Vet assistant salary by state (BLS May 2025 data)

How much a vet assistant earns depends heavily on where you live. The national median hides a spread of nearly $20,000 a year between the highest- and lowest-paying states. Below is the full state-by-state table from the BLS, followed by what explains the differences and how to use the numbers when you job-hunt.

The national picture

From the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook and the BLS wage tables for occupation 31-9096, May 2025:

Measure	Veterinary assistants	Veterinary technicians
Median annual wage	$38,150	$47,380
Median hourly wage	$18.34	$22.78
Lowest 10% earned less than	$30,120	—
Highest 10% earned more than	$49,150	—

Technician figures come from the BLS wage tables for occupation 29-2056.

Vet assistant salary by state (May 2025)

Annual median wages. “Gap” is how much more the median vet tech earns than the median vet assistant in the same state.

State	Vet assistant median	Vet tech median	Gap
Alabama	$35,800	$36,590	+$790
Alaska	$36,490	$46,480	+$9,990
Arizona	$38,250	$46,300	+$8,050
Arkansas	$34,570	$38,360	+$3,790
California	$46,260	$60,630	+$14,370
Colorado	$38,900	$49,650	+$10,750
Connecticut	$44,250	$50,950	+$6,700
Delaware	$38,610	$48,370	+$9,760
District of Columbia	$49,080	$61,270	+$12,190
Florida	$37,830	$46,380	+$8,550
Georgia	$35,850	$43,060	+$7,210
Hawaii	$44,070	$48,550	+$4,480
Idaho	$37,530	$42,120	+$4,590
Illinois	$37,480	$46,440	+$8,960
Indiana	$36,420	$48,720	+$12,300
Iowa	$35,720	$45,560	+$9,840
Kansas	$35,680	$45,810	+$10,130
Kentucky	$34,140	$39,590	+$5,450
Louisiana	$30,480	$35,530	+$5,050
Maine	$45,510	$50,810	+$5,300
Maryland	$44,770	$47,350	+$2,580
Massachusetts	$46,670	$49,540	+$2,870
Michigan	$37,960	$49,710	+$11,750
Minnesota	$45,280	$57,270	+$11,990
Mississippi	$30,360	$36,380	+$6,020
Missouri	$36,660	$43,520	+$6,860
Montana	$38,340	$41,170	+$2,830
Nebraska	$36,100	$43,680	+$7,580
Nevada	$36,920	$50,250	+$13,330
New Hampshire	$36,910	$48,780	+$11,870
New Jersey	$46,160	$49,050	+$2,890
New Mexico	$37,500	$44,790	+$7,290
New York	$44,750	$59,010	+$14,260
North Carolina	$37,070	$47,620	+$10,550
North Dakota	$37,160	$48,790	+$11,630
Ohio	$36,340	$47,990	+$11,650
Oklahoma	$34,850	$39,100	+$4,250
Oregon	$44,370	$55,810	+$11,440
Pennsylvania	$37,140	$46,430	+$9,290
Rhode Island	$49,770	$45,310	−$4,460
South Carolina	$36,980	$39,020	+$2,040
South Dakota	$34,700	$45,300	+$10,600
Tennessee	$36,320	$42,810	+$6,490
Texas	$34,850	$39,410	+$4,560
Utah	$37,560	$40,560	+$3,000
Vermont	$37,290	$49,490	+$12,200
Virginia	$37,450	$52,090	+$14,640
Washington	$44,150	$59,740	+$15,590
West Virginia	$32,350	$37,700	+$5,350
Wisconsin	$36,850	$47,020	+$10,170
Wyoming	$37,880	$38,650	+$770

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, retrieved through the BLS public data API in October 2026.

Highest- and lowest-paying states

Top five for vet assistants: Rhode Island ($49,770), District of Columbia ($49,080), Massachusetts ($46,670), California ($46,260) and New Jersey ($46,160).

Bottom five: Mississippi ($30,360), Louisiana ($30,480), West Virginia ($32,350), Kentucky ($34,140) and Arkansas ($34,570).

