What is the average salary of a veterinary assistant

Vet technicians and vet assistants work alongside each other and veterinarians to help take care of animals and assist with examinations and treatments. Having a formal education and professional certification, vet techs are qualified to do more advanced clinical tasks than vet assistants who usually learn on the job. Both careers can be a good fit if you're interested in helping and caring for animals. Having a lower barrier to entry and part-time work options, a vet assistant position can be more appealing if you want to enter the field quickly and have a less strenuous work schedule. Your salary will generally be more as a vet tech than a vet assistant due to the difference in preparation.

Job Description

Vet techs and vet assistants both help out veterinarians around the office. They can assist with procedures and help keep animals clean and fed. However, vet techs are qualified to perform more advanced clinical tasks to help diagnose and treat animals and take medical histories under a veterinarian's supervision, while vet assistants sometimes do clerical tasks like keeping the veterinary office and tools clean.

Both of these careers require that you're empathetic and able to handle emotional situations you may face with animals and their owners. Working with distressed animals can be dangerous, so vet techs and assistants have to take precautions to avoid getting hurt. Physical strength is important to safely move and restrain animals.

Education Requirements

The education you need to become a vet tech differs significantly from a vet assistant. Vet techs need to complete a veterinary technology program that often leads to an associate or bachelor's degree, while vet assistants can learn on the job and need only a high school education. To become a vet tech, you often also need to take the Veterinary Technician National Examination to get state certified. You usually won't need certification for vet assistant jobs, but the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America offers an optional credential for vet assistants who have completed approved formal training.

A vet tech's salary tends to be higher than a vet assistant's salary. In May 2017, vet techs made a median salary of $34,710, while vet assistants earned a lower median salary of $27,570; the top half of these veterinary professionals made more than these figures, while the bottom half earned less. Earnings for the lower 10 percent was less than $22,880 for vet techs and $19,110 for vet assistants. Salaries for the top 10 percent exceeded $49,350 for vet techs and $38,300 for vet assistants.

Industry

The majority of vet techs and vet assistants work in veterinary services, including animal hospitals and clinics. Fewer find positions at colleges, laboratories or social advocacy organizations. Both vet techs and assistants work alongside veterinarians, and it's common for vet assistants to assist vet techs with their duties as well. Since facilities often stay open around the clock, you may have to work irregular hours in either position. It's more common for vet assistants to work part-time hours than vet techs, making this option more flexible for families.

Years of Experience

Since vet techs need more education than vet assistants to get started in the field, vet techs tend to start out with slightly higher salaries and earn more with experience than vet assistants. This projection from April 2018 shows average salaries to give you a picture of how much vet techs make versus vet assistants based on experience:

  • Entry-level: $27,000 for vet techs and $23,000 for vet assistants
  • Mid-career: $31,000 for vet techs and $26,000 for vet assistants
  • Experienced: $34,000 for vet techs and $29,000 for vet assistants
  • Late-career: $36,000 for vet techs and $32,000 for vet assistants

Job Growth Trend

From 2016 through 2026, both vet techs and vet assistants are expected to have similar job growth rates of 20 percent and 19 percent, respectively. This fast job growth is due to increases in pet ownership and pet expenses, and it's expected to add 20,400 vet tech and 16,300 vet assistant and laboratory animal caretaker jobs over the decade. You can expect good job prospects entering either of these veterinary careers; turnover helps lead to more vet assistant jobs, while vet techs can find jobs more easily due to the higher education required.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

Feed, water, and examine pets and other nonfarm animals for signs of illness, disease, or injury in laboratories and animal hospitals and clinics. Clean and disinfect cages and work areas, and sterilize laboratory and surgical equipment. May provide routine postoperative care, administer medication orally or topically, or prepare samples for laboratory examination under the supervision of veterinary or laboratory animal technologists or technicians, veterinarians, or scientists. Excludes �Animal Caretakers� (39-2021).


National estimates for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Industry profile for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Geographic profile for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

National estimates for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Employment (1)Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
98,970 1.8 % $ 15.28 $ 31,780 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 11.02 $ 13.56 $ 14.32 $ 17.56 $ 18.68
Annual Wage (2) $ 22,920 $ 28,200 $ 29,780 $ 36,520 $ 38,860


Industry profile for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 90,560 11.88 $ 14.99 $ 31,180
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,900 0.10 $ 19.22 $ 39,980
Scientific Research and Development Services 1,870 0.24 $ 21.13 $ 43,950
Social Advocacy Organizations 1,310 0.59 $ 14.48 $ 30,110
Other Personal Services 660 0.22 $ 15.63 $ 32,520

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 90,560 11.88 $ 14.99 $ 31,180
Social Advocacy Organizations 1,310 0.59 $ 14.48 $ 30,110
Scientific Research and Development Services 1,870 0.24 $ 21.13 $ 43,950
Other Personal Services 660 0.22 $ 15.63 $ 32,520
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,900 0.10 $ 19.22 $ 39,980

Top paying industries for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management of Companies and Enterprises 50 (7) $ 24.68 $ 51,330
Scientific Research and Development Services 1,870 0.24 $ 21.13 $ 43,950
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 240 (7) $ 21.12 $ 43,930
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,900 0.10 $ 19.22 $ 39,980
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 290 0.09 $ 18.94 $ 39,390


Geographic profile for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

What is the average salary of a veterinary assistant

States with the highest employment level in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 12,600 0.76 1.09 $ 17.48 $ 36,350
Florida 6,730 0.78 1.11 $ 14.42 $ 29,990
Texas 5,060 0.41 0.59 $ 13.66 $ 28,410
Virginia 4,170 1.11 1.58 $ 14.67 $ 30,500
North Carolina 4,150 0.94 1.34 $ 14.88 $ 30,940

