Veterinary Assistant Salary by State

What the BLS counts as a veterinary assistant

The survey groups veterinary assistants with laboratory animal caretakers under one occupation, 31-9096. The large majority work in veterinary clinics, so the figures track clinic assistant pay closely, but the group also includes research facility staff. Kennel attendants and boarding staff are counted separately as animal caretakers (39-2021), which pay less: a median of $15.46 an hour inside veterinary services in May 2025. If you are moving from the kennel to the treatment floor, our kennel attendant to vet assistant guide covers what that step is worth.

Nationally, BLS counted 126,580 veterinary assistants and lab animal caretakers. The median was $38,150, the lowest tenth earned under $30,120 ($14.48 an hour) and the top tenth earned over $49,150 ($23.63 an hour). The range is narrower than for vet techs because there is no credential ladder; most of the spread comes from location and setting.

Where veterinary assistants earn the most

The lowest five medians are Mississippi ($30,360), Louisiana ($30,480), West Virginia ($32,350), Kentucky ($34,140), Arkansas ($34,570). The states with the most assistants employed are California (16,080), Texas (8,440), North Carolina (6,910), Florida (6,790), New York (5,790).

Every state: 10th, median and 90th percentile

Click a column heading to sort. Hourly figures are annual estimates divided by 2,080 hours.

n/a means BLS did not publish that figure for the state. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

The gap to vet tech pay, state by state

Nationally a credentialed tech earns about $9,230 a year more than an assistant at the median. The gap is widest in Washington, where techs earn $15,590 more, Virginia, where techs earn $14,640 more, California, where techs earn $14,370 more. It is narrowest in Rhode Island ($-4,460), Wyoming ($770), Alabama ($790). A wide gap usually means the state regulates the technician title and reserves tasks for credentialed techs, so clinics pay for the credential. A narrow gap often means unlicensed staff do much of the same work.

That gap is the return on a two-year accredited degree and the VTNE. Spread over a career it is well into six figures, which is why so many assistants enroll in part-time or distance programs while they work. Vet tech vs vet assistant compares the two roles, and how to become a vet tech lays out the steps.

What moves assistant pay inside a clinic

• Skills you can prove. Assistants who can place catheters where state law allows, run in-house lab work, take radiographs and handle anesthesia recovery are paid closer to tech rates. Most clinics have an informal ladder from kennel to assistant to senior assistant.
• Setting. Emergency and specialty hospitals post higher assistant ranges and overnight differentials than general practice, and they are more likely to pay for CE.
• Metro. Pay inside a large state follows the metro. In Texas, assistants in Dallas-Fort Worth and San Antonio had medians above $17 an hour while the statewide figure was $16.75 (BLS metro estimates, May 2025).
• Certificates. No state requires one, but a NAVTA Approved Veterinary Assistant certificate or Fear Free certification helps when you have no clinic experience yet.
• Hours. Many assistant roles are part time. Full-time positions with benefits are worth more than the hourly rate suggests; look at the employment type on each posting.

Job outlook

The BLS projects veterinary assistant and laboratory animal caretaker employment to grow 9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 23,200 openings a year. Most of those openings replace people who move up to tech roles or leave the field, which is why clinics hire assistants year-round and often train from scratch. Browse the live list of veterinary assistant jobs to see who is hiring in your state.