What Veterinary Technician Job Ads Actually Pay, by State

Salary surveys tell you what people reported earning last year. Job ads tell you something different and more immediate: what employers near you are offering right now. Zuse reads open veterinary job postings every day from employers' own job boards and careers pages, and publishes what the ones that state pay are offering.

This post is a snapshot of those figures on November 11, 2026, focused on veterinary technicians, with the other roles alongside. For today's numbers, see the live veterinary pay by state, which updates daily and can be downloaded as a CSV.

How to read these numbers

• Typical pay is the middle of the advertised figures for that role and state.
• The middle half is the range covering the middle 50% of postings: a quarter advertise less, a quarter more.
• Postings is how many open postings that state pay went into the figure.
• A state appears only when it has at least five postings that state pay for that role.
• Where a posting gives a range, the middle of that range is used. Hourly roles are shown per hour, salaried roles per year.
• The same employer's same job at the same pay counts once in a state, so one large employer cannot set a state's figure on its own.

Veterinary technicians

Across the United States, the typical advertised rate for veterinary technicians was $26.00 an hour, with the middle half of postings between $22.50 and $30.00, from 186 postings.

The spread is large. The typical advertised rate in Washington was more than 50% higher than in Texas. Cost of living explains part of it. Whether the state credentials technicians, and how many technicians are available locally, likely explain more.

Veterinary assistants

The typical advertised rate for veterinary assistants was $19.50 an hour nationally, with the middle half between $17.50 and $21.70, from 108 postings.

The gap between technicians and assistants is about $6.50 an hour nationally. For an assistant weighing whether to complete a technician program and pass the VTNE, that gap is part of the answer. See vet tech credentials explained.

Client service and reception

Client service roles had a typical advertised rate of $19.50 an hour nationally, middle half $18.00 to $20.50, from 80 postings, with $20.50 in New York and California and $18.00 in North Carolina. See the veterinary front desk, explained.

Veterinarians

Veterinarian postings that stated pay had a typical advertised salary of $145,000 a year, middle half $130,000 to $165,000, from 129 postings.

These are advertised base salaries. Many veterinarian positions add production pay on top, which job ads describe less consistently. Fewer than half of veterinarian postings state pay at all. See pay transparency in veterinary jobs.

Practice managers and animal care

Practice manager postings had a typical advertised salary of $75,000 a year, middle half $66,500 to $82,000, from 31 postings. Kennel and animal care roles had a typical rate of $15.50 an hour, from 13 postings.

What these numbers can and cannot tell you

They can tell you what employers who state pay are advertising now, in the states with enough postings, which is useful for anyone negotiating an offer or writing a job ad.

They cannot tell you what everyone earns. They leave out:

• jobs that do not state pay, which is about half of veterinarian postings,
• jobs posted only in places Zuse does not read yet,
• bonuses, production, benefits and shift differentials, which can add a lot,
• experience: a posting's range covers many levels.

The sample is also shaped by who posts. A small number of large veterinary groups publish many of the open jobs Zuse reads. Counting each employer's repeated job once per state limits their weight, but their pay practices still shape the figures more than any single independent clinic's. As Zuse reads more independent clinics' own careers pages, the picture will broaden. See where veterinary clinics actually post their jobs.

Using this when you negotiate

• Find your state and role, and see where an offer sits in the middle half.
• Ask what moves you within the range. Credential, experience, specialty skills, nights and weekends.
• Count the whole package. A slightly lower rate with a four day week, paid continuing education and a renewal paid may be worth more to you.
• Check today's numbers on the live veterinary pay page before a conversation.

Using this when you hire

If your posting sits well below the typical rate for your state, expect fewer applicants, or say what makes up the difference. If it sits above, say so in the first line. Either way, state the range. See how to write a veterinary job posting that gets real applicants.

FAQ

How much do vet techs make per hour?

In November 2026, the typical advertised rate in job postings that stated pay was $26.00 an hour nationally, with the middle half between $22.50 and $30.00. It varied from about $21 in Texas to about $32.50 in Washington.

Which states pay vet techs the most?

Among states with enough postings in November 2026, Washington, New York, Massachusetts and California had the highest typical advertised rates, all $30 an hour or more.

How much more do vet techs make than vet assistants?

About $6.50 an hour more, comparing typical advertised rates nationally in November 2026: $26.00 for technicians and $19.50 for assistants.

Where do these pay figures come from?

From open veterinary job postings that state pay, read daily by Zuse from employers' own job boards and careers pages. The live figures are at my.zuse.live/veterinary-pay.