How much do veterinary assistants make?
The typical veterinary assistant and animal care job on this site pays USD 19.50 an hour. Half of the jobs pay between USD 17.40 and USD 21.78. That is from 380 real job posts that show the pay, checked on Nov 4, 2026.
Pay by state
8 states have at least 15 jobs that show the pay. The typical pay goes from USD 17.50 in Ohio to USD 21.38 in California.
| State | Typical pay | Middle half | Jobs counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | USD 21.38 | USD 20.00 to USD 24.00 | 65 |
| Massachusetts | USD 20.63 | USD 18.38 to USD 21.50 | 21 |
| New York | USD 20.25 | USD 18.63 to USD 23.75 | 50 |
| Washington | USD 20.23 | USD 18.30 to USD 21.17 | 16 |
| Virginia | USD 19.25 | USD 17.10 to USD 21.68 | 20 |
| Texas | USD 18.00 | USD 17.30 to USD 20.50 | 17 |
| Florida | USD 17.82 | USD 17.30 to USD 21.25 | 23 |
| Ohio | USD 17.50 | USD 16.50 to USD 18.28 | 18 |
Full time or part time
Full-time jobs pay USD 20.50 an hour (136 jobs) and part-time jobs pay USD 18.30 (39 jobs).
Which employers show the pay
Some employers put the pay in every job post, others never do.
| Employer | Jobs | Show the pay |
|---|---|---|
| PetVet Care Centers | 203 | 80% |
| Petco (Vetco Total Care hospitals) | 111 | 51% |
| VCA Animal Hospitals | 103 | 80% |
| Banfield Pet Hospital | 86 | 91% |
| Veterinary Practice Partners | 63 | 100% |
| NVA (National Veterinary Associates) | 50 | 34% |
| AmeriVet Veterinary Partners | 46 | 46% |
| MedVet | 40 | 23% |
| Modern Animal | 26 | 85% |
| Vetcor | 25 | 24% |
| Lakefield Veterinary Group | 22 | 68% |
| Bond Vet | 18 | 94% |
| Encore Vet Group | 15 | 80% |
| ASPCA | 9 | 89% |
| Sploot Veterinary Care | 6 | 0% |
| Heart + Paw | 6 | 83% |
| CityVet | 2 | 0% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW Veterinary Care) | 1 | 100% |
| Hospital for Veterinary Surgery | 1 | 100% |
| Veterinary Emergency Group (VEG) | 1 | 0% |
How we counted: 380 of the 834 jobs on this site on Nov 4, 2026 state an hourly pay. When a job gives a range, we use the middle of the range. Pay comes from the employers' own job posts, not from surveys. These numbers update every day.
Pay by setting
Settings with at least 15 jobs that show the pay.
| Setting | Typical pay | Jobs counted |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency or urgent care | USD 22.50 | 15 |
| General practice | USD 18.76 | 142 |
What these jobs offer
From the 834 veterinary assistant jobs on this site on Nov 4, 2026:
Counted from the words in each post: a requirement listed under a "preferred" heading counts as preferred.