Veterinary Technologists and Technicians Salary: $58,529 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 131,320 veterinary technologists and technicians nationally earn a mean of $58,529. Employment in the series shown rose about 22% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 1.6% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians: what the data shows
Common questions about veterinary technologists and technicians careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a veterinary technologists and technicians?
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 29-2056.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 131,320 workers.
What does a veterinary technologists and technicians do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Assisting and Caring for Others, Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Performing General Physical Activities, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a veterinary technologists and technicians make?
BLS national median annual wage: $45,980 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $58,529 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,135 |
| 25th percentile | $48,627 |
| Median (50th) | $56,577 |
| 75th percentile | $63,490 |
| 90th percentile | $76,412 |
What education do you need?
For Veterinary Technologists and Technicians, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service, Biology, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is veterinary technologists and technicians in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.6% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 8.2%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 17.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 131,320.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do veterinary technologists and technicianss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 131,320 | 16.6% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 126,610 | 16.0% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 120,950 | 15.3% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 120,950 | 15.3% |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 120,000 | 15.2% |
| Veterinary Services | 119,830 | 15.2% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers | 114,190 | $37,320 |
| Genetic Counselors | 3,510 | $98,910 |
| Audiologists | 14,730 | $92,120 |
| Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists | — | — |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | 34,520 | $103,650 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Veterinary Technologists and Technicians workforce.
Employment Over Time
131,320 Workforce in 2023
The Veterinary Technologists and Technicians workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$58,529 Average Wage
In 2023, Veterinary Technologists and Technicians earned an average of $58,529.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Salary distribution for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Employment Growth Projections
1.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
48,897 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 8.2%
52,920 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 17.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.6% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Veterinary Technologists and Technicians and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Veterinary Technologists and Technicians employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Wage Trends by Industry
7.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 16,170 employees, $39,750 avg wage
- CA: 11,380 employees, $56,980 avg wage
- FL: 10,130 employees, $43,240 avg wage
- PA: 5,840 employees, $43,370 avg wage
- NY: 5,480 employees, $59,540 avg wage
- IL: 4,840 employees, $47,710 avg wage
- OH: 4,720 employees, $43,870 avg wage
- MN: 4,320 employees, $51,940 avg wage
- CO: 3,990 employees, $48,670 avg wage
- MA: 3,900 employees, $48,920 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 5,280 employees, $57,800 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 4,460 employees, $41,040 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 3,750 employees, $55,670 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 3,670 employees, $40,630 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 3,520 employees, $49,240 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 3,280 employees, $46,760 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 3,150 employees, $53,990 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 3,140 employees, $49,790 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 2,480 employees, $45,490 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 2,380 employees, $44,150 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Diversity
Demographic information on Veterinary Technologists and Technicians in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Veterinary Technologists and Technicians in 2023 was 131,320 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Veterinary Technologists and Technicians in 2023 were Biology, Chemistry, Health Sciences.
Common majors for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Veterinary Technologists and Technicians workers.
Education level distribution for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Skills
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Writing.
Required skills for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians include Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service, Biology, English Language, Mathematics.
Knowledge areas required for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians include Inductive Reasoning, Deductive Reasoning, Oral Expression, Near Vision, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
Daily Activities
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians spend their time on activities such as Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Assisting and Caring for Others, Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.
Most important work activities for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians.
About
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
The average yearly wage for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians was $58,529 in 2023.
SOC Code
29-2056 - Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Veterinary Technologists and Technicians reports an average salary of $58,529.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 131,320 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.