Veterinary Technician Salary (2026), outlook and how to become one

Veterinary Technologists and Technicians earn a median of $47,380 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 7% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $22.78/hr. The middle half earn between $38,910 and $57,650. The top 10% earn $63,180 or more.

The median hourly wage for veterinary technologists and technicians is $22.78 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $47,380 annual median works out to about $3,950 a month before tax.

BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of veterinary technologists and technicians earn less than $35,710 a year and the bottom quarter less than $38,910 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.

The highest state medians for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians are District of Columbia ($61,270), California ($60,630), Washington ($59,740) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Minnesota moves to the top at $58,071.

BLS does not split veterinary technologists and technicians' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $63,180, against a median of $47,380 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are District of Columbia ($61,270), California ($60,630), Washington ($59,740). BLS also counts 4 specialty careers inside this occupation (canine rehabilitation therapist, veterinary anesthesia technician, veterinary dental technician, veterinary emergency and critical care technician), which share its federal pay figures.

Usually a two-year degree rather than a four-year one. BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical entry-level education for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 41.3% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).

Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 9.4% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 13,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.

Veterinary technologists and technicians, supervised by licensed veterinarians, do medical tests that help diagnose animals’ injuries and illnesses. A core O*NET task: prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.

Yes, for most. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 10% of veterinary technologists and technicians usually work more than 40 hours a week, 56% work exactly 40 and 34% work fewer. 80% say their schedule is regular and 19% irregular. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.

O*NET scores Veterinary Technologists and Technicians highest on the Realistic, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.

2 years. A veterinary technician usually holds a 2-year associate degree; a veterinary technologist usually holds a 4-year bachelor's degree. Both come from AVMA CVTEA-accredited programs.

Yes, and it is issued by the state you work in, not nationally. The credential's name varies rather than just its paperwork: states variously issue a certified veterinary technician (CVT), licensed veterinary technician (LVT) or registered veterinary technician (RVT) credential, and AVMA policy uses Credentialed Veterinary Technician (CrVT) as the umbrella term across all of them. Examination and regulation sit with state boards of veterinary medicine, not with the AAVSB or the AVMA. A further wrinkle is title protection: in many states the plain title 'veterinary technician' is not restricted to credentialed practitioners, and only a minority of states both define the title and restrict its use.

The VTNE (Veterinary Technician National Examination) and the SPA (State and Provincial Assessment jurisprudence exam). Evaluates the competency of veterinary technicians. Most states and provinces require a passing score before they will credential you. Candidates check their eligibility pathway, apply, sit the exam in a scheduled window, and the AAVSB then reports the score to the chosen jurisdiction.

Women make up 87.2% of veterinary technologists and technicians, against 47.1% of all employed people: a female-dominated occupation. Only 6.9% are 55 or older (23.2% across all jobs): a young workforce, with 29.0% under 25. The median worker is 29.8 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages.