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Veterinary Technology

169 schools compared · Average earnings $32,475/yr

What Veterinary Technology Graduates Do

Your career begins on the front lines of animal care. You’ll be the one prepping a nervous dog for surgery, skillfully drawing blood for diagnostics, or running tests using lab equipment in a busy clinic or research facility. This is deeply hands-on work; you can’t comfort a frightened animal or assist in surgery from behind a computer screen. Your days are active, requiring both technical skill and compassion.

As you gain experience and certification, you’ll progress from an assistant role to a licensed veterinary technician, taking on more complex medical tasks. From there, you can specialize in high-demand areas like surgical assisting, dentistry, or emergency care. With deep expertise, many technicians move into clinic management or transition to teaching the next generation at vocational colleges, where earning potential is highest. The demand for skilled animal health professionals is strong and growing, offering a secure and rewarding career ladder from your first day on the job.

Schools Offering

169

Avg Grad Earnings

$32,475/yr

Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score

40/100

AI-Proof Rating

Resilient

67% of tasks AI-shielded

Apprenticeship Paths

View pathways ↓

Registered Apprenticeship Pathways

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 1 registered apprenticeship occupation related to Veterinary Technology. Apprenticeships let you earn while you learn — most have zero tuition costs and pay wages from day one.

Apprenticeship	Training Hours	Type	Salary RangeSalary	Growth
Veterinary/Lab Animal Tech (Alternate Title: Animal Care Specialist) RAPIDS 1112CB	Competency	Competency	$34K – $37,320 – $45K	8.7%

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database (RAPIDS). Wages and job growth from Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 projections.

Best Schools for Veterinary Technology

Top 20 of 169 schools ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. Click any row for full earnings projections and AI-proof analysis.

