State pay map
Where vet techs and assistants earn the most
Every state shaded by median pay from the May 2025 federal wage survey. Hover for the median and the 90th percentile, click for that state's open jobs, and switch between techs and assistants.
- Highest tech median
- District of Columbia
- $61,270 a year
- Lowest tech median
- Louisiana
- $35,530 a year
- States above US median
- 22
- of 51; US median $47,380
- Assistant median, US
- $38,150
- $18.34 an hour
BLS OEWS May 2025. Gray means BLS published no estimate for that state.
List view: every state, highest median first
- District of Columbia $61,270 median, $81,990 90th
- California $60,630 median, $75,860 90th
- Washington $59,740 median, $77,300 90th
- New York $59,010 median, $78,760 90th
- Minnesota $57,270 median, $65,120 90th
- Oregon $55,810 median, $77,710 90th
- Virginia $52,090 median, $75,770 90th
- Connecticut $50,950 median, $75,090 90th
- Maine $50,810 median, $57,690 90th
- Nevada $50,250 median, $65,420 90th
- Michigan $49,710 median, $63,020 90th
- Colorado $49,650 median, $60,380 90th
- Massachusetts $49,540 median, $64,470 90th
- Vermont $49,490 median, $58,430 90th
- New Jersey $49,050 median, $75,310 90th
- North Dakota $48,790 median, $56,980 90th
- New Hampshire $48,780 median, $60,840 90th
- Indiana $48,720 median, $59,490 90th
- Hawaii $48,550 median, $62,660 90th
- Delaware $48,370 median, $61,890 90th
- Ohio $47,990 median, $61,360 90th
- North Carolina $47,620 median, $59,420 90th
- Maryland $47,350 median, $74,460 90th
- Wisconsin $47,020 median, $59,110 90th
- Alaska $46,480 median, $75,820 90th
- Illinois $46,440 median, $60,520 90th
- Pennsylvania $46,430 median, $60,280 90th
- Florida $46,380 median, $57,870 90th
- Arizona $46,300 median, $58,350 90th
- Kansas $45,810 median, $58,250 90th
- Iowa $45,560 median, $63,860 90th
- Rhode Island $45,310 median, $63,590 90th
- South Dakota $45,300 median, $50,440 90th
- New Mexico $44,790 median, $56,870 90th
- Nebraska $43,680 median, $57,310 90th
- Missouri $43,520 median, $49,260 90th
- Georgia $43,060 median, $58,590 90th
- Tennessee $42,810 median, $57,040 90th
- Idaho $42,120 median, $48,660 90th
- Montana $41,170 median, $57,660 90th
- Utah $40,560 median, $55,330 90th
- Kentucky $39,590 median, $50,530 90th
- Texas $39,410 median, $54,610 90th
- Oklahoma $39,100 median, $53,880 90th
- South Carolina $39,020 median, $57,970 90th
- Wyoming $38,650 median, $49,260 90th
- Arkansas $38,360 median, $47,820 90th
- West Virginia $37,700 median, $48,170 90th
- Alabama $36,590 median, $49,060 90th
- Mississippi $36,380 median, $46,710 90th
- Louisiana $35,530 median, $47,690 90th
List view: every state, highest median first
- Rhode Island $49,770 median, $50,130 90th
- District of Columbia $49,080 median, $72,840 90th
- Massachusetts $46,670 median, $63,130 90th
- California $46,260 median, $57,940 90th
- New Jersey $46,160 median, $57,670 90th
- Maine $45,510 median, $59,790 90th
- Minnesota $45,280 median, $49,060 90th
- Maryland $44,770 median, $60,710 90th
- New York $44,750 median, $53,460 90th
- Oregon $44,370 median, $49,470 90th
- Connecticut $44,250 median, $59,950 90th
- Washington $44,150 median, $55,050 90th
- Hawaii $44,070 median, $49,400 90th
- Colorado $38,900 median, $47,450 90th
