Vet assistant salary by state
Vet assistants in the U.S. earned a median of $38,150 a year in May 2025, about $18.34 an hour (BLS). Eight in ten earned between $30,120 and $49,150. Pay depends heavily on the state: the highest medians were Rhode Island ($49,770), District of Columbia ($49,080), Massachusetts ($46,670).
Vet assistant pay in every state
Sorted by median pay. Open a state for its percentiles, rank, the other veterinary roles there and what clinics are posting now.
| State | Median a year | Median an hour | 10th to 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $49,770 | $23.93 | $35,510 to $50,130 |
| District of Columbia | $49,080 | $23.60 | $46,570 to $72,840 |
| Massachusetts | $46,670 | $22.44 | $35,460 to $63,130 |
| California | $46,260 | $22.24 | $37,800 to $57,940 |
| New Jersey | $46,160 | $22.19 | $36,720 to $57,670 |
| Maine | $45,510 | $21.88 | $37,380 to $59,790 |
| Minnesota | $45,280 | $21.77 | $36,410 to $49,060 |
| Maryland | $44,770 | $21.52 | $37,150 to $60,710 |
| New York | $44,750 | $21.51 | $36,450 to $53,460 |
| Oregon | $44,370 | $21.33 | $36,480 to $49,470 |
| Connecticut | $44,250 | $21.27 | $35,920 to $59,950 |
| Washington | $44,150 | $21.23 | $38,470 to $55,050 |
| Hawaii | $44,070 | $21.19 | $35,200 to $49,400 |
| Colorado | $38,900 | $18.70 | $35,710 to $47,450 |
| Delaware | $38,610 | $18.56 | $34,680 to $57,930 |
| Montana | $38,340 | $18.43 | $29,430 to $45,220 |
| Arizona | $38,250 | $18.39 | $35,530 to $47,460 |
| Michigan | $37,960 | $18.25 | $30,410 to $46,730 |
| Wyoming | $37,880 | $18.21 | $30,610 to $39,080 |
| Florida | $37,830 | $18.19 | $31,090 to $47,270 |
| Utah | $37,560 | $18.06 | $31,890 to $49,100 |
| Idaho | $37,530 | $18.04 | $24,230 to $44,730 |
| New Mexico | $37,500 | $18.03 | $29,870 to $48,310 |
| Illinois | $37,480 | $18.02 | $31,550 to $47,000 |
| Virginia | $37,450 | $18.00 | $30,430 to $48,580 |
| Vermont | $37,290 | $17.93 | $30,690 to $45,880 |
| North Dakota | $37,160 | $17.87 | $33,800 to $46,830 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,140 | $17.86 | $30,010 to $47,200 |
| North Carolina | $37,070 | $17.82 | $28,830 to $46,470 |
| South Carolina | $36,980 | $17.78 | $27,390 to $48,630 |
| Nevada | $36,920 | $17.75 | $35,920 to $47,910 |
| New Hampshire | $36,910 | $17.75 | $29,160 to $45,690 |
| Wisconsin | $36,850 | $17.72 | $30,400 to $45,630 |
| Missouri | $36,660 | $17.62 | $30,280 to $45,940 |
| Alaska | $36,490 | $17.54 | $27,690 to $47,010 |
| Indiana | $36,420 | $17.51 | $29,580 to $44,780 |
| Ohio | $36,340 | $17.47 | $29,330 to $47,070 |
| Tennessee | $36,320 | $17.46 | $30,230 to $43,700 |
| Nebraska | $36,100 | $17.36 | $29,930 to $42,050 |
| Georgia | $35,850 | $17.24 | $29,210 to $44,810 |
| Alabama | $35,800 | $17.21 | $27,970 to $43,360 |
| Iowa | $35,720 | $17.17 | $29,440 to $47,220 |
| Kansas | $35,680 | $17.15 | $28,720 to $47,930 |
| Texas | $34,850 | $16.75 | $24,070 to $46,890 |
| Oklahoma | $34,850 | $16.75 | $23,170 to $46,810 |
| South Dakota | $34,700 | $16.68 | $28,390 to $36,700 |
| Arkansas | $34,570 | $16.62 | $27,860 to $42,180 |
| Kentucky | $34,140 | $16.41 | $26,520 to $45,430 |
| West Virginia | $32,350 | $15.55 | $25,830 to $38,040 |
| Louisiana | $30,480 | $14.65 | $28,400 to $37,510 |
| Mississippi | $30,360 | $14.60 | $26,060 to $45,440 |
What clinics are posting now
Posted pay: 34 of these 58 listings, from 3 employers, state an hourly range. Ranges run from $15.00 to $31.00 an hour; the middle listing's midpoint is $22.75 an hour. These are employers' posted ranges, not survey data.
See all 58 open vet assistant jobs.
What the numbers mean
BLS reports veterinary assistants together with laboratory animal caretakers, so these figures include both. Figures are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) estimates for May 2025, the latest release, for wage and salary workers (the self-employed are not included). The median is the middle wage: half earned more, half earned less. Hourly figures are the yearly figure divided by 2,080 hours, the way BLS converts between the two. Retrieved from the BLS Public Data API on November 5, 2026.
Other roles: vet tech salary ยท veterinarian salary. Career guides: how to become a vet tech, vet tech vs vet assistant.
FAQ
How much does a vet assistant make?
The U.S. median was $38,150 a year in May 2025, about $18.34 an hour (BLS).
How much does a vet assistant make an hour?
About $18.34 an hour at the U.S. median; the 10th percentile was about $14.48 and the 90th about $23.63.
Which state pays vet assistants the most?
By BLS median pay for May 2025: Rhode Island ($49,770), District of Columbia ($49,080), Massachusetts ($46,670).
Which state pays vet assistants the least?
The lowest medians were West Virginia ($32,350), Louisiana ($30,480), Mississippi ($30,360).
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025, veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS state estimates (Public Data API)
Get veterinary jobs in your state by email
We are adding vet tech, assistant and veterinarian jobs state by state. Leave your email and state, and we will write when jobs in your state go up or your state's rules change. One email a week at most.