#	School	Score	EarningsEarn	ROI
1	San Juan College Farmington, NM	69 64–69	$43,730/yr	129.9x
2	Mt San Antonio College Walnut, CA	69 64–69	$40,929/yr	175.4x
3	Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX	66 62–66	$38,101/yr	122.3x
4	Dallas College Dallas, TX	66 61–66	$35,011/yr	182.8x
5	Dallas College Dallas, TX	65 61–65	$40,781/yr	95.6x
6	Miami Dade College Miami, FL	63 59–63	$41,076/yr	71.4x
7	CUNY LaGuardia Community College Long Island City, NY	61 58–61	$50,281/yr	47.2x
8	Gwinnett Technical College Lawrenceville, GA	61 57–61	$41,114/yr	56.8x
9	St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL	61 57–61	$38,422/yr	72.8x
10	Central Carolina Community College Sanford, NC	61 58–61	$37,915/yr	75.9x
11	Hillsborough Community College Tampa, FL	60 56–60	$35,698/yr	74.9x
12	Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX	59 56–59	$38,202/yr	60.8x
13	Windward Community College Kaneohe, HI	59 55–59	$38,109/yr	55.7x
14	Eastern Florida State College Melbourne, FL	59 55–59	$34,806/yr	74.3x
15	Pima Community College Tucson, AZ	59 55–59	$34,497/yr	76.3x
16	Eastern Wyoming College Torrington, WY	59 55–59	$33,208/yr	76.4x
17	Massasoit Community College Brockton, MA	58 55–58	$45,565/yr	41.4x
18	Macomb Community College Warren, MI	58 54–57	$38,126/yr	55.4x
19	Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Asheville, NC	58 55–58	$36,095/yr	61.6x
20	Connecticut State Community College Hartford, CT	57 54–57	$43,125/yr	41.8x
21	Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA	57 53–57	$42,966/yr	42.6x
22	Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City Kansas City, MO	57 54–57	$37,631/yr	53.2x
23	Bergen Community College Paramus, NJ	56 53–56	$41,150/yr	42.3x
24	Parkland College Champaign, IL	56 53–56	$39,246/yr	42.8x
25	College of Southern Idaho Twin Falls, ID	56 53–56	$35,829/yr	52.3x
26	Gaston College Dallas, NC	56 53–56	$35,658/yr	55.0x
27	Portland Community College Portland, OR	55 53–55	$40,748/yr	39.6x
28	Camden County College Blackwood, NJ	55 52–55	$37,346/yr	46.2x
29	York County Community College Wells, ME	55 52–55	$36,829/yr	46.6x
30	Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque, NM	55 51–55	$28,323/yr	72.4x
31	Blue Ridge Community College Weyers Cave, VA	54 51–54	$39,510/yr	39.7x
32	Community College of Denver Denver, CO	54 51–54	$38,655/yr	37.7x
33	Colby Community College Colby, KS	54 51–54	$36,184/yr	43.7x
34	Northeast Community College Norfolk, NE	54 50–53	$34,363/yr	47.9x
35	Arkansas State University-Beebe Beebe, AR	54 50–54	$32,886/yr	50.1x
36	Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH	54 49–54	$32,820/yr	54.1x
37	Stanbridge University Irvine, CA	53 48–53	$41,647/yr	—
38	Holyoke Community College Holyoke, MA	53 50–53	$39,979/yr	33.4x
39	Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA	53 50–53	$38,962/yr	31.8x
40	Delaware Technical Community College-Terry Dover, DE	53 51–53	$38,035/yr	37.3x
41	Gateway Technical College Kenosha, WI	53 50–53	$37,132/yr	37.3x
42	Joliet Junior College Joliet, IL	53 51–53	$36,988/yr	39.8x
43	Sinclair Community College Dayton, OH	53 48–53	$31,456/yr	54.8x
44	Rochester Community and Technical College Rochester, MN	52 49–52	$38,817/yr	31.6x
45	Lehigh Carbon Community College Schnecksville, PA	52 50–52	$37,381/yr	34.8x
46	Jefferson State Community College Birmingham, AL	52 50–52	$37,085/yr	31.6x
47	Front Range Community College Westminster, CO	52 48–52	$35,040/yr	42.0x
48	Tri-County Technical College Pendleton, SC	52 48–52	$33,738/yr	42.6x
49	Pima Medical Institute-Albuquerque Albuquerque, NM	51 46–51	$37,570/yr	—
50	Pima Medical Institute-Dillon Dillon, MT	51 46–51	$37,570/yr	—
51	Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI	51 48–51	$34,698/yr	35.3x
52	Baton Rouge Community College Baton Rouge, LA	51 48–51	$33,705/yr	38.9x
53	Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City Oklahoma City, OK	51 48–51	$32,320/yr	41.8x
54	Hinds Community College Raymond, MS	51 48–51	$31,998/yr	40.8x
55	Ulster County Community College Stone Ridge, NY	50 47–50	$37,346/yr	29.8x
56	Ridgewater College Willmar, MN	50 48–51	$37,141/yr	29.2x
57	Pima Medical Institute-Aurora Aurora, CO	50 46–51	$36,875/yr	—
58	Pima Medical Institute-Phoenix Phoenix, AZ	50 46–51	$36,875/yr	—
