Veterinary Assistant | Salary & Job Information

Becoming a Veterinary Assistant via Online Education?

At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths. Penn Foster Career School is a US school (accredited) offering veterinary assistant courses to train individuals to become top-notch veterinary assistants, veterinary technicians, veterinarian assistants, etc. Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 71,350 people employed as veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers alone in America, and their average annual salary is $23,400. Veterinarians make on average $90,110 per year and there are about 54,130 of them employed today. Colleges and universities like Penn Foster Career School that provide online education are successfully launching workers into this field.

Typical Work Locations for a Veterinary Assistant
  • hospitals
  • veterinarian office
  • veterinarian operating room
  • farms
  • zoos
  • aquariums
  • laboratory
  • universities
  • colleges
  • animal shelters
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as a Veterinary Assistant
  • working with animals
  • receive good pay
  • receive on the job training
  • have paid holidays
  • help families
  • work overtime
  • spending time with animals
  • receive good health benefits
  • have a 401k plan
  • have job security
Potential Drawbacks
  • clean dirty animal cages
  • deal with animals who may bite due to fear
  • be exposed to blood and other body fluids
  • deal with low pay
  • deal with dead animals
  • put injured animals to sleep
  • deal with aggressive animals
  • constantly clean examinations rooms
  • work early hours to care for boarding animals
  • tell animal owners that their pet is dying
Related Professions to Consider
  • Veterinary Assistant Instructor
  • Veterinary Technician
  • Veterinary Assistant Receptionist
  • SNIP Veterinary Assistant
  • Credentialed Veterinary Technician
  • Assistant Professor Veterinary
  • Research Assistant
  • Assistant Supervisor
  • Veterinary Nurse
  • Veterinary Services Front Desk Assistant
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be a Veterinary Assistant
  • Tell me about the animals you have cared for and raised in your life?
  • Why did you want to become a veterinarian assistant Besides that you love animals?
  • How do you feel about euthanasia?
  • Tell me your experiences with animals?
  • Are you comfortable with all animals?
  • You may be asked to do multiple tasks in a short amount of time while still giving care to the animals will you be able to do this?
  • What training have you had with animals?
  • What job in your career were you most satisfied working?
  • How do you feel about the use of animals in vet school?
  • Are you comfortable cleaning kennels?
Common Collaborating Professions
  • Veterinary Technician
  • Veterinarian
  • Executive Assistant
  • Farmers
  • Assistant Supervisor
  • Kennel Owner
  • Receptionist
  • Kennel Assistant
  • Animal Therapist
  • VETERINARY Nursing Assistant / Receptionist
Veterinary Assistant Training books Veterinary Assistant (More) Popular books Potential Companies to Work For Common College Majors
  • Veterinary Technology
  • Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Chemistry
  • Zoology
  • Wildlife Management
  • Animal Sciences
  • Equestrian Studies
  • Microbiology
  • Agriculture and Biological Engineering

