Veterinary Technologists and Technicians: salary, outlook & degrees
Perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals. Prepare vaccines and serums for prevention of diseases. Prepare tissue samples, take blood samples, and execute laboratory tests, such as urinalysis and blood counts. Clean and sterilize instruments and materials and maintain equipment and machines. May assist a veterinarian during surgery.
Middle half $38,910–$57,650. 129,140 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
29% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $40,219.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 13,400 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Medium preparation.
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Sciences | 17% | Animal Sciences |
| Biology | 17% | Biology |
| Psychology | 6% | Psychology |
| Medical Technologies Technicians | 6% | Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) · Medical Laboratory Science |
| Nursing | 5% | Nursing |
| Zoology | 3% | Zoology / Animal Biology |
| Multi-Disciplinary Or General Science | 3% | Biological and Physical Sciences |
| Ecology | 2% | Ecology and Evolutionary Biology |
| Natural Resources Management | 2% | Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy · Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management |
| Business Management And Administration | 2% | Business Administration |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $61,270 |
| California | $60,630 |
| Washington | $59,740 |
| New York | $59,010 |
| Minnesota | $57,270 |
| Oregon | $55,810 |
| Virginia | $52,090 |
| Connecticut | $50,950 |
| Maine | $50,810 |
| Nevada | $50,250 |
| Michigan | $49,710 |
| Colorado | $49,650 |
| Massachusetts | $49,540 |
| Vermont | $49,490 |
| New Jersey | $49,050 |
| North Dakota | $48,790 |
| New Hampshire | $48,780 |
| Indiana | $48,720 |
| Hawaii | $48,550 |
| Delaware | $48,370 |
| Ohio | $47,990 |
| North Carolina | $47,620 |
| Maryland | $47,350 |
| Wisconsin | $47,020 |
| Alaska | $46,480 |
| Illinois | $46,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,430 |
| Florida | $46,380 |
| Arizona | $46,300 |
| Kansas | $45,810 |
| Iowa | $45,560 |
| Rhode Island | $45,310 |
| South Dakota | $45,300 |
| New Mexico | $44,790 |
| Nebraska | $43,680 |
| Missouri | $43,520 |
| Georgia | $43,060 |
| Tennessee | $42,810 |
| Idaho | $42,120 |
| Montana | $41,170 |
| Utah | $40,560 |
| Kentucky | $39,590 |
| Texas | $39,410 |
| Oklahoma | $39,100 |
| South Carolina | $39,020 |
| Wyoming | $38,650 |
| Arkansas | $38,360 |
| West Virginia | $37,700 |
| Alabama | $36,590 |
| Mississippi | $36,380 |
| Louisiana | $35,530 |
| PR | $27,970 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$47,620
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$47,100
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$45,090
- Jacksonville$46,570
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$46,290
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$45,860
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$45,350
- Ocala$42,890
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$57,630
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$48,370
- Richmond$53,220
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$51,960
- Charlottesville$53,060
- Roanoke$46,970
- Lynchburg$46,030
- Kingsport-Bristol$41,530
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$60,670
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$60,280
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$71,090
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$60,970
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$58,510
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$67,280
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$60,410
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma$61,940
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Writing
Knowledge used
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- Biology
- English Language
- Mathematics
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cooperation
- Cautiousness
- Stress Tolerance
People in this job tend to have Realistic (hands-on), Investigative (analytical), Conventional (organizing) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians: questions
How much do veterinary Technologists and Technicians make?
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians earn a U.S. median $47,380 a year; the middle half earn $38,910 to $57,650 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $37,781 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is veterinary Technologists and Technicians a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 9.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 13,400 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a veterinary Technologists and Technician?
BLS lists the typical entry education as associate's degree. In O*NET's survey, 10% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is animal Sciences (17%).
How much do veterinary Technologists and Technicians make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $46,380 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $47,380 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 29-2056. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Veterinary Technologists and Technicians: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/veterinary-technologists-and-technicians.