the BLS median. Real offers depend on the clinic, shift and benefits.
Highest and lowest paying states for veterinary technicians
All states
| District of Columbia | $61,270 | $50,390 | $81,990 | 109.9 | $55,750 | 120 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $60,630 | $48,240 | $75,860 | 110.7 | $54,760 | 11,310 |
| Washington | $59,740 | $46,390 | $77,300 | 107.0 | $55,825 | 2,290 |
| New York | $59,010 | $47,640 | $78,760 | 107.9 | $54,679 | 5,350 |
| Minnesota | $57,270 | $42,640 | $65,120 | 98.6 | $58,071 | 3,560 |
| Oregon | $55,810 | $39,920 | $77,710 | 103.4 | $53,995 | 1,120 |
| Virginia | $52,090 | $35,590 | $75,770 | 101.1 | $51,521 | 2,790 |
| Connecticut | $50,950 | $41,480 | $75,090 | 103.6 | $49,175 | 1,690 |
| Maine | $50,810 | $47,340 | $57,690 | 97.1 | $52,354 | 910 |
| Nevada | $50,250 | $34,700 | $65,420 | 100.0 | $50,261 | 1,120 |
| Michigan | $49,710 | $37,410 | $63,020 | 96.2 | $51,664 | 2,550 |
| Colorado | $49,650 | $37,820 | $60,380 | 103.1 | $48,180 | 3,720 |
| Massachusetts | $49,540 | $37,500 | $64,470 | 105.8 | $46,843 | 3,990 |
| Vermont | $49,490 | $48,050 | $58,430 | 98.0 | $50,522 | 390 |
| New Jersey | $49,050 | $37,870 | $75,310 | 108.8 | $45,081 | 2,910 |
| North Dakota | $48,790 | $35,960 | $56,980 | 89.0 | $54,845 | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $48,780 | $37,450 | $60,840 | 104.2 | $46,830 | 870 |
| Indiana | $48,720 | $37,820 | $59,490 | 93.3 | $52,202 | 1,820 |
| Hawaii | $48,550 | $35,990 | $62,660 | 110.0 | $44,156 | 270 |
| Delaware | $48,370 | $37,250 | $61,890 | 99.8 | $48,463 | 530 |
| Ohio | $47,990 | $34,760 | $61,360 | 92.8 | $51,728 | 4,790 |
| North Carolina | $47,620 | $35,890 | $59,420 | 94.3 | $50,484 | 2,580 |
| Maryland | $47,350 | $38,750 | $74,460 | 105.0 | $45,113 | 2,540 |
| Wisconsin | $47,020 | $37,900 | $59,110 | 94.1 | $49,971 | 2,590 |
| Alaska | $46,480 | $37,010 | $75,820 | 102.4 | $45,409 | 380 |
| Illinois | $46,440 | $38,580 | $60,520 | 100.0 | $46,460 | 5,040 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,430 | $36,480 | $60,280 | 97.6 | $47,585 | 6,620 |
| Florida | $46,380 | $36,600 | $57,870 | 103.4 | $44,849 | 11,380 |
| Arizona | $46,300 | $37,870 | $58,350 | 100.7 | $45,989 | 3,970 |
| Kansas | $45,810 | $36,780 | $58,250 | 90.1 | $50,862 | 1,270 |
| Iowa | $45,560 | $36,290 | $63,860 | 87.8 | $51,913 | 1,220 |
| Rhode Island | $45,310 | $37,570 | $63,590 | 102.3 | $44,300 | 530 |
| South Dakota | $45,300 | $35,780 | $50,440 | 88.6 | $51,137 | 300 |
| New Mexico | $44,790 | $31,350 | $56,870 | 92.2 | $48,573 | 890 |
| Nebraska | $43,680 | $37,770 | $57,310 | 90.1 | $48,478 | 690 |
| Missouri | $43,520 | $31,940 | $49,260 | 90.8 | $47,921 | 2,040 |
| Georgia | $43,060 | $35,060 | $58,590 | 96.3 | $44,718 | 2,410 |
| Tennessee | $42,810 | $31,660 | $57,040 | 91.9 | $46,598 | 1,640 |
| Idaho | $42,120 | $31,900 | $48,660 | 95.5 | $44,107 | 790 |
| Montana | $41,170 | $35,420 | $57,660 | 94.6 | $43,499 | 480 |
| Utah | $40,560 | $29,640 | $55,330 | 98.9 | $41,026 | 1,550 |
| Kentucky | $39,590 | $28,490 | $50,530 | 90.2 | $43,911 | 1,670 |
| Texas | $39,410 | $30,320 | $54,610 | 97.1 | $40,605 | 16,730 |
| Oklahoma | $39,100 | $31,390 | $53,880 | 87.8 | $44,511 | 1,060 |
| South Carolina | $39,020 | $33,870 | $57,970 | 93.7 | $41,622 | 2,540 |
| Wyoming | $38,650 | $28,630 | $49,260 | 92.7 | $41,698 | 310 |
| Arkansas | $38,360 | $27,250 | $47,820 | 86.9 | $44,124 | 320 |
| West Virginia | $37,700 | $29,430 | $48,170 | 89.5 | $42,124 | 400 |
| Alabama | $36,590 | $28,590 | $49,060 | 88.8 | $41,194 | 1,880 |
| Mississippi | $36,380 | $29,120 | $46,710 | 87.0 | $41,839 | 650 |
| Louisiana | $35,530 | $28,490 | $47,690 | 88.2 | $40,280 | 2,220 |
Blank cells: BLS suppressed the estimate. "Jobs (employment)" is how many people BLS counts in the occupation in each state, not open listings. Click a column to sort.
National trends
| Occupation | 2019 | 2025 | Change | After inflation | Projected growth 2025–35 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veterinarians | $95,460 | $130,100 | +36.3% | +8.6% | +9.4% | 3,100 |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians | $35,320 | $47,380 | +34.1% | +6.9% | +9.4% | 13,400 |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers | $28,590 | $38,150 | +33.4% | +6.3% | +9.1% | 23,200 |
| Receptionists and information clerks (all industries) | $30,050 | $38,010 | +26.5% | +0.8% | -1.7% | 105,100 |
- Vet, tech and assistant pay rose about a third from 2019 to 2025, roughly 5% a year. After inflation (CPI-U up 25.5%) that's a real gain of 6% to 9%.
- BLS projects all three veterinary occupations to grow about 9% from 2025 to 2035, about 2.7 times the 3.5% average for all jobs.
- Vet assistant employment grew 30.5% from 2019 to 2025, the fastest of the four.
- Practice managers: median $69,919 in 2025, up 7.6% from 2023 (VHMA).
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Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, released May 15, 2026
- BLS OEWS national file, May 2019, released 2020
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, released Feb 19, 2026
- BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, Table 1.10, released Aug 27, 2026
- BLS CPI-U, US city average (CUUR0000SA0), May 2019 and May 2025
- VHMA 2025 Compensation & Benefits Survey, as reported by Animal Health News, survey released Dec 18, 2025
- NAVTA 2022 Demographic Survey, released Jan 16, 2023
BLS figures are employer-reported wages for all workers in the occupation (credentialed or not), before bonuses and benefits. Annual pay assumes 2,080 hours. Buying power = median pay ÷ (state price level ÷ 100).