59	Dakota County Technical College Rosemount, MN	50 47–50	$36,866/yr	27.7x
60	Carrington College-Sacramento Sacramento, CA	50 45–50	$36,236/yr	—
61	Carrington College-San Leandro Campus San Leandro, CA	50 45–50	$36,236/yr	—
62	Carrington College-San Jose San Jose, CA	50 45–50	$36,236/yr	—
63	Carrington College-Pleasant Hill Campus Pleasant Hill, CA	50 45–50	$36,236/yr	—
64	Carrington College-Stockton Stockton, CA	50 45–50	$36,236/yr	—
65	Pima Medical Institute-Tucson Tucson, AZ	50 45–50	$36,090/yr	—
66	Pima Medical Institute-Seattle Seattle, WA	50 45–50	$36,090/yr	—
67	Pima Medical Institute-Chula Vista Chula Vista, CA	50 45–50	$36,090/yr	—
68	Pima Medical Institute-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO	50 45–50	$36,090/yr	—
69	Pima Medical Institute-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	50 45–50	$36,090/yr	—
70	Pima Medical Institute-Renton Renton, WA	50 45–50	$36,090/yr	—
71	Pima Medical Institute-East Valley Mesa, AZ	50 45–50	$36,090/yr	—
72	Pima Medical Institute-Houston Houston, TX	50 45–50	$36,090/yr	—
73	Pima Medical Institute-El Paso El Paso, TX	50 45–50	$36,090/yr	—
74	Pima Medical Institute-San Marcos San Marcos, CA	50 45–50	$36,090/yr	—
75	Pima Medical Institute-San Antonio San Antonio, TX	50 45–50	$36,090/yr	—
76	Delgado Community College New Orleans, LA	50 46–50	$31,941/yr	38.7x
77	SUNY College of Technology at Canton Canton, NY	49 45–49	$38,064/yr	23.1x
78	SUNY College of Technology at Delhi Delhi, NY	49 45–49	$37,771/yr	24.2x
79	Great Bay Community College Portsmouth, NH	49 45–49	$36,672/yr	26.3x
80	University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash College Blue Ash, OH	49 45–49	$35,595/yr	28.1x
81	Milwaukee Career College Milwaukee, WI	49 44–49	$35,089/yr	—
82	Northampton County Area Community College Bethlehem, PA	49 47–49	$34,335/yr	31.3x
83	Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City, IA	49 46–49	$26,355/yr	51.3x
84	Manor College Jenkintown, PA	48 43–48	$43,308/yr	10.9x
85	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred Alfred, NY	48 43–48	$36,293/yr	22.4x
86	Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN	48 43–48	$32,340/yr	—
87	Miller-Motte College-Raleigh Raleigh, NC	48 43–48	$32,340/yr	—
88	Columbia State Community College Columbia, TN	48 44–48	$30,761/yr	35.7x
89	Bel-Rea Institute of Animal Technology Denver, CO	47 42–47	$38,899/yr	12.9x
90	Crowder College Neosho, MO	47 44–47	$33,370/yr	26.0x
91	Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology Wichita, KS	47 44–47	$32,901/yr	26.3x
92	Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture Curtis, NE	47 44–47	$32,793/yr	27.5x
93	YTI Career Institute-York York, PA	47 43–48	$32,097/yr	—
94	Midwest Institute Earth City, MO	47 42–47	$31,682/yr	—
95	Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport, IA	47 45–47	$31,017/yr	32.1x
96	Ross Medical Education Center-Brighton Brighton, MI	47 42–47	$30,858/yr	—
97	Ross College-Canton Canton, OH	47 42–47	$30,858/yr	—
98	Owensboro Community and Technical College Owensboro, KY	47 44–47	$30,476/yr	31.7x
99	Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC	47 42–46	$24,600/yr	48.4x
100	Vermont State University Randolph, VT	46 42–46	$36,395/yr	16.6x
101	Kent State University at Ashtabula Ashtabula, OH	46 43–46	$33,716/yr	22.5x
102	Kent State University at Trumbull Warren, OH	46 43–46	$33,716/yr	22.5x
103	Kent State University at Tuscarawas New Philadelphia, OH	46 43–46	$33,716/yr	22.5x
104	San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia Visalia, CA	46 41–46	$29,721/yr	—
105	San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA	46 41–46	$29,721/yr	—
106	San Joaquin Valley College-Fresno Fresno, CA	46 41–46	$29,721/yr	—
107	Harcum College Bryn Mawr, PA	45 40–45	$39,288/yr	6.0x
108	Fox College Tinley Park, IL	45 40–45	$36,853/yr	11.0x
109	University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH	45 40–45	$35,595/yr	14.0x
110	Baker College Owosso, MI	45 40–45	$35,142/yr	14.2x
111	Bristol Community College Fall River, MA	45 42–45	$29,802/yr	26.5x
112	Butte County Regional Occupational Program Chico, CA	45 41–46	$29,437/yr	—
113	Pima Medical Institute-Aurora Aurora, CO	45 40–45	$28,808/yr	—
