Salary guide
Veterinary Assistant Salary in Tennessee
Half of veterinary assistants in Tennessee earned more than $36,320 in May 2025 and half earned less (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025). The lowest-paid 10% earned under $30,230 and the top 10% over $43,700. Tennessee prices are 91.9% of the US average, so the median buys what $39,534 would nationally.
Pay calculator
Estimated pay for you in Tennessee
$32,057/yr
$30,230/yrMedian $36,320/yr$43,700/yr
- National median
- $38,150/yr
- Cost of living index
- 91.9
- Buying power
- $39,534/yr
- Rank (pay / buying power)
- #38 / #25 of 51
How the estimate works: we place you along your state's 10th–90th percentile range by years of experience. Real offers depend on the clinic, shift and benefits.
Highest and lowest paying states for veterinary assistants
All states
| Rhode Island | $49,770 | $35,510 | $50,130 | 102.3 | $48,661 | 380 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $49,080 | $46,570 | $72,840 | 109.9 | $44,658 | 240 |
| Massachusetts | $46,670 | $35,460 | $63,130 | 105.8 | $44,129 | 2,130 |
| California | $46,260 | $37,800 | $57,940 | 110.7 | $41,781 | 16,080 |
| New Jersey | $46,160 | $36,720 | $57,670 | 108.8 | $42,425 | 3,270 |
| Maine | $45,510 | $37,380 | $59,790 | 97.1 | $46,893 | 690 |
| Minnesota | $45,280 | $36,410 | $49,060 | 98.6 | $45,913 | 1,450 |
| Maryland | $44,770 | $37,150 | $60,710 | 105.0 | $42,655 | 2,220 |
| New York | $44,750 | $36,450 | $53,460 | 107.9 | $41,466 | 5,790 |
| Oregon | $44,370 | $36,480 | $49,470 | 103.4 | $42,927 | 3,170 |
| Connecticut | $44,250 | $35,920 | $59,950 | 103.6 | $42,708 | 1,390 |
| Washington | $44,150 | $38,470 | $55,050 | 107.0 | $41,257 | 4,380 |
| Hawaii | $44,070 | $35,200 | $49,400 | 110.0 | $40,081 | 570 |
| Colorado | $38,900 | $35,710 | $47,450 | 103.1 | $37,748 | 2,910 |
| Delaware | $38,610 | $34,680 | $57,930 | 99.8 | $38,684 | — |
| Montana | $38,340 | $29,430 | $45,220 | 94.6 | $40,509 | 550 |
| Arizona | $38,250 | $35,530 | $47,460 | 100.7 | $37,993 | 3,340 |
| Michigan | $37,960 | $30,410 | $46,730 | 96.2 | $39,452 | 4,420 |
| Wyoming | $37,880 | $30,610 | $39,080 | 92.7 | $40,867 | 150 |
| Florida | $37,830 | $31,090 | $47,270 | 103.4 | $36,581 | 6,790 |
| Utah | $37,560 | $31,890 | $49,100 | 98.9 | $37,992 | 580 |
| Idaho | $37,530 | $24,230 | $44,730 | 95.5 | $39,301 | 680 |
| New Mexico | $37,500 | $29,870 | $48,310 | 92.2 | $40,667 | 520 |
| Illinois | $37,480 | $31,550 | $47,000 | 100.0 | $37,496 | 3,270 |
| Virginia | $37,450 | $30,430 | $48,580 | 101.1 | $37,041 | 4,810 |
| Vermont | $37,290 | $30,690 | $45,880 | 98.0 | $38,067 | 370 |
| North Dakota | $37,160 | $33,800 | $46,830 | 89.0 | $41,772 | 270 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,140 | $30,010 | $47,200 | 97.6 | $38,064 | 3,760 |
| North Carolina | $37,070 | $28,830 | $46,470 | 94.3 | $39,300 | 6,910 |
| South Carolina | $36,980 | $27,390 | $48,630 | 93.7 | $39,446 | 1,720 |
| Nevada | $36,920 | $35,920 | $47,910 | 100.0 | $36,928 | 1,380 |
| New Hampshire | $36,910 | $29,160 | $45,690 | 104.2 | $35,434 | 770 |
| Wisconsin | $36,850 | $30,400 | $45,630 | 94.1 | $39,163 | 2,200 |
| Missouri | $36,660 | $30,280 | $45,940 | 90.8 | $40,367 | 2,010 |
| Alaska | $36,490 | $27,690 | $47,010 | 102.4 | $35,649 | 130 |
| Indiana | $36,420 | $29,580 | $44,780 | 93.3 | $39,023 | 2,810 |
| Ohio | $36,340 | $29,330 | $47,070 | 92.8 | $39,170 | 4,640 |
| Tennessee | $36,320 | $30,230 | $43,700 | 91.9 | $39,534 | 3,530 |
| Nebraska | $36,100 | $29,930 | $42,050 | 90.1 | $40,065 | 900 |
| Georgia | $35,850 | $29,210 | $44,810 | 96.3 | $37,230 | 4,570 |
| Alabama | $35,800 | $27,970 | $43,360 | 88.8 | $40,305 | 1,240 |
| Iowa | $35,720 | $29,440 | $47,220 | 87.8 | $40,701 | 1,380 |
| Kansas | $35,680 | $28,720 | $47,930 | 90.1 | $39,615 | 1,570 |
| Oklahoma | $34,850 | $23,170 | $46,810 | 87.8 | $39,673 | 1,740 |
| Texas | $34,850 | $24,070 | $46,890 | 97.1 | $35,907 | 8,440 |
| South Dakota | $34,700 | $28,390 | $36,700 | 88.6 | $39,171 | 250 |
| Arkansas | $34,570 | $27,860 | $42,180 | 86.9 | $39,764 | 1,460 |
| Kentucky | $34,140 | $26,520 | $45,430 | 90.2 | $37,866 | 1,840 |
| West Virginia | $32,350 | $25,830 | $38,040 | 89.5 | $36,146 | 730 |
| Louisiana | $30,480 | $28,400 | $37,510 | 88.2 | $34,555 | 1,230 |
| Mississippi | $30,360 | $26,060 | $45,440 | 87.0 | $34,915 | 560 |
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.
Cost of living in Tennessee metros
Statewide figures hide big local differences. Here's how the Tennessee median stretches in its largest metro areas (BEA 2024 price levels).
| Metro area | Price level | State median, adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | 96.3 | $37,701 |
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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Salary guides by role:
Veterinary Assistant salary by state:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
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).