Vet tech salary by percentile
Half of the 129,140 veterinary technologists and technicians in the U.S. earn more than $47,380, and the middle half earn $38,910 to $57,650.[onet_vet][oews][oews_api] The table adds hourly pay and the take-home pay of a single filer after 2026 federal income tax and FICA.[irs][ssa]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $35,710 | $17.17 | $30,873 |
| 25th | $38,910 | $18.71 | $33,444 |
| Median (50th) | $47,380 | $22.78 | $40,250 |
| 75th | $57,650 | $27.72 | $48,502 |
| 90th | $63,180 | $30.38 | $52,945 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
Vet tech salary and veterinary technician salary are the same BLS figure: the occupation (SOC 29-2056) covers both technicians and technologists, and O*NET's reported titles include "CVT", "LVT", "RVT" and "Veterinary Nurse".[sum_vet] The typical entry-level education is an associate's degree.[ooh_vet] Veterinary assistants are a separate and lower-paid occupation and are not in these numbers; their pay is on veterinary assistant salary.
Vet tech hourly pay
Vet tech hourly pay is $22.78 at the median, from $17.17 at the 10th percentile to $30.38 at the 90th.[onet_vet] BLS converts at 2,080 hours a year and counts straight-time pay only.[oews_faq] A $60,000 vet tech salary is about the 81st percentile nationally.
| Percentile | Hourly | 32 h/week | 36 h/week | 40 h/week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $17.17 | $28,568 | $32,139 | $35,710 |
| 25th | $18.71 | $31,128 | $35,019 | $38,910 |
| Median | $22.78 | $37,904 | $42,642 | $47,380 |
| 75th | $27.72 | $46,120 | $51,885 | $57,650 |
| 90th | $30.38 | $50,544 | $56,862 | $63,180 |
Vet tech salary by state
District of Columbia has the highest vet tech median ($61,270), followed by California ($60,630) and Washington ($59,740); Louisiana is lowest at $35,530.[onet_vet] California's metro areas and its RVT title are on vet tech salary in California.
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. District of Columbia | $61,270 | $29.46 | $50,390 | $81,990 |
| 2. California | $60,630 | $29.15 | $48,240 | $75,860 |
| 3. Washington | $59,740 | $28.72 | $46,390 | $77,300 |
| 4. New York | $59,010 | $28.37 | $47,640 | $78,760 |
| 5. Minnesota | $57,270 | $27.53 | $42,640 | $65,120 |
| 6. Oregon | $55,810 | $26.83 | $39,920 | $77,710 |
| 7. Virginia | $52,090 | $25.04 | $35,590 | $75,770 |
| 8. Connecticut | $50,950 | $24.50 | $41,480 | $75,090 |
| 9. Maine | $50,810 | $24.43 | $47,340 | $57,690 |
| 10. Nevada | $50,250 | $24.16 | $34,700 | $65,420 |
| 11. Michigan | $49,710 | $23.90 | $37,410 | $63,020 |
| 12. Colorado | $49,650 | $23.87 | $37,820 | $60,380 |
| 13. Massachusetts | $49,540 | $23.82 | $37,500 | $64,470 |
| 14. Vermont | $49,490 | $23.79 | $48,050 | $58,430 |
| 15. New Jersey | $49,050 | $23.58 | $37,870 | $75,310 |
| 16. North Dakota | $48,790 | $23.46 | $35,960 | $56,980 |
| 17. New Hampshire | $48,780 | $23.45 | $37,450 | $60,840 |
| 18. Indiana | $48,720 | $23.42 | $37,820 | $59,490 |
| 19. Hawaii | $48,550 | $23.34 | $35,990 | $62,660 |
| 20. Delaware | $48,370 | $23.25 | $37,250 | $61,890 |
| 21. Ohio | $47,990 | $23.07 | $34,760 | $61,360 |
| 22. North Carolina | $47,620 | $22.89 | $35,890 | $59,420 |
| 23. Maryland | $47,350 | $22.76 | $38,750 | $74,460 |
| 24. Wisconsin | $47,020 | $22.61 | $37,900 | $59,110 |
| 25. Alaska | $46,480 | $22.35 | $37,010 | $75,820 |
| 26. Illinois | $46,440 | $22.33 | $38,580 | $60,520 |
| 27. Pennsylvania | $46,430 | $22.32 | $36,480 | $60,280 |
| 28. Florida | $46,380 | $22.30 | $36,600 | $57,870 |
| 29. Arizona | $46,300 | $22.26 | $37,870 | $58,350 |
| 30. Kansas | $45,810 | $22.02 | $36,780 | $58,250 |
| 31. Iowa | $45,560 | $21.90 | $36,290 | $63,860 |
| 32. Rhode Island | $45,310 | $21.78 | $37,570 | $63,590 |
| 33. South Dakota | $45,300 | $21.78 | $35,780 | $50,440 |
| 34. New Mexico | $44,790 | $21.53 | $31,350 | $56,870 |
| 35. Nebraska | $43,680 | $21.00 | $37,770 | $57,310 |
| 36. Missouri | $43,520 | $20.92 | $31,940 | $49,260 |
| 37. Georgia | $43,060 | $20.70 | $35,060 | $58,590 |
| 38. Tennessee | $42,810 | $20.58 | $31,660 | $57,040 |
| 39. Idaho | $42,120 | $20.25 | $31,900 | $48,660 |
| 40. Montana | $41,170 | $19.79 | $35,420 | $57,660 |
| 41. Utah | $40,560 | $19.50 | $29,640 | $55,330 |
| 42. Kentucky | $39,590 | $19.03 | $28,490 | $50,530 |
| 43. Texas | $39,410 | $18.95 | $30,320 | $54,610 |
| 44. Oklahoma | $39,100 | $18.80 | $31,390 | $53,880 |
| 45. South Carolina | $39,020 | $18.76 | $33,870 | $57,970 |
| 46. Wyoming | $38,650 | $18.58 | $28,630 | $49,260 |
| 47. Arkansas | $38,360 | $18.44 | $27,250 | $47,820 |
| 48. West Virginia | $37,700 | $18.13 | $29,430 | $48,170 |
| 49. Alabama | $36,590 | $17.59 | $28,590 | $49,060 |
| 50. Mississippi | $36,380 | $17.49 | $29,120 | $46,710 |
| 51. Louisiana | $35,530 | $17.08 | $28,490 | $47,690 |
Highest-paying metro areas for vet techs
The best-paying metro area for veterinary technicians is San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, with a $71,090 median.[onet_vet]