114	Pima Medical Institute-Phoenix Phoenix, AZ	45 40–45	$28,808/yr	—
115	New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich, RI	44 39–44	$38,126/yr	6.2x
116	Johnson College Scranton, PA	44 40–44	$37,373/yr	8.2x
117	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE	44 40–44	$32,793/yr	15.2x
118	Carrington College-Portland Portland, OR	44 39–44	$27,411/yr	—
119	Carrington College-Spokane Spokane, WA	44 39–44	$27,411/yr	—
120	Central Coast College Salinas, CA	44 39–44	$27,112/yr	—
121	City College-Hollywood Hollywood, FL	43 38–43	$34,693/yr	8.3x
122	Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH	43 39–43	$33,716/yr	12.3x
123	San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia Visalia, CA	43 39–44	$27,027/yr	—
124	San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA	43 39–44	$27,027/yr	—
125	San Joaquin Valley College-Fresno Fresno, CA	43 39–44	$27,027/yr	—
126	Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga, TN	43 40–43	$26,992/yr	30.3x
127	Milwaukee Career College Milwaukee, WI	43 38–43	$25,886/yr	—
128	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Durham, NH	42 37–42	$32,878/yr	9.6x
129	Pierpont Community and Technical College Fairmont, WV	42 38–42	$26,843/yr	27.3x
130	Carrington College-Phoenix North Phoenix, AZ	42 38–43	$25,735/yr	—
131	Carrington College-Mesa Mesa, AZ	42 38–43	$25,735/yr	—
132	Carrington College-Tucson Tucson, AZ	42 38–43	$25,735/yr	—
133	California Healing Arts College Carson, CA	42 38–43	$25,706/yr	—
134	Pima Medical Institute-Tucson Tucson, AZ	42 37–42	$25,638/yr	—
135	Pima Medical Institute-Seattle Seattle, WA	42 37–42	$25,638/yr	—
136	Pima Medical Institute-Denver Denver, CO	42 37–42	$25,638/yr	—
137	Pima Medical Institute-Chula Vista Chula Vista, CA	42 37–42	$25,638/yr	—
138	Pima Medical Institute-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO	42 37–42	$25,638/yr	—
139	Pima Medical Institute-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	42 37–42	$25,638/yr	—
140	Pima Medical Institute-Renton Renton, WA	42 37–42	$25,638/yr	—
141	Pima Medical Institute-East Valley Mesa, AZ	42 37–42	$25,638/yr	—
142	Pima Medical Institute-Houston Houston, TX	42 37–42	$25,638/yr	—
143	Pima Medical Institute-El Paso El Paso, TX	42 37–42	$25,638/yr	—
144	Pima Medical Institute-San Marcos San Marcos, CA	42 37–42	$25,638/yr	—
145	Pima Medical Institute-San Antonio San Antonio, TX	42 37–42	$25,638/yr	—
146	Aparicio-Levy Technical College Tampa, FL	42 37–42	$25,517/yr	—
147	Pima Medical Institute-Albuquerque Albuquerque, NM	42 37–42	$25,369/yr	—
148	Pima Medical Institute-Dillon Dillon, MT	42 37–42	$25,369/yr	—
149	Vet Tech Institute of Houston Houston, TX	41 36–41	$30,665/yr	10.4x
150	Cape Coral Technical College Cape Coral, FL	41 37–42	$24,261/yr	—
151	Ross Medical Education Center-Flint Flint, MI	41 36–41	$23,488/yr	—
152	Ross Medical Education Center-Canton Canton, MI	41 36–41	$23,488/yr	—
153	Ross Medical Education Center-Huntsville Huntsville, AL	41 36–41	$23,488/yr	—
154	Ross Medical Education Center-Portage Portage, MI	41 36–41	$23,488/yr	—
155	Medical Career & Technical College Richmond, KY	41 36–41	$23,103/yr	—
156	Vet Tech Institute Pittsburgh, PA	40 36–40	$30,990/yr	9.3x
157	International Business College-Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN	40 35–40	$30,508/yr	9.4x
158	Ross Medical Education Center-Warren Warren, MI	40 35–40	$22,518/yr	—
159	Ross Medical Education Center-New Baltimore New Baltimore, MI	40 35–40	$22,518/yr	—
160	Colorado Academy of Veterinary Technology Colorado Springs, CO	39 34–39	$29,194/yr	7.9x
161	Bridgerland Technical College Logan, UT	39 35–40	$21,361/yr	—
162	Community Care College Tulsa, OK	39 34–39	$20,555/yr	—
163	Great Lakes Institute of Technology Erie, PA	38 33–38	$18,155/yr	—
164	Charter College Anchorage, AK	37 31–37	$23,184/yr	16.5x
165	Laurel Technical Institute Hermitage, PA	37 33–37	$22,266/yr	18.4x
166	CEM College-San Juan San Juan, PR	33 29–33	$17,544/yr	12.6x
167	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus Gurabo, PR	33 28–33	$16,727/yr	14.7x
168	Columbia Central University-Caguas Caguas, PR	31 27–31	$9,295/yr	11.7x
169	PPG Technical College Caguas, PR	30 26–30	$9,095/yr	9.6x

