Pay by state · 52 areas
Veterinary Technician Salary by State (2026)
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians earn the most in District of Columbia at $61,270 a year and the least in Louisiana at $35,530 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $47,380. The table below covers all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $61,270District of Columbia
- National median
- $47,380BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $35,530Louisiana
- Areas reporting
- 52of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for veterinary technologists and technicians
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. After cost of living, Minnesota comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1District of Columbia$61,270
- 2California$60,630
- 3Washington$59,740
- 4New York$59,010
- 5Minnesota$57,270
Lowest median pay
- 1Louisiana$35,530
- 2Mississippi$36,380
- 3Alabama$36,590
- 4West Virginia$37,700
- 5Arkansas$38,360
All states
Veterinary Technician salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of veterinary technologists and technicians OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $61,270 | $50,390 | $80,030 | 120 | $55,750 |
| 2 | CACalifornia | $60,630 | $51,570 | $64,100 | 11,310 | $54,760 |
| 3 | WAWashington | $59,740 | $50,700 | $64,480 | 2,290 | $55,825 |
| 4 | NYNew York | $59,010 | $50,410 | $66,310 | 5,350 | $54,679 |
| 5 | MNMinnesota | $57,270 | $49,080 | $60,560 | 3,560 | $58,071 |
| 6 | OROregon | $55,810 | $48,360 | $62,460 | 1,120 | $53,995 |
| 7 | VAVirginia | $52,090 | $46,030 | $62,040 | 2,790 | $51,521 |
| 8 | CTConnecticut | $50,950 | $48,220 | $61,780 | 1,690 | $49,175 |
| 9 | MEMaine | $50,810 | $48,610 | $56,110 | 910 | $52,354 |
| 10 | NVNevada | $50,250 | $47,460 | $63,600 | 1,120 | $50,261 |
| 11 | MIMichigan | $49,710 | $45,180 | $58,980 | 2,550 | $51,664 |
| 12 | COColorado | $49,650 | $46,580 | $59,340 | 3,720 | $48,180 |
| 13 | MAMassachusetts | $49,540 | $47,670 | $60,240 | 3,990 | $46,843 |
| 14 | VTVermont | $49,490 | $48,430 | $54,290 | 390 | $50,522 |
| 15 | NJNew Jersey | $49,050 | $45,160 | $58,600 | 2,910 | $45,081 |
| 16 | NDNorth Dakota | $48,790 | $39,530 | $55,440 | 340 | $54,845 |
| 17 | NHNew Hampshire | $48,780 | $45,550 | $59,040 | 870 | $46,830 |
| 18 | INIndiana | $48,720 | $41,330 | $56,370 | 1,820 | $52,202 |
| 19 | HIHawaii | $48,550 | $45,930 | $54,950 | 270 | $44,156 |
| 20 | DEDelaware | $48,370 | $39,040 | $56,340 | 530 | $48,463 |
| 21 | OHOhio | $47,990 | $40,560 | $53,110 | 4,790 | $51,728 |
| 22 | NCNorth Carolina | $47,620 | $38,520 | $55,020 | 2,580 | $50,484 |
| 23 | MDMaryland | $47,350 | $44,520 | $60,460 | 2,540 | $45,113 |
| 24 | WIWisconsin | $47,020 | $44,390 | $52,310 | 2,590 | $49,971 |
| 25 | AKAlaska | $46,480 | $37,630 | $60,510 | 380 | $45,409 |
| 26 | ILIllinois | $46,440 | $45,140 | $57,500 | 5,040 | $46,460 |
| 27 | PAPennsylvania | $46,430 | $38,060 | $50,140 | 6,620 | $47,585 |
| 28 | FLFlorida | $46,380 | $39,140 | $49,600 | 11,380 | $44,849 |
| 29 | AZArizona | $46,300 | $43,510 | $49,340 | 3,970 | $45,989 |
| 30 | KSKansas | $45,810 | $38,650 | $51,610 | 1,270 | $50,862 |
| 31 | IAIowa | $45,560 | $38,150 | $49,210 | 1,220 | $51,913 |
| 32 | RIRhode Island | $45,310 | $38,130 | $60,760 | 530 | $44,300 |
| 33 | SDSouth Dakota | $45,300 | $37,430 | $47,040 | 300 | $51,137 |
| 34 | NMNew Mexico | $44,790 | $37,370 | $47,360 | 890 | $48,573 |
| 35 | NENebraska | $43,680 | $39,120 | $46,910 | 690 | $48,478 |
| 36 | MOMissouri | $43,520 | $37,670 | $46,490 | 2,040 | $47,921 |
| 37 | GAGeorgia | $43,060 | $37,200 | $47,450 | 2,410 | $44,718 |
| 38 | TNTennessee | $42,810 | $37,170 | $51,060 | 1,640 | $46,598 |
| 39 | IDIdaho | $42,120 | $37,270 | $46,810 | 790 | $44,107 |
| 40 | MTMontana | $41,170 | $37,380 | $47,990 | 480 | $43,499 |
| 41 | UTUtah | $40,560 | $36,350 | $47,850 | 1,550 | $41,026 |
| 42 | KYKentucky | $39,590 | $36,300 | $46,560 | 1,670 | $43,911 |
| 43 | TXTexas | $39,410 | $36,040 | $46,780 | 16,730 | $40,605 |
| 44 | OKOklahoma | $39,100 | $36,070 | $46,720 | 1,060 | $44,511 |
| 45 | SCSouth Carolina | $39,020 | $36,310 | $47,310 | 2,540 | $41,622 |
| 46 | WYWyoming | $38,650 | $37,410 | $46,300 | 310 | $41,698 |
| 47 | ARArkansas | $38,360 | $32,360 | $43,940 | 320 | $44,124 |
| 48 | WVWest Virginia | $37,700 | $31,330 | $44,860 | 400 | $42,124 |
| 49 | ALAlabama | $36,590 | $30,210 | $38,940 | 1,880 | $41,194 |
| 50 | MSMississippi | $36,380 | $31,220 | $39,250 | 650 | $41,839 |
| 51 | LALouisiana | $35,530 | $30,320 | $38,240 | 2,220 | $40,280 |
| 52 | PRPuerto Rico | $27,970 | $23,850 | $39,830 | 480 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For veterinary technologists and technicians, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $61,270, while Minnesota leads once prices are taken into account at $58,071.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Veterinary Technician pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays veterinary technologists and technicians the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for veterinary technologists and technicians at $61,270 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by California ($60,630) and Washington ($59,740).
Which state pays veterinary technologists and technicians the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Louisiana reports the lowest median for veterinary technologists and technicians at $35,530 a year, $25,740 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Puerto Rico reports $27,970.
Is the highest-paying state the best for veterinary technologists and technicians after cost of living?
Not on this data. District of Columbia pays the most on paper ($61,270) but ranks 3rd of 51 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($55,750). Minnesota leads after that adjustment at $58,071, from a raw median of $57,270. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.