The Average Pay of a Veterinary Technician Assistant
- Median and mean income are two common wage statistics. Median income is equivalent to the income earned by the individual in the exact middle of all income earners in a certain field, while mean income is the average income earned by all workers. Median income is sometimes preferable to average income, because averages can be skewed up or down if there are several individuals that earn much more or less than the majority of workers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average income of veterinary technologists and technicians was $30,580 in May 2009, while the median income was $29,280.
- While the average and median show the approximate amount earned by individuals in the middle of the pay scale, many workers earn significantly more or less than average. According to the BLS, 10 percent of veterinary technologists and technicians earned less than $20,180 in May 2009, while 10 percent earned more than $43,080. BLS data show that half of workers in the field earned between $23,990 and $35,880.
- Veterinary technicians work in a variety of industries, and average income can vary significantly depending on the industry. The BLS says that the top three industries for veterinary technician employment (industries with the most jobs for veterinary technicians) in May 2009 were "Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services," "Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools" and "Scientific Research and Development Services." Workers earned average annual income of $30,000, $35,980, and $38,450 in these three fields, respectively.
- The region where a worker lives can affect average annual income. According to the BLS, veterinary technologists and technicians earned average annual wages of $36,360 in Connecticut and $36,250 in New York in May 2009, considerably more than the average for all workers. The highest paying metro areas for veterinary technologists and technicians were San Jose, San Diego and Sacramento. Average annual income exceeded $42,950 in each of these areas.