What is the average salary of a veterinary assistant

States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maine 820 1.38 1.96 $ 19.66 $ 40,900
Oregon 2,480 1.36 1.93 $ 16.63 $ 34,580
Virginia 4,170 1.11 1.58 $ 14.67 $ 30,500
Washington 3,460 1.08 1.54 $ 17.25 $ 35,880
Arkansas 1,200 1.01 1.43 $ 13.37 $ 27,800

What is the average salary of a veterinary assistant

Top paying states for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maine 820 1.38 1.96 $ 19.66 $ 40,900
Massachusetts 1,620 0.48 0.68 $ 18.82 $ 39,140
Rhode Island 310 0.69 0.98 $ 18.68 $ 38,850
New York 3,890 0.45 0.64 $ 17.71 $ 36,850
Alaska 170 0.56 0.80 $ 17.53 $ 36,450

What is the average salary of a veterinary assistant

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 3,960 0.69 0.99 $ 16.80 $ 34,950
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 3,800 0.44 0.62 $ 18.01 $ 37,460
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,560 0.87 1.25 $ 17.33 $ 36,050
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 2,380 0.56 0.80 $ 15.74 $ 32,740
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,950 1.02 1.45 $ 18.08 $ 37,600
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 1,850 0.72 1.02 $ 14.93 $ 31,050
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,710 0.64 0.91 $ 15.61 $ 32,460
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 1,660 1.48 2.10 $ 17.01 $ 35,380
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,640 0.67 0.95 $ 15.76 $ 32,770
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,640 0.73 1.04 $ 20.15 $ 41,920

What is the average salary of a veterinary assistant

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Ames, IA 110 2.51 3.57 $ 21.16 $ 44,000
Corvallis, OR 90 2.44 3.48 $ 16.43 $ 34,180
Charlottesville, VA 240 2.28 3.25 $ 15.68 $ 32,610
Athens-Clarke County, GA 190 2.22 3.17 $ 14.38 $ 29,900
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 200 2.18 3.11 $ 18.77 $ 39,040
Manhattan, KS 80 2.12 3.01 $ 16.63 $ 34,590
Santa Rosa, CA 380 2.00 2.85 $ 18.54 $ 38,570
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 90 1.90 2.71 $ 16.63 $ 34,590
Bend-Redmond, OR 150 1.80 2.56 $ 16.38 $ 34,080
Auburn-Opelika, AL 100 1.76 2.51 $ 13.74 $ 28,590

What is the average salary of a veterinary assistant

Top paying metropolitan areas for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Ames, IA 110 2.51 3.57 $ 21.16 $ 44,000
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 490 0.45 0.65 $ 21.00 $ 43,680
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,640 0.73 1.04 $ 20.15 $ 41,920
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,210 0.47 0.67 $ 19.22 $ 39,980
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 200 2.18 3.11 $ 18.77 $ 39,040
Santa Rosa, CA 380 2.00 2.85 $ 18.54 $ 38,570
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 360 0.68 0.96 $ 18.49 $ 38,450
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,950 1.02 1.45 $ 18.08 $ 37,600
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 3,800 0.44 0.62 $ 18.01 $ 37,460
Worcester, MA-CT 220 0.81 1.15 $ 17.66 $ 36,720

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 250 0.68 0.96 $ 12.19 $ 25,360
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 220 0.85 1.21 $ 13.80 $ 28,700
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 210 1.05 1.49 $ 12.45 $ 25,900
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 210 0.85 1.21 $ 13.75 $ 28,600
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 210 0.86 1.22 $ 13.63 $ 28,360

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 60 1.57 2.24 $ 13.32 $ 27,710
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 90 1.56 2.22 $ 16.36 $ 34,030
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 150 1.49 2.12 $ 16.31 $ 33,930
Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area 90 1.43 2.04 $ 13.02 $ 27,080
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 170 1.42 2.02 $ 15.91 $ 33,090

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.38 0.54 $ 18.97 $ 39,450
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 40 0.61 0.87 $ 18.21 $ 37,870
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 60 0.71 1.02 $ 16.73 $ 34,800
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 90 1.56 2.22 $ 16.36 $ 34,030
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 150 1.49 2.12 $ 16.31 $ 33,930


About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.

(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022

Where do vet assistants get paid the most?

Highest paying cities for Veterinary Assistants near United States.
Seattle, WA. $19.39 per hour. 142 salaries reported..
Portland, OR. $19.18 per hour. 43 salaries reported..
$17.75 per hour. 23 salaries reported..
Denver, CO. $17.57 per hour. 46 salaries reported..
Chicago, IL. $16.34 per hour. ... .
Show more nearby cities..

How much do vet assistants make in AZ?

How much does a Veterinary Assistant make in Arizona? The average Veterinary Assistant salary in Arizona is $31,863 as of September 26, 2022, but the range typically falls between $25,673 and $38,434.

How much do vet assistants make in Arizona per hour?

As of Sep 28, 2022, the average annual pay for a Veterinary Assistant in Phoenix is $25,202 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $12.12 an hour.

Is being a vet assistant worth it?

Becoming a vet tech is certainly worth it for individuals who want to work with animals and outside of an office environment. To date, the career is experiencing tremendous growth, with about 10,000 new jobs hitting the market each year. The field also provides plenty of job security and room for growth.