Salary Information for Veterinarian Technicians
Veterinarian technicians work with animals in an assistant role, helping vets with tasks such as collecting lab samples, recording vital signs, dressing wounds, and using radiography equipment. To work in this position, you’ll still have to be certified, but the education requirements are not as strenuous as working as a veterinarian. So, while your pay won’t be as high as that of a vet, you can still expect to earn a healthy salary as a veterinary technician, depending on your degree.
Vet Tech Base Salary by Degree
You can get started as a vet tech with just an associate’s degree. However, with only two years of education, you won’t be certified to perform as many tasks and thus, your salary will be lower. According to reports, vet techs who have only an associates degree earn between $20,000 and $38,000 annually. Want to earn more? Go back to school for a bachelors degree. With four years of education, you can expect a salary that starts at around $33,000 annually and goes up as you gain real-life work experience. With experience and a bachelor’s degree, you can earn up to $45,000 in this field – and sometimes even more.
Vet Tech Salary by Location
Location plays a major role in the salary you receive. Vet techs in more rural areas often make a lower salary than those in cities, though cost of living should be something you factor into this decision. According to reports, the most jobs for vet techs are found in the following cities: Houston, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, New York, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Minneapolis, with the highest-paying cities reported as Sacramento, Waterbury, Hartford, San Jose, San Fransisco, and Detroit – in all of these areas, the average is over $40,000 annually for vet techs. The states with the overall highest average for this field are Connecticut, New York, Alaska, California, and Massachusetts.
Other Factors Affecting Your Salary
As a vet tech, you can also make more money by specializing on a certain type of animal, remaining with a single employer, working for a large employer, going through annual training programs, and more. Keep in mind also that your benefits package, which includes things like insurance and paid vacation days, should be considered part of your salary as well.
