29
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians is a notable career in the 29 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Veterinary Technologists and Technicians against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 29-2056 |
| title | Veterinary Technologists and Technicians |
| onet code | 29-2056.00 |
| description | Perform medical tests in a laboratory environment for use in the treatment and diagnosis of diseases in animals. Prepare vaccines and serums for prevention of diseases. Prepare tissue samples, take blood samples, and execute laboratory tests, such as urinalysis and blood counts. Clean and sterilize instruments and materials and maintain equipment and machines. May assist a veterinarian during surgery. |
| job zone | 3 |
| major group | 29 |
| tot emp | 131,320 |
| a mean | 46,280 |
| a median | 45,980 |
| a pct10 | 32,120 |
| a pct25 | 37,390 |
| a pct75 | 50,960 |
| a pct90 | 60,880 |
| h mean | 22 |
| h median | 22 |
The day-to-day work of a veterinary technologists and technicians typically centers on administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals' responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.39 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working veterinary technologists and technicians, the most common entry qualification is a High School Diploma (41.3%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 6% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Washington at $59,080 and lowest in Louisiana at $29,920 — a 2.0× spread. The top five states (Washington, New York, District of Columbia, Virginia, California) average $56,936. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $59,080 | $58,920 | $47,050 | $74,520 | 2,250 |
| New York | $58,830 | $59,540 | $46,780 | $78,350 | 5,480 |
| District of Columbia | $55,900 | $55,580 | $47,040 | $72,110 | 160 |
| Virginia | $55,790 | $55,050 | $39,600 | $72,260 | 2,800 |
| California | $55,080 | $56,980 | $41,020 | $74,390 | 11,380 |
| Minnesota | $49,480 | $51,940 | $38,510 | $62,650 | 4,320 |
| Maine | $49,460 | $49,750 | $39,710 | $56,610 | 790 |
| Oregon | $48,950 | $50,320 | $36,780 | $62,070 | 1,640 |
| Connecticut | $48,880 | $52,250 | $38,360 | $71,780 | 1,800 |
| New Jersey | $48,630 | $48,250 | $35,760 | $60,900 | 3,500 |
| New Hampshire | $48,600 | $49,020 | $36,350 | $60,430 | 1,000 |
| Nevada | $48,590 | $48,880 | $34,210 | $62,260 | 910 |
| Colorado | $48,360 | $48,670 | $36,840 | $59,070 | 3,990 |
| Illinois | $47,860 | $47,710 | $36,480 | $58,860 | 4,840 |
| Hawaii | $47,670 | $47,680 | $36,780 | $58,020 | 300 |
| Indiana | $47,520 | $46,590 | $34,500 | $59,360 | 2,340 |
| Michigan | $47,150 | $47,300 | $37,370 | $59,280 | 2,880 |
| Massachusetts | $47,130 | $48,920 | $38,560 | $59,020 | 3,900 |
| Delaware | $47,100 | $46,480 | $36,640 | $60,620 | 580 |
| Vermont | $46,650 | $47,860 | $40,440 | $57,710 | 420 |
| Maryland | $46,620 | $48,110 | $37,260 | $61,020 | 3,090 |
| Ohio | $46,390 | $43,870 | $28,300 | $58,560 | 4,720 |
| North Carolina | $45,460 | $45,350 | $34,770 | $59,030 | 3,650 |
| Wisconsin | $45,340 | $45,450 | $36,710 | $58,520 | 2,860 |
| South Dakota | $45,220 | $43,100 | $33,280 | $49,080 | 300 |
| Arizona | $45,110 | $44,680 | $36,610 | $56,890 | 3,390 |
| Rhode Island | $42,230 | $45,480 | $37,390 | $58,470 | 550 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,910 | $43,370 | $32,820 | $55,230 | 5,840 |
| Iowa | $41,780 | $44,930 | $34,750 | $61,430 | 1,070 |
| North Dakota | $40,900 | $43,370 | $30,050 | $56,420 | 330 |
| Florida | $40,380 | $43,240 | $32,450 | $56,120 | 10,130 |
| Montana | $39,690 | $42,290 | $35,340 | $50,020 | 600 |
| Utah | $39,400 | $40,390 | $29,060 | $48,660 | 1,590 |
| Nebraska | $39,180 | $41,640 | $31,050 | $54,080 | 680 |
| Kansas | $39,070 | $42,500 | $32,240 | $56,900 | 1,250 |
| Missouri | $39,010 | $40,640 | $29,770 | $50,620 | 1,650 |
| Georgia | $38,810 | $42,860 | $31,290 | $57,280 | 3,280 |
| New Mexico | $37,980 | $40,130 | $29,850 | $49,640 | 860 |
| South Carolina | $37,960 | $42,680 | $29,900 | $61,200 | 1,890 |
| Oklahoma | $37,920 | $39,670 | $30,370 | $48,180 | 970 |
| Wyoming | $37,580 | $37,880 | $22,180 | $47,460 | 270 |
| Texas | $37,250 | $39,750 | $28,800 | $49,390 | 16,170 |
| Kentucky | $37,180 | $37,560 | $28,240 | $47,200 | 1,980 |
| Tennessee | $36,940 | $39,000 | $30,250 | $48,630 | 2,270 |
| Idaho | $36,670 | $38,010 | $28,810 | $46,700 | 640 |
| West Virginia | $36,350 | $37,130 | $27,660 | $47,710 | 460 |
| Mississippi | $36,090 | $36,090 | $24,120 | $45,100 | 880 |
| Arkansas | $34,880 | $35,790 | $29,040 | $45,760 | 290 |
| Alabama | $30,480 | $33,310 | $26,920 | $43,470 | 2,260 |
| Louisiana | $29,920 | $31,870 | $22,440 | $42,560 | 1,780 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for veterinary technologists and technicians. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Animal Care Technician (Animal Care Tech) or Animal Health Technician (Animal Health Tech) frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Veterinary Technologists and Technicians compares to others in the 29 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.