Vet assistant pay in California
Vet assistants in California: $19 to $28 an hour in job ads
From 387 job ads at 67 employers, updated Nov 9, 2026
$22 an hour, median in job ads
Updated Nov 9, 2026. Each employer counts once, however many ads it posts. Hourly ads only, never converted.
Where California sits
Pay by metro
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$24 to $33 an hour median $29, 9 ads
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$21 to $31 an hour median $25, 56 ads
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$25 an hour median $25, 5 ads
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$20 to $25 an hour median $24, 12 ads
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$20 to $28 an hour median $24, 20 ads
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$23 to $24 an hour median $24, 8 ads
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$21 to $29 an hour median $22, 89 ads
Modesto, CA$20 to $24 an hour median $22, 7 ads
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$19 to $24 an hour median $22, 24 ads
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$20 to $24 an hour median $21, 27 ads
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$18 to $24 an hour median $21, 46 ads
Stockton-Lodi, CA$20 to $22 an hour median $21, 7 ads
Only metros with 5 or more ads are shown. BLS medians are May 2025.
What the jobs offer
CE allowance22% (119 of 532 ads)
Mentorship19% (101 of 532 ads)
New grads welcome8% (42 of 532 ads)
Four-day week5% (27 of 532 ads)
Signing bonus1% (3 of 532 ads)
Counted only where the ad's own words say it, out of all 532 open vet assistant ads on Nov 9, 2026, including ads that state no pay. The pay figures above use only ads that state hourly or yearly pay. Each ball is 10%.
Hiring now in California
- Equine Veterinary Assistant, Menlo Park at Steinbeck Peninsula Equine Clinics, Menlo Park$19 to $23 an hour
- Veterinary Assistant - 001314 at Banfield Tustin$17.60 to $22.49 an hour
- Veterinary Assistant at Petco, Oceanside$15.50 to $25 an hour
Questions
How much do vet assistants make in California?
Job ads in California offer vet assistants $19 to $28 an hour, median $22, from 387 ads at 67 employers (Nov 9, 2026). The BLS median for vet assistants in California was $22.24 an hour in May 2025.
How does California compare with the US?
The median vet assistant job ad in California offers $22 an hour (387 ads), $2 more than the US median of $20 (3,115 ads), as of Nov 9, 2026.
Which California cities pay vet assistants the most?
In job ads, the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA area has the highest median for vet assistants, $29 an hour from 9 ads. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: $25 (56 ads); San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA: $25 (5 ads); Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA: $24 (12 ads). Only metros with 5 or more ads are counted (Nov 9, 2026).
What benefits do vet assistant jobs in California offer?
Of 532 vet assistant ads in California, 119 mention a CE allowance, 101 mention mentorship, 42 mention welcoming new grads, 27 mention a four-day week, 3 mention a signing bonus, as of Nov 9, 2026. Only what the ad itself says is counted.
Sources
- Job ads, Nov 9, 2026. 387 open vet assistant ads in California that state hourly pay, at 67 employers. An ad that states pay with no hour or year is left out. Read from employers' own job feeds and careers pages.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025. Median pay for vet assistants in California, $22.24 an hour, from a survey of employers. A separate source from the job ads, shown beside them and never mixed in.
- Benefits, Nov 9, 2026. Counted across all 532 open ads, whether or not they state pay.
Each job-ad figure is kept with the ad's own sentence. See also how often vets leave their practice.