- Delaware $38,610 median, $57,930 90th
- Montana $38,340 median, $45,220 90th
- Arizona $38,250 median, $47,460 90th
- Michigan $37,960 median, $46,730 90th
- Wyoming $37,880 median, $39,080 90th
- Florida $37,830 median, $47,270 90th
- Utah $37,560 median, $49,100 90th
- Idaho $37,530 median, $44,730 90th
- New Mexico $37,500 median, $48,310 90th
- Illinois $37,480 median, $47,000 90th
- Virginia $37,450 median, $48,580 90th
- Vermont $37,290 median, $45,880 90th
- North Dakota $37,160 median, $46,830 90th
- Pennsylvania $37,140 median, $47,200 90th
- North Carolina $37,070 median, $46,470 90th
- South Carolina $36,980 median, $48,630 90th
- Nevada $36,920 median, $47,910 90th
- New Hampshire $36,910 median, $45,690 90th
- Wisconsin $36,850 median, $45,630 90th
- Missouri $36,660 median, $45,940 90th
- Alaska $36,490 median, $47,010 90th
- Indiana $36,420 median, $44,780 90th
- Ohio $36,340 median, $47,070 90th
- Tennessee $36,320 median, $43,700 90th
- Nebraska $36,100 median, $42,050 90th
- Georgia $35,850 median, $44,810 90th
- Alabama $35,800 median, $43,360 90th
- Iowa $35,720 median, $47,220 90th
- Kansas $35,680 median, $47,930 90th
- Oklahoma $34,850 median, $46,810 90th
- Texas $34,850 median, $46,890 90th
- South Dakota $34,700 median, $36,700 90th
- Arkansas $34,570 median, $42,180 90th
- Kentucky $34,140 median, $45,430 90th
- West Virginia $32,350 median, $38,040 90th
- Louisiana $30,480 median, $37,510 90th
- Mississippi $30,360 median, $45,440 90th
Every state, both roles, with cost of living
Click a column to sort. "Adjusted" divides the tech median by the state's 2023 BEA Regional Price Parity (US = 100), so it shows what the pay buys rather than what it says. n/a means BLS did not publish that row.
| State | Tech median | Tech $/hr | Tech 90th | Assistant median | Assistant 90th | RPP 2023 | Tech median, adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $36,590 | $17.59 | $49,060 | $35,800 | $43,360 | 90 | $40,656 |
| Alaska | $46,480 | $22.35 | $75,820 | $36,490 | $47,010 | 101.7 | $45,703 |
| Arizona | $46,300 | $22.26 | $58,350 | $38,250 | $47,460 | 101.1 | $45,796 |
| Arkansas | $38,360 | $18.44 | $47,820 | $34,570 | $42,180 | 86.5 | $44,347 |
| California | $60,630 | $29.15 | $75,860 | $46,260 | $57,940 | 112.6 | $53,845 |
| Colorado | $49,650 | $23.87 | $60,380 | $38,900 | $47,450 | 101.4 | $48,964 |
| Connecticut | $50,950 | $24.50 | $75,090 | $44,250 | $59,950 | 103.7 | $49,132 |
| Delaware | $48,370 | $23.25 | $61,890 | $38,610 | $57,930 | 99.3 | $48,711 |
| District of Columbia | $61,270 | $29.46 | $81,990 | $49,080 | $72,840 | 110.8 | $55,298 |
| Florida | $46,380 | $22.30 | $57,870 | $37,830 | $47,270 | 103.5 | $44,812 |
| Georgia | $43,060 | $20.70 | $58,590 | $35,850 | $44,810 | 96.7 | $44,529 |
| Hawaii | $48,550 | $23.34 | $62,660 | $44,070 | $49,400 | 108.6 | $44,705 |
| Idaho | $42,120 | $20.25 | $48,660 | $37,530 | $44,730 | 91.4 | $46,083 |
| Illinois | $46,440 | $22.33 | $60,520 | $37,480 | $47,000 | 98.9 | $46,957 |
| Indiana | $48,720 | $23.42 | $59,490 | $36,420 | $44,780 | 92.2 | $52,842 |
| Iowa | $45,560 | $21.90 | $63,860 | $35,720 | $47,220 | 88.8 | $51,306 |
| Kansas | $45,810 | $22.02 | $58,250 | $35,680 | $47,930 | 90 | $50,900 |