Veterinary Assistant Salary Information

Category: Veterinarians

Total # Employed in the US 54,130
Average Hourly Wage: $43.32/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$22.92 $30.18 $38.71 $50.57 $68.71
Average Yearly Salary $90,110
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$47,670 $62,770 $80,510 $105,190 $142,910
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
0.1% 0.6% 0.3% 0.0% 1.3% 1.7% 96.1%
Veterinarians — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
North Dakota $56.33/hr $117,170
Delaware $55.84/hr $116,150
Hawaii $50.74/hr $105,540
Colorado $48.05/hr $99,940
Washington $47.9/hr $99,630
District of Columbia $47.74/hr $99,290
Wyoming $47.71/hr $99,240
Utah $47.68/hr $99,170
Indiana $47.13/hr $98,020
Oklahoma $47.06/hr $97,890
Virginia $46.08/hr $95,840
Mississippi $46.01/hr $95,710
Maryland $45.68/hr $95,020
Nebraska $44.93/hr $93,440
Oregon $44.88/hr $93,350
Florida $44.3/hr $92,150
Guam $43.92/hr $91,350
Montana $43.67/hr $90,830
South Carolina $43.55/hr $90,590
Kentucky $43.47/hr $90,430
North Carolina $43.31/hr $90,090
Missouri $41.31/hr $85,930
Kansas $40.9/hr $85,070
Puerto Rico $39.71/hr $82,590
Michigan $39.63/hr $82,430
Massachusetts $39.39/hr $81,930
New York $39.18/hr $81,490
Idaho $38.98/hr $81,080
Tennessee $38.5/hr $80,080
Alaska $38.12/hr $79,290
South Dakota $38.06/hr $79,160
Nevada $38.03/hr $79,100
Maine $37.54/hr $78,090
Arkansas $37.41/hr $77,800
Wisconsin $37.16/hr $77,280
Alabama $36.45/hr $75,810
California $35.94/hr $74,750
Connecticut $35.9/hr $74,670
Iowa $35.46/hr $73,760
New Hampshire $34.43/hr $71,600
New Mexico $34.3/hr $71,330
West Virginia $33.99/hr $70,690
Pennsylvania $33.22/hr $69,090
Ohio $31.3/hr $65,110
Louisiana $31.24/hr $64,990
New Jersey $29.06/hr $60,430


Category: Veterinary technologists and technicians

Total # Employed in the US 79,200
Average Hourly Wage: $14.7/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$9.7 $11.54 $14.08 $17.25 $20.71
Average Yearly Salary $30,580
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$20,180 $23,990 $29,280 $35,880 $43,080
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
2.5% 27.8% 34.1% 19.0% 14.1% 1.4% 1.1%
Veterinary technologists and technicians — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Delaware $17.48/hr $36,360
Oklahoma $17.43/hr $36,250
Florida $17.39/hr $36,160
Colorado $17.17/hr $35,720
New York $16.95/hr $35,260
Missouri $16.81/hr $34,970
North Dakota $16.11/hr $33,500
Nebraska $16.06/hr $33,400
Montana $15.96/hr $33,190
Alaska $15.47/hr $32,190
Virginia $15.46/hr $32,160
North Carolina $15.11/hr $31,420
Ohio $15.07/hr $31,340
Kansas $15.07/hr $31,340
District of Columbia $15.03/hr $31,250
Mississippi $15.02/hr $31,250
Puerto Rico $14.89/hr $30,960
New Hampshire $14.68/hr $30,530
Utah $14.55/hr $30,270
Kentucky $14.41/hr $29,980
Tennessee $14.4/hr $29,950
Michigan $14.32/hr $29,780
Connecticut $14.24/hr $29,620
Maine $14.22/hr $29,580
Louisiana $14.13/hr $29,390
South Carolina $14.13/hr $29,400
Indiana $14.06/hr $29,240
Hawaii $13.58/hr $28,250
Washington $13.54/hr $28,170
Pennsylvania $13.38/hr $27,830
New Jersey $13.22/hr $27,500
Wyoming $13.18/hr $27,420
West Virginia $13.1/hr $27,240
Arkansas $13.09/hr $27,240
Nevada $12.79/hr $26,610
Guam $12.75/hr $26,530
Oregon $12.75/hr $26,510
Maryland $12.71/hr $26,430
New Mexico $12.66/hr $26,330
Iowa $12.54/hr $26,080
Alabama $12.41/hr $25,810
South Dakota $12.35/hr $25,680
Wisconsin $12.01/hr $24,970
California $12/hr $24,960
Idaho $11.91/hr $24,770
Massachusetts $11.39/hr $23,700


