Veterinary Technician Salary

How Lucrative is a Veterinary Technician Salary?

For an animal lover, working closely with animals while getting paid for the effort can be a dream come true. Thus, most people who have a close affinity with animals will want to work in the veterinary field. A veterinary doctor will usually be able to benefit the most from this field. However, not everyone has the time and resources to pursue a degree veterinary medicine. Becoming a licensed or certified veterinary technician is a close alternative. Earning money from a veterinary technician’s salary can be worthwhile and fulfilling, depending on the specific career path you intend to take.

Career Outlook

Based on studies and surveys, the career outlook for veterinary technicians is positive. About 29,000 new jobs for veterinary technicians are expected to be created from now until 2016, and this field is becoming one of the fastest-growing career, compared to other occupations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of veterinary technician and veterinary technology will grow about 41% through this time. This is mostly due to the increase in number of animal owners throughout the United States who are in need of veterinary care and treatment for their pets.

Salary Outlook

According to salary surveys, veterinary technicians enjoy an average level of income, compared with other careers. A newly-licensed veterinary technician will start at an average of about $25,000 annually, with salaries ranging from $20,500 to $30,500. This describes veterinary technicians who are mostly working in a clinical or private practice setting. A licensed veterinary technician with about 20 years of experience should expect an average of about $36,000 annually, with salaries ranging from $28,000 to $43,000.

Industries

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, veterinary technicians who worked for the federal government earned the highest salaries. This was at about $43,380 annually. These veterinary technicians usually work in the various animal health service departments throughout the federal government’s organization. In the private sector, veterinary technicians working for the medicine manufacturing and pharmaceutical field also earned the most, at about $42,240 annually.

Factors affecting salary outlook

According to the studies, the level of salaries you can expect as a veterinary technician will depend on a few factors. First, there is education. A vet tech who has attained an Associate’s Degree will usually expect a lower salary range than one who has completed a Bachelor’s Degree prior to licensing. Those with Associate’s Degrees will usually expect a salary between $20,000 and $38,000 annually, while those with Bachelor’s Degrees can expect between $33,000 to $42,500 annually. Aside from education, the length of one’s experience as a veterinary technician will have a big effect on how well you will earn as a vet tech.

Physical location is also a factor in determining a veterinary technician salary. Those in more urban, upscale locations and metropolitan areas such as the coastal states will usually expect higher salaries than those in middle states.