Highest Earning Veterinary Technology Programs

Schools where Veterinary Technology graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	Score
CUNY LaGuardia Community College	$50,281/yr	61
Massasoit Community College	$45,565/yr	58
San Juan College	$43,730/yr	69
Manor College	$43,308/yr	48
Connecticut State Community College	$43,125/yr	57
Northern Virginia Community College	$42,966/yr	57
Stanbridge University	$41,647/yr	53
Bergen Community College	$41,150/yr	56
Gwinnett Technical College	$41,114/yr	61
Miami Dade College	$41,076/yr	63

Best ROI for Veterinary Technology

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Veterinary Technology.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	Score
Dallas College	182.8x	$35,011/yr	66
Mt San Antonio College	175.4x	$40,929/yr	69
San Juan College	129.9x	$43,730/yr	69
Lone Star College System	122.3x	$38,101/yr	66
Dallas College	95.6x	$40,781/yr	65
Eastern Wyoming College	76.4x	$33,208/yr	59
Pima Community College	76.3x	$34,497/yr	59
Central Carolina Community College	75.9x	$37,915/yr	61
Hillsborough Community College	74.9x	$35,698/yr	60
Eastern Florida State College	74.3x	$34,806/yr	59

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Considering a 4-Year Degree?

Compare the trade route with a bachelor's degree. See how Veterinary Technology degree programs stack up on earnings, AI disruption risk, and ROI.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Veterinary Technology graduates make in their first year?

First-year earnings for Veterinary Technology graduates average $32,475 annually, based on data from 169 programs. The range spans $9,095 at the low end to $50,281 at the top.

How AI-proof is a career in Veterinary Technology?

Veterinary Technology is rated "Resilient" for AI resilience — 67% of job tasks involve hands-on work shielded from AI automation. That means most career tasks in this field rely on skills AI cannot replicate.

Where should I study Veterinary Technology?

Our data ranks San Juan College first among 169 Veterinary Technology programs. Its score of 69/100 reflects strong outcomes across earnings ($43,730/yr), return on investment, and career durability.

Do Veterinary Technology graduates get a good return on their tuition?

Typical graduates earn 40.5 times what they paid in tuition within a decade. This is a strong return on investment. Look at per-school ROI in the table above — averages can mask significant variation.

Data from College Scorecard, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034, DOL RAPIDS, and AI resilience research. Methodology & sources →