Vet assistant pay in Tennessee
Vet assistants in Tennessee: $15 to $20 an hour in job ads
From 75 job ads at 19 employers, updated Nov 9, 2026
$17 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 Tennessee sits
Pay by metro
Memphis, TN-MS-AR$17 to $18 an hour median $18, 7 ads
Knoxville, TN$16 to $18 an hour median $17, 9 ads
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN$16 to $21 an hour median $17, 26 ads
Only metros with 5 or more ads are shown. BLS medians are May 2025.
What the jobs offer
CE allowance20% (31 of 153 ads)
Mentorship14% (21 of 153 ads)
New grads welcome10% (16 of 153 ads)
Four-day week1% (1 of 153 ads)
Counted only where the ad's own words say it, out of all 153 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 Tennessee
- Veterinary Assistant at Foundations Animal Hospital, Jonesborough$16 to $18 an hour
- Veterinary Assistant at Banfield Pet Hospital - Madison North Nashville, Madison$15.19 to $19.41 an hour
- Tri-County Veterinary Clinic - Kennel Attendant at Tri County Veterinary Clinic, Sevierville$13 to $15 an hour
Questions
How much do vet assistants make in Tennessee?
Job ads in Tennessee offer vet assistants $15 to $20 an hour, median $17, from 75 ads at 19 employers (Nov 9, 2026). The BLS median for vet assistants in Tennessee was $17.46 an hour in May 2025.
How does Tennessee compare with the US?
The median vet assistant job ad in Tennessee offers $17 an hour (75 ads), $3 less than the US median of $20 (3,115 ads), as of Nov 9, 2026.
Which Tennessee cities pay vet assistants the most?
In job ads, the Memphis, TN-MS-AR area has the highest median for vet assistants, $18 an hour from 7 ads. Knoxville, TN: $17 (9 ads); Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN: $17 (26 ads). Only metros with 5 or more ads are counted (Nov 9, 2026).
What benefits do vet assistant jobs in Tennessee offer?
Of 153 vet assistant ads in Tennessee, 31 mention a CE allowance, 21 mention mentorship, 16 mention welcoming new grads, 1 mention a four-day week, as of Nov 9, 2026. Only what the ad itself says is counted.
Sources
- Job ads, Nov 9, 2026. 75 open vet assistant ads in Tennessee that state hourly pay, at 19 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 Tennessee, $17.46 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 153 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.