| Kentucky | $39,590 | $19.03 | $50,530 | $34,140 | $45,430 | 90.5 | $43,746 |
| Louisiana | $35,530 | $17.08 | $47,690 | $30,480 | $37,510 | 88.3 | $40,238 |
| Maine | $50,810 | $24.43 | $57,690 | $45,510 | $59,790 | 97.1 | $52,327 |
| Maryland | $47,350 | $22.76 | $74,460 | $44,770 | $60,710 | 104 | $45,529 |
| Massachusetts | $49,540 | $23.82 | $64,470 | $46,670 | $63,130 | 108.2 | $45,786 |
| Michigan | $49,710 | $23.90 | $63,020 | $37,960 | $46,730 | 94.2 | $52,771 |
| Minnesota | $57,270 | $27.53 | $65,120 | $45,280 | $49,060 | 98.4 | $58,201 |
| Mississippi | $36,380 | $17.49 | $46,710 | $30,360 | $45,440 | 87.3 | $41,672 |
| Missouri | $43,520 | $20.92 | $49,260 | $36,660 | $45,940 | 91.8 | $47,407 |
| Montana | $41,170 | $19.79 | $57,660 | $38,340 | $45,220 | 90.2 | $45,643 |
| Nebraska | $43,680 | $21.00 | $57,310 | $36,100 | $42,050 | 90.4 | $48,319 |
| Nevada | $50,250 | $24.16 | $65,420 | $36,920 | $47,910 | 97 | $51,804 |
| New Hampshire | $48,780 | $23.45 | $60,840 | $36,910 | $45,690 | 105.3 | $46,325 |
| New Jersey | $49,050 | $23.58 | $75,310 | $46,160 | $57,670 | 108.9 | $45,041 |
| New Mexico | $44,790 | $21.53 | $56,870 | $37,500 | $48,310 | 90.4 | $49,546 |
| New York | $59,010 | $28.37 | $78,760 | $44,750 | $53,460 | 107.6 | $54,842 |
| North Carolina | $47,620 | $22.89 | $59,420 | $37,070 | $46,470 | 94.1 | $50,606 |
| North Dakota | $48,790 | $23.46 | $56,980 | $37,160 | $46,830 | 88.6 | $55,068 |
| Ohio | $47,990 | $23.07 | $61,360 | $36,340 | $47,070 | 91.8 | $52,277 |
| Oklahoma | $39,100 | $18.80 | $53,880 | $34,850 | $46,810 | 88.3 | $44,281 |
| Oregon | $55,810 | $26.83 | $77,710 | $44,370 | $49,470 | 104.7 | $53,305 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,430 | $22.32 | $60,280 | $37,140 | $47,200 | 97.5 | $47,621 |
| Rhode Island | $45,310 | $21.78 | $63,590 | $49,770 | $50,130 | 101.4 | $44,684 |
| South Carolina | $39,020 | $18.76 | $57,970 | $36,980 | $48,630 | 93.2 | $41,867 |
| South Dakota | $45,300 | $21.78 | $50,440 | $34,700 | $36,700 | 88.1 | $51,419 |
| Tennessee | $42,810 | $20.58 | $57,040 | $36,320 | $43,700 | 92.5 | $46,281 |
| Texas | $39,410 | $18.95 | $54,610 | $34,850 | $46,890 | 97.2 | $40,545 |
| Utah | $40,560 | $19.50 | $55,330 | $37,560 | $49,100 | 95 | $42,695 |
| Vermont | $49,490 | $23.79 | $58,430 | $37,290 | $45,880 | 96.6 | $51,232 |
| Virginia | $52,090 | $25.04 | $75,770 | $37,450 | $48,580 | 100.7 | $51,728 |
| Washington | $59,740 | $28.72 | $77,300 | $44,150 | $55,050 | 108.6 | $55,009 |
| West Virginia | $37,700 | $18.13 | $48,170 | $32,350 | $38,040 | 89.8 | $41,982 |
| Wisconsin | $47,020 | $22.61 | $59,110 | $36,850 | $45,630 | 93.1 | $50,505 |
| Wyoming | $38,650 | $18.58 | $49,260 | $37,880 | $39,080 | 90.8 | $42,566 |
How we built this. Medians and 90th percentiles are BLS OEWS May 2025 state estimates for SOC 29-2056 (veterinary technologists and technicians) and 31-9096 (veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers). The map uses a five-step single-hue scale with equal intervals between the lowest and highest state median. Cost-of-living adjustment uses BEA Regional Price Parities for 2023, the latest state table published. For the ranked, adjusted version with commentary, read vet tech pay adjusted for cost of living.