Occupation salary profile

Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

SOC 29-2056 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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.

National median · BLS
$47,380
▲ +3.04% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$51,480
▼ -13.16% YoY · 27 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$49,120
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
129,140
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 27 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$35,710$45,585
25th$38,910$45,864
Median (50th)$47,380$51,480
75th$57,650$58,080
90th — top pay$63,180$63,336
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $51,480 for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians — 8.7% above the BLS national median of $47,380.

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

BLS projects employment of veterinary technologists and technicians to grow 9.4% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 13,400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
131,400 → 143,800
+12,300 jobs
Projected change
+9.4%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
13,400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Associate's degree
No related experience required
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need an associate's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $51,480
Change vs prior year -13.16%
After inflation (CPI-U) -15.8%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level IV 13 48.1% $53,560 $60,000 $62,920
H-1B job titles

Salaries by job title in Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

The 1 most-filed job titles inside SOC 29-2056, from 27 H-1B filings. Seniority words and level numbers are grouped (“Senior Data Engineer II” counts as Data Engineer). Tap a title for its full range, wage levels and the exact titles employers used.

Job title LCAs Share P25 Median P75 YoY
Veterinary Technologist 18 66.67% $45,864 $50,700 $54,730 -14.47%

Titles are cleaned from the employer's own LCA text (codes and typos removed, nothing invented). Rows need 10+ filings in this SOC.

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Active Listening3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.8
  • Reading Comprehension3.6
  • Speaking3.6
  • Complex Problem Solving3.3
  • Monitoring3.3
  • Writing3.3
  • Active Learning3.1
  • Coordination3.1
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.1
Top knowledge areas
  • Medicine and Dentistry4.1
  • Customer and Personal Service4.1
  • Biology4.0
  • English Language4.0
  • Mathematics3.5
  • Chemistry3.3
  • Computers and Electronics3.0
  • Administrative2.9
Software and technology used
Microsoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordAnimal Intelligence Software Animal IntelligenceFileMaker ProMcAllister Software Systems AVImarkPractice management software PMSVeterinary practice management software PMSWeb browser software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What veterinary technologists and technicians do

  • Administer anesthesia to animals, under the direction of a veterinarian, and monitor animals' responses to anesthetics so that dosages can be adjusted.
  • Care for and monitor the condition of animals recovering from surgery.
  • Maintain controlled drug inventory and related log books.
  • Perform laboratory tests on blood, urine, or feces, such as urinalyses or blood counts, to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of animal health problems.
  • Prepare and administer medications, vaccines, serums, or treatments, as prescribed by veterinarians.
  • Restrain animals during exams or procedures.
  • Administer emergency first aid, such as performing emergency resuscitation or other life saving procedures.
  • Clean and sterilize instruments, equipment, or materials.
Also called
Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT)Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)Veterinary Technician (Vet Tech)Emergency Veterinary Technician (Emergency Vet Tech)Internal Medicine Veterinary Technician (Internal Medicine Vet Tech)Veterinarian Technician (Vet Tech)Veterinary Laboratory Technician (Vet Lab Tech)Veterinary Nurse (Vet Nurse)Veterinary Technologist
More job titles for this occupation (9)
Animal Care Technician (Animal Care Tech)Animal Health Technician (Animal Health Tech)Animal Technician (Animal Tech)Swine Technician (Swine Tech)Veterinarian Lab Technician (Veterinary Lab Tech)Veterinary Assistant (Vet Assistant)Veterinary Surgery Technician (Vet Surgery Tech)Veterinary Surgery Technologist (Vet Surgery Technologist)Veterinary X-Ray Operator

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.