Rhode Island is the only state where the median assistant earned more than the median technician in the May 2025 estimates. Small samples in small states make individual estimates less precise, so treat one-year quirks with caution.

Why pay differs so much between states

• Cost of living. High-rent metro areas push wages up across all entry-level jobs.
• State minimum wages. Several high-paying states have minimum wages well above the federal floor, which lifts the bottom of the scale.
• Employer mix. States with many emergency, specialty and research employers pay more; the BLS occupation includes laboratory animal caretakers.
• Demand for technicians. Where credentialed technicians are scarce, clinics give assistants more tasks and sometimes more pay.

Vet tech salary by state: where the credential pays off most

The difference between technicians and assistants is largest in Washington (+$15,590), Virginia (+$14,640), California (+$14,370), New York (+$14,260) and Nevada (+$13,330). If you live in one of those states, the two years of school for a vet tech credential has a faster payback. In states such as Alabama and Wyoming the gap is under $1,000 at the median.

How to use this table when you job-hunt

1. Start with your state median, not the national one.
2. Adjust for your metro area. Big cities usually pay above the state median, rural areas below.
3. Adjust for experience. Most first jobs start below the median; experienced assistants who handle difficult patients, train staff or run inventory earn above it.
4. Compare benefits, not just the hourly rate: health insurance, paid time off, pet-care discounts and tuition help can be worth thousands.
5. Check local ads for the same title to confirm what clinics near you actually offer.

Hourly vs. annual figures

The BLS publishes both hourly and annual estimates. Annual figures assume full-time, year-round work, so if you work part-time or variable shifts, the hourly median is a better comparison. Nationally, the May 2025 median was $18.34 an hour for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers and $22.78 an hour for veterinary technicians.

How to turn a state median into a salary target

Use the table as a starting point, then adjust with local information:

Situation	Where you are likely to land
No experience, first clinic job	Below your state median
One to three years, reliable and trained in restraint and lab tasks	Around the median
Experienced, trains others, handles inventory or surgery prep	Above the median
Emergency, specialty or research employer	Often above the median, with shift differentials
Small rural practice	Often below the median, with lower living costs

Checklist for comparing two job offers

• Hourly rate and guaranteed hours per week
• Overtime, night, weekend and holiday differentials
• Health, dental and vision insurance and the employee share of the premium
• Paid time off and sick leave
• Retirement plan and employer match
• Pet care discount
• Continuing education or tuition assistance (especially toward a vet tech degree)
• Uniform allowance and scrubs
• Scheduled pay reviews and how raises are decided

Write the value of each benefit next to the hourly rate. A clinic offering a lower wage but paying for technician school can be worth more over a few years.

Common mistakes when reading salary data

1. Using the national median in a high-cost state and underpricing yourself.
2. Comparing annual figures with part-time pay. Use hourly rates.
3. Ignoring that this occupation includes laboratory animal caretakers. Research jobs can raise medians in some states.
4. Treating one year’s ranking as permanent. Small-state estimates can move from year to year.
5. Forgetting benefits. They can be a large part of total compensation.

Moving to a higher-paying state?

A higher median does not always mean more money in your pocket. Before relocating, compare rent, transportation and taxes, and check whether the state regulates the tasks assistants may do. If you plan to become a technician, also check the state’s credentialing rules, since moving between states can mean extra paperwork.

How to ask for a raise as a vet assistant

Keep a short list of what you have added since you were hired: new skills (lab samples, surgery prep, radiography support where allowed), training new staff, covering extra shifts, inventory or client-service improvements. Compare your pay with your state median above and with local ads, then ask for a specific number at your review.

Related reading

• Veterinary assistant salary: what the BLS data shows
• Vet tech vs. vet assistant vs. veterinarian: pay, school and duties
• Online vet assistant programs: how to pick a legit one
• Veterinary assistant guide

Our Veterinary Assistant Career Kit includes BLS OEWS May 2025 pay data, two résumé templates and interview questions to help you negotiate your first offer.