| Metro area | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $71,090 | $34.18 | $54,080 | $79,930 |
| 2. Corvallis, OR | $67,960 | $32.67 | $49,190 | $78,680 |
| 3. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $67,280 | $32.35 | $52,720 | $78,430 |
| 4. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $62,810 | $30.20 | $49,650 | $75,120 |
| 5. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $61,940 | $29.78 | $45,770 | $74,310 |
| 6. Salinas, CA | $61,330 | $29.49 | $49,620 | $75,890 |
| 7. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $61,260 | $29.45 | $49,360 | $78,060 |
| 8. Vallejo, CA | $61,230 | $29.44 | $43,020 | $78,150 |
| 9. Kennewick-Richland, WA | $61,070 | $29.36 | $46,670 | $77,100 |
| 10. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $60,970 | $29.31 | $49,370 | $75,930 |
Vet tech school cost and payback
The cost of becoming a vet tech is the program's tuition plus a $375 Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) fee, paid again for any retake.[aavsb_apply] In most states the exam requires graduating from a program accredited by the AVMA's Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA); the AAVSB also lists on-the-job and alternate pathways that only some jurisdictions accept.[aavsb_path] The AAVSB administers the exam but does not credential anyone: the state does, and the title depends on where you work.[aavsb_ov]
| Title | States and jurisdictions |
|---|---|
| LVT (licensed) | AL, DE, GA, KY, MI, MN, MT, NE, NV, NY, ND, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| RVT (registered) | AZ, CA, CO, DC, HI, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MS, MO, NM, NC, OH, OK, SD, WV |
| CVT (certified) | AK, AR, ID, IL, OR, PA, UT, WI |
| Not regulated (voluntary credential) | CT, FL, MA, NH, NJ, RI, VT, WY |
The AAVSB counts 42 states plus DC and two territories as regulated jurisdictions.[aavsb_juris] Tuition varies far more than the exam fee, so use your program's published cost of attendance in the payback calculator below. It counts tuition, pay given up while in school and loan interest, then divides by the after-tax raise the new job brings.
Defaults: a two-year program, half your current pay kept while studying, and the national 25th percentile as a first salary.
School payback · 2026 tax on the raise
7.9 years after graduation
Break-even about 119 months after the first class · 10-year gain after costs $11,522
| Tuition, fees, books, exams | $12,000 |
|---|---|
| Pay given up while in school | $32,000 |
| Loan interest | $0 |
| Total cost | $44,000 |
| Raise after tax, per year | $5,552 |
After-tax share of the raise: 80.3% (single filer, federal + FICA). Nominal dollars, no discounting.
Estimate, not a pay offer. Arithmetic on your inputs. Raise is taxed with 2026 federal income tax and FICA for a single filer.
Vet tech pay vs other allied health careers
Vet techs earn about what medical assistants earn ($45,690 median) even though their typical entry route is an associate's degree rather than a shorter postsecondary award, and well below surgical technologists ($64,650).[onet_ma][onet_surg][ooh_ma] Compare the routes on surgical tech salary and medical assistant salary, or rank all seven careers on the allied health salary overview.
Frequently asked questions
How much do vet techs make?
$47,380 a year at the national median (BLS, May 2025). The middle half earn $38,910 to $57,650.
How much do vet techs make an hour?
$22.78 at the median, $17.17 at the 10th percentile and $30.38 at the 90th.
Which state pays vet techs the most?
District of Columbia ($61,270 median), then California and Washington. Louisiana pays the least.
Is a vet tech the same as a veterinary assistant?
No. Vet techs are credentialed and counted as veterinary technologists and technicians; veterinary assistants are a separate occupation with lower pay.
Sources
- Local Wages: 29-2056.00 Veterinary Technologists and Technicians (state and metro percentiles)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS national employment and wage series, May 2025 (BLS Public Data API, series OEUN0000000000000
01 and 13) - OEWS Frequently Asked Questions (wage definition; 2,080-hour year)
- Summary Report for 29-2056.00 Veterinary Technologists and Technicians (sample job titles)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Medical Assistants
- Local Wages: 31-9092.00 Medical Assistants (state and metro percentiles)
- Local Wages: 29-2055.00 Surgical Technologists (state and metro percentiles)
- Interest Rates for Federal Direct Loans First Disbursed Between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027 (undergraduate 6.52%)
- Applying to Take the VTNE ($375 exam fee)
- Review Your VTNE Pathway
- VTNE Overview
- 2026 Regulated and Non-Regulated Jurisdictions (veterinary technician credential titles)
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- Contribution and Benefit Base ($184,500 for 2026)