How much do vet techs make hourly

According to The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) 2021 Occupational Employment Statistics, salaries may vary greatly based on specialization within the field, location, years of experience and a variety of other factors.

Table of Contents Show

How Do Veterinary Technician Salaries Compare?
What is the Job Growth for This Field?
What Kinds of Institutions Hire Veterinary Techs?
Average Hourly (Median) Wages for Veterinary & Animal Health Technologists & Technicians in Canada
What is the highest paid vet tech?
Where are vet techs paid the most?
How much does a licensed vet tech make in South Carolina?
How much does a registered vet tech make in NC?

Here’s what the BLS has to say about vet tech salaries by state:

Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

National data

Median Salary: $36,850

Projected job growth: 19.6%

10th Percentile: $28,370

25th Percentile: $29,810

75th Percentile: $45,750

90th Percentile: $48,100

Projected job growth: 19.6%

State data

StateMedian SalaryBottom 10%Top 10%Alabama$29,180$22,590$46,100Alaska$47,040$29,150$47,550Arizona$36,690$29,110$46,860Arkansas$29,120$22,880$37,510California$45,540$31,220$59,360Colorado$37,630$29,380$47,850Connecticut$46,190$30,610$59,390Delaware$36,360$28,240$49,700District of Columbia$47,010$36,820$184,640Florida$36,520$28,340$46,540Georgia$36,540$26,150$49,680Hawaii$38,940$36,590$57,550Idaho$36,330$28,620$46,190Illinois$37,950$29,310$51,620Indiana$35,980$28,010$46,150Iowa$35,930$28,820$46,210Kansas$36,140$27,980$46,410Kentucky$29,180$22,990$38,260Louisiana$28,040$18,680$37,550Maine$37,180$29,550$46,340Maryland$37,390$29,730$47,690Massachusetts$44,210$35,460$56,350Michigan$37,440$29,270$47,850Minnesota$37,240$29,650$46,780Mississippi$27,830$22,250$36,900Missouri$32,170$22,850$42,050Montana$36,210$22,730$44,190Nebraska$36,940$28,070$47,790Nevada$46,230$28,950$59,260New Hampshire$38,880$30,090$48,030New Jersey$38,920$29,590$54,950New Mexico$30,020$23,050$45,850New York$46,020$30,440$59,340North Carolina$36,590$27,340$47,090North Dakota$36,840$29,210$46,880Ohio$36,350$28,180$47,440Oklahoma$35,630$22,960$38,980Oregon$37,630$29,340$58,670Pennsylvania$36,720$28,750$48,100Rhode Island$37,190$29,670$46,870South Carolina$36,680$28,320$48,830South Dakota$36,380$28,500$46,190Tennessee$30,600$23,450$45,850Texas$30,430$23,090$43,940Utah$30,620$23,700$37,830Vermont$36,620$29,030$37,570Virginia$44,520$28,710$58,120Washington$47,010$36,990$60,210West Virginia$29,690$22,180$43,500Wisconsin$36,880$28,980$47,400Wyoming$29,450$28,800$45,850

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2021 median salary; projected job growth through 2031. Actual salaries may vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.

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How Do Veterinary Technician Salaries Compare?

Animal caretakers need talented assistants and the field of technology around animal care is growing. Because of this, new treatments and procedures are available to keep animals healthy and alive longer, so there will be an increase in services needed.

What is the Job Growth for This Field?

The job growth for veterinary technicians is projected to be higher than average; employment for vet techs is expected to grow 20 percent through 2031. Too, employment for veterinary assistants is expected to grow by 19 percent, while all other occupations in the U.S. are projected to grow 5 percent over the same time span.

What Kinds of Institutions Hire Veterinary Techs?

The majority of veterinary technicians work in the veterinary services industry—in fact, 91 percent of them do. If you focus on a certain specialization during your vet tech program, you might find yourself working somewhere more closely tied to that concentration. Specializations can be completed through professional certification, where you’ll study coursework to prep for the area you’re interested in and take an exam to earn the title offered through professional agencies offering the credential.

The table below details the hourly wages for Veterinary and Animal Health Technologists and Technicians.

The Canadian national occupation classification code (NOC) for this role is 3213.

Job titles and exact duties vary in this occupation and examples of some job titles are: veterinary technician, veterinary technologist, veterinary assistant and animal care technician.

According to the latest figures, the highest hourly average (median) wages are earned in Alberta at $22.78 per hour and the lowest average (median) wages are earned in Vancouver / Lower Mainland – British Columbia at $16.00 per hour.

A typical full-time annual salary for this occupation is in the region of $32,000 – $45,000.

Employment prospects for veterinary and animal health technologists and technicians are fair in Canada. The government forecasts that the arrival of new medical technologies and techniques, as well as the introduction of more advanced equipment, will require more technologists. However This occupational grouping is extremely popular among school leavers, creating a surplus of workers.

Average Hourly (Median) Wages for Veterinary & Animal Health Technologists & Technicians in Canada

LocationLow Wage
$ per hrAverage Wage
$ per hrHigh Wage
$ per hrYearCalgary – Alberta*(1)15.1922.7825.002019Edmonton – Alberta*(1)15.1922.7825.002019Vancouver / Lower Mainland – British Columbia14.0016.0020.892018Winnipeg – Manitoba(1)13.0018.5035.902018Fredericton / Oromocto – New Brunswick(3)13.7018.0025.302018Halifax – Nova Scotia12.6916.1549.232018Toronto – Ontario14.0019.0020.002018Ottawa – Ontario14.0016.7522.002018Kitchener / Waterloo / Barrie – Ontario14.0017.5025.962018London – Ontario14.0017.5025.962018Prince Edward Island15.0018.5025.642018Montreal – Quebec12.5016.4023.082018Saskatoon / Biggar – Saskatchewan14.5018.0023.482018

Methodology

Examples of veterinary and animal health technologists’ and technicians’ duties:

›› Providing nursing care for animals

›› Handling, restraining and caring for animals undergoing treatment

›› Taking and developing x-rays, collecting blood samples

›› Assisting during surgical operations including monitoring the anaesthetic

Comparison with employment group

The 2020 full-time average hourly wage rate for technical occupations in health, which includes veterinary and animal health technologists and technicians, is $29.87. The 2020 corresponding median weekly wage rate is $1,094 giving an approximate full-time annual salary for this employment sector of $57,000.

Licensing

Registration with provincial animal health technologists’ or veterinary technicians’/technologists’ associations is mandatory in some provinces.

Number In Employment

There are over 20,000 animal health technologists and veterinary technicians / technologists working in Canada.

What is the highest paid vet tech?

High Paying Veterinary Technician Jobs.

Veterinary Technologist. Salary range: $35,000-$56,000 per year. ... .

Animal Laboratory Technician. Salary range: $37,000-$55,500 per year. ... .

Veterinary Surgery Technician. ... .

Animal Technician. ... .

Animal Health Technician. ... .

Emergency Veterinary Technician. ... .

Animal Care Technician..

Where are vet techs paid the most?

Alaska is the best state for veterinary technicians, where the median salary is $45,718. ... 4. California..

How much does a licensed vet tech make in South Carolina?

Vet Tech Median Annual Salary.

How much does a registered vet tech make in NC?

The average salary for a veterinary technician in North Carolina is $29,000 per year. Veterinary technician salaries in North Carolina can vary between $17,000 to $49,500 and depend on various factors, including skills, experience, employer, bonuses, tips, and more.

vet techs make hourly