The Average Veterinary Technician Salary
Veterinary technicians work under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian. Some of their duties include assisting with surgery, giving injections, taking X-rays, anesthetizing patients, offering post-operative care and cleaning teeth. For this reason, veterinary technicians usually work in private veterinary offices. However, there are some opportunities to work as a teacher, or in biomedical research, zoo/wildlife medicine and even the military. This is why the veterinary technician salary in the U.S. varies so greatly.
Educational Requirements Of Veterinary Technicians
Each state has its own set of requirements for veterinary technicians. For this reason the veterinary technician salary is affected by such things as education, experience, geographic region and work setting. Also, since most veterinary technicians only have a certificate or associate degree from a community or technical college, those who have a Bachelor’s degree make more money. There is also a National Veterinary Technician Exam that must be passed.
Veterinary Technician Salary Based Upon Job Position
As with any profession, if you are more experienced you will earn a higher veterinary technician salary. This is because you will have a deeper understanding of the job and thus be able to taken on more responsibility. Furthermore, your salary will also vary depending upon where you choose to work and what state you live in.
The median veterinary technician salary in the United States today is $25,149. This veterinary technician salary includes people who are working in all types of private, public and corporate veterinarian positions. With this in mind, the lowest 10% of veterinary technicians earned less than $16,170 while the highest 10% earned more than $33,750. As such, hourly wages for a veterinary technician are estimated to be between $12 and $15 per hour. If the veterinary technician is being paid a full-time salary, then they can expect to make $30,500 per year. However, if the veterinary technician is in private practice, they will earn an average salary of $66,590 per year. On the other hand, if they are working for the U.S. government, they will make $78,769 per year.
Additional Benefits To The Veterinary Technician Salary
Regardless as to whether you are a full-time veterinary technician for a a private practice or for a corporation, there are some additional benefits besides the veterinary technician salary that you earn. These include such things as vacation pay, holiday pay, sick leave, continuing education incentives, a 401(k) plan and health benefits. Just like the veterinary technician salary varies depending upon where you work, so will your benefits packages.