Category: Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers

Total # Employed in the US 71,350
Average Hourly Wage: $11.25/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$7.7 $8.72 $10.43 $12.83 $15.79
Average Yearly Salary $23,400
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$16,020 $18,140 $21,700 $26,680 $32,840
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
4.8% 29.0% 37.8% 16.3% 9.1% 1.6% 1.4%
Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Florida $18.61/hr $38,710
Missouri $14.46/hr $30,080
Colorado $14.01/hr $29,130
Delaware $13.54/hr $28,160
Michigan $13.1/hr $27,260
Mississippi $13.04/hr $27,120
Oklahoma $12.79/hr $26,600
North Dakota $11.99/hr $24,950
Kansas $11.75/hr $24,450
Alaska $11.7/hr $24,350
Puerto Rico $11.58/hr $24,090
Ohio $11.51/hr $23,930
Utah $11.5/hr $23,910
Nebraska $11.5/hr $23,920
District of Columbia $11.49/hr $23,900
North Carolina $11.36/hr $23,640
New Mexico $11.24/hr $23,390
Tennessee $11.18/hr $23,250
Montana $11.06/hr $23,000
Massachusetts $10.94/hr $22,760
Washington $10.92/hr $22,720
Idaho $10.85/hr $22,560
Indiana $10.85/hr $22,570
Oregon $10.79/hr $22,450
Connecticut $10.65/hr $22,160
Kentucky $10.58/hr $22,010
Pennsylvania $10.4/hr $21,620
New Jersey $10.37/hr $21,560
Wyoming $10.36/hr $21,560
New York $10.31/hr $21,440
South Carolina $10.29/hr $21,390
Louisiana $10.27/hr $21,350
Hawaii $10.15/hr $21,110
Maine $10.1/hr $21,000
Wisconsin $10.05/hr $20,900
Maryland $9.96/hr $20,710
California $9.93/hr $20,660
Iowa $9.86/hr $20,500
South Dakota $9.82/hr $20,430
Arkansas $9.7/hr $20,180
New Hampshire $9.68/hr $20,130
Alabama $9.52/hr $19,810
Guam $9.18/hr $19,090
Nevada $9.16/hr $19,050
West Virginia $9.04/hr $18,800


Category: Animal trainers

Total # Employed in the US 10,080
Average Hourly Wage: $14.94/hr
Hourly Wage Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$8.13 $9.48 $12.95 $18.05 $25.06
Average Yearly Salary $31,080
Yearly Salary Range
PERCENTILE
10%25%50%75%90%
$16,920 $19,710 $26,930 $37,540 $52,130
Employment Demographics
% OF WORKERS WITH
< High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College Associate Degree Bachelor Degree Master Degree Doctoral Degree
10.1% 32.3% 23.1% 9.6% 20.8% 3.3% 0.7%
Animal trainers — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
STATEAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
District of Columbia $18.03/hr $37,500
Nebraska $17.61/hr $36,630
Delaware $17.25/hr $35,890
Maryland $16.55/hr $34,410
Hawaii $16.48/hr $34,280
Wisconsin $16.47/hr $34,250
Oklahoma $16.34/hr $33,980
Colorado $16.28/hr $33,850
Wyoming $16.2/hr $33,700
North Carolina $15.97/hr $33,220
North Dakota $15.05/hr $31,300
Louisiana $15/hr $31,190
Missouri $14.83/hr $30,850
Iowa $14.7/hr $30,570
Idaho $14.66/hr $30,500
Kansas $14.49/hr $30,140
New Hampshire $14.2/hr $29,530
South Carolina $13.91/hr $28,930
Guam $13.91/hr $28,930
Massachusetts $13.69/hr $28,470
Washington $13.58/hr $28,240
Mississippi $13.5/hr $28,070
Montana $13.47/hr $28,010
Connecticut $13.11/hr $27,280
Maine $12.97/hr $26,970
Utah $12.88/hr $26,800
Oregon $12.8/hr $26,620
Arkansas $12.18/hr $25,330
Indiana $12.12/hr $25,200
Alabama $11.89/hr $24,730
New York $11.7/hr $24,340
South Dakota $11.36/hr $23,620
California $11.32/hr $23,540
Kentucky $11/hr $22,870
New Mexico $10.45/hr $21,740
Tennessee $10.33/hr $21,500


Veterinary Assistant Programs by State & City