Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

29-2056 Veterinary Technologists and Technicians

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 estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
78,800 2.1 % $15.18 $31,570 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $10.04 $12.02 $14.49 $17.62 $21.51
Annual Wage (2) $20,880 $25,010 $30,140 $36,660 $44,740


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 72,080 12.15 $14.90 $30,980
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,200 0.08 $18.09 $37,630
Scientific Research and Development Services 1,440 0.23 $18.14 $37,730
Social Advocacy Organizations 1,050 0.54 $15.88 $33,020
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 650 0.03 $23.09 $48,020

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 72,080 12.15 $14.90 $30,980
Social Advocacy Organizations 1,050 0.54 $15.88 $33,020
Scientific Research and Development Services 1,440 0.23 $18.14 $37,730
Support Activities for Animal Production 40 0.15 $17.26 $35,890
Other Personal Services 250 0.10 $14.63 $30,430

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 650 0.03 $23.09 $48,020
State Government (OES Designation) 80 (7) $21.53 $44,770
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 60 (7) $20.87 $43,400
Employment Services 50 (7) $18.47 $38,410
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (8) (8) $18.14 $37,730


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 8,560 0.61 0.99 $17.07 $35,500
Texas 6,830 0.66 1.08 $13.62 $28,330
Florida 6,760 0.94 1.54 $14.06 $29,250
New York 3,930 0.47 0.76 $18.01 $37,460
Pennsylvania 3,190 0.58 0.94 $15.79 $32,840




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Vermont 420 1.43 2.33 $14.64 $30,450
Colorado 2,470 1.13 1.84 $14.90 $31,000
New Hampshire 660 1.09 1.77 $15.48 $32,200
Maine 620 1.07 1.74 $14.72 $30,630
Rhode Island 460 1.03 1.67 $13.72 $28,530




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 200 0.64 1.05 $18.36 $38,190
New York 3,930 0.47 0.76 $18.01 $37,460
Connecticut 1,130 0.70 1.14 $17.62 $36,640
Virginia 1,390 0.39 0.64 $17.57 $36,560
Massachusetts 2,880 0.91 1.49 $17.49 $36,380





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 2,190 0.86 1.40 $13.11 $27,270
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 1,820 0.51 0.83 $14.04 $29,200
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 1,500 0.90 1.46 $17.95 $37,330
Baltimore-Towson, MD 1,450 1.16 1.89 $15.36 $31,950
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 1,420 1.02 1.67 $15.85 $32,960
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 1,420 0.28 0.46 $19.24 $40,010
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 1,260 0.74 1.20 $15.08 $31,360
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 1,230 1.02 1.66 $14.81 $30,810
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 1,230 1.12 1.82 $14.42 $29,990
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 1,210 0.32 0.52 $16.96 $35,270




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO 360 2.82 4.59 $14.27 $29,680
College Station-Bryan, TX 250 2.71 4.41 $14.54 $30,240
Gainesville, FL 320 2.67 4.35 $14.31 $29,770
Worcester, MA-CT 530 2.20 3.59 $18.15 $37,760
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 210 2.10 3.42 $14.56 $30,290
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL 90 2.03 3.30 $13.66 $28,400
Ocala, FL 180 2.00 3.25 $14.89 $30,970
Prescott, AZ 100 1.85 3.02 $14.28 $29,700
Bend, OR 110 1.83 2.99 $14.85 $30,890
Lexington-Fayette, KY 430 1.79 2.92 $13.03 $27,100




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA 620 0.77 1.25 $23.07 $47,990
Madison, WI 420 1.29 2.10 $22.39 $46,570
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 360 0.41 0.67 $20.56 $42,770
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY 200 0.82 1.33 $20.53 $42,690
Reno-Sparks, NV 60 0.34 0.56 $20.06 $41,720
Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division 250 0.26 0.43 $19.68 $40,930
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 330 0.61 0.99 $19.50 $40,550
Athens-Clarke County, GA 40 0.56 0.91 $19.37 $40,290
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 1,420 0.28 0.46 $19.24 $40,010
Anchorage, AK 130 0.76 1.24 $19.17 $39,870

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Texas nonmetropolitan area 280 1.00 1.63 $19.83 $41,240
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 190 0.66 1.07 $13.79 $28,690
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 190 0.77 1.25 $12.70 $26,410
Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 180 1.07 1.74 $13.17 $27,400
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 180 0.98 1.59 $14.20 $29,540

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 130 1.87 3.04 $14.44 $30,040
Northwestern Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 60 1.63 2.65 $14.44 $30,030
Southern Texas nonmetropolitan area 130 1.55 2.52 $19.28 $40,110
Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 60 1.49 2.42 $14.48 $30,110
Southwestern Montana nonmetropolitan area 170 1.43 2.32 $14.49 $30,140

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $22.47 $46,740
Eastern Texas nonmetropolitan area 280 1.00 1.63 $19.83 $41,240
Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $19.30 $40,150
Southern Texas nonmetropolitan area 130 1.55 2.52 $19.28 $40,110
Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 60 0.50 0.81 $19.22 $39,970


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012