Veterinary Technologists and Technicians Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for veterinary technologists and technicianss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $49,120 ≈ $24/hr
National median salary $47,380
Total employment 129,140 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +9.1% Much faster than average
Annual openings 14,300 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 134,200 → 146,400 (+12,200)
Typical entry education Associate's degree

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. District of Columbia$65,370
  2. Alaska$63,720
  3. California$61,400
  4. New York$61,080
  5. Washington$59,940

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Louisiana$35,980
  2. Alabama$36,600
  3. Mississippi$37,230
  4. Arkansas$38,490
  5. Wyoming$39,170
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 District of Columbia $65,370 $61,270 $31 +33.1% 120
2 Alaska $63,720 $46,480 $31 +29.7% 380
3 California $61,400 $60,630 $30 +25% 11,310
4 New York $61,080 $59,010 $29 +24.3% 5,350
5 Washington $59,940 $59,740 $29 +22% 2,290
6 Oregon $56,570 $55,810 $27 +15.2% 1,120
7 Minnesota $55,470 $57,270 $27 +12.9% 3,560
8 Connecticut $55,300 $50,950 $27 +12.6% 1,690
9 Virginia $54,480 $52,090 $26 +10.9% 2,790
10 Nevada $53,450 $50,250 $26 +8.8% 1,120
11 Massachusetts $53,170 $49,540 $26 +8.2% 3,990
12 New Jersey $52,780 $49,050 $25 +7.5% 2,910
13 Maryland $52,730 $47,350 $25 +7.3% 2,540
14 Colorado $52,010 $49,650 $25 +5.9% 3,720
15 Maine $51,720 $50,810 $25 +5.3% 910

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 432 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $71,090 $68,210 1,220
2 Corvallis, OR $67,960 $68,140 80
3 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $67,280 $68,370 470
4 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $62,810 $62,780 150
5 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $61,940 $62,770 250
6 Salinas, CA $61,330 $61,000 130
7 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $61,260 $62,510 1,170
8 Vallejo, CA $61,230 $60,800 110
9 Kennewick-Richland, WA $61,070 $60,000 50
10 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $60,970 $62,090 1,010

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing veterinary technologists and technicianss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Educational Services, Local Government Owned $78,680 $72,270 130
2 Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods $76,560 $78,430
3 Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) $76,560 $78,600
4 Sector 42 - Wholesale Trade $76,550 $77,200
5 Management of Companies and Enterprises $75,350 $68,100 40
6 Management of Companies and Enterprises $75,350 $68,100 40
7 Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises $75,350 $68,100 40
8 Sectors 31, 32, and 33 - Manufacturing $73,790 $69,370 220
9 Chemical Manufacturing $71,360 $68,820 210
10 Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing $71,360 $68,820 210
11 Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) $68,220 $67,130 440
12 Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) $68,220 $67,130 440

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
40,210
$10-20k
19,571
$20-30k
29,444
$30-40k
42,424
$40-50k
33,396
$50-60k
14,271
$60-70k
8,085
$70-80k
4,492
$80-90k
2,166
$90-100k
1,072
$100-110k
1,429
$110-120k
185
$120-130k
254
$130-140k
452
$140-150k
124
$150-160k
139
$180-190k
66
$190-200k
72
$200k+
1,172

Pay by age band

16-24
$24,702
25-34
$34,288
35-44
$42,009
45-54
$42,107
55-64
$32,675
65+
$22,450

Education level

Associates Degree
$35,883
Bachelors Degree
$40,925
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$30,025
Regular high school diploma
$23,294
Some college, but less than 1 year
$27,858
Masters Degree
$42,379
GED or alternative credential
$52,113
Grade 11
$17,338
Professional degree
$38,180
12th grade - no diploma
$33,111
Grade 9
$24,450
Grade 10
$21,174
No schooling completed
$35,757
Doctorate degree
$54,264
Grade 7
$20,390

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
130,652 · $44,011
Part-time
36,312 · $21,651

Race / ethnicity

White
$32,607
Two or More Races
$41,414
Other
$32,281
Black
$36,561
Asian
$30,946
American Indian
$31,110
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
$22,423
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$31,080
Alaska Native
$29,291

Top fields of study

Biology
$28,507
Animal Sciences
$36,459
Medical Technologies Technicians
$83,542
Nursing
$39,818
Psychology
$43,653
Miscellaneous Health Medical Professions
$32,830
Treatment Therapy Professions
$64,436
Business Management And Administration
$35,432

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do veterinary technologists and technicians make in the U.S.?

The median veterinary technologists and technicians salary in the United States is $47,380 per year (mean $49,120), and about 80% earn between $35,710 and $63,180.

How much do veterinary technologists and technicians make per hour?

Roughly $24 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $49,120 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays veterinary technologists and technicians the most?

District of Columbia has the highest average pay for veterinary technologists and technicians at $65,370 per year (median $61,270).

What is the job outlook for veterinary technologists and technicians?

Employment is projected to change +9.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 14,300 openings per year.