Vet tech pay in California
Vet techs in California: $24 to $37 an hour in job ads
From 455 job ads at 90 employers, updated Nov 9, 2026
$30 an hour, median in job ads
Updated Nov 9, 2026. Each employer counts once, however many ads it posts. Hourly ads only, never converted.
Hourly and yearly ads, kept apart
Posted hourly$24 to $37 median $30
Posted yearly$69,000 to $88,000 median $75,000
Each range runs from the 10th to the 90th percentile across employers. Each employer counts once, at the middle of its own ads' stated pay, so a group hiring at many hospitals is one employer. An ad that states no unit is not counted, and hourly is never converted to yearly.
Where California sits
Pay by metro
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$27 to $38 an hour median $33, 85 ads
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$28 to $38 an hour median $33, 24 ads
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$25 to $39 an hour median $32, 110 ads
Salinas, CA$30 to $36 an hour median $32, 10 ads
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$30 to $31 an hour median $31, 7 ads
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$22 to $34 an hour median $31, 12 ads
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$23 to $31 an hour median $30, 6 ads
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$25 to $33 an hour median $30, 26 ads
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$28 to $39 an hour median $30, 9 ads
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$28 to $30 an hour median $30, 6 ads
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$23 to $33 an hour median $29, 62 ads
Vallejo, CA$26 to $30 an hour median $29, 8 ads
Modesto, CA$25 to $28 an hour median $28, 9 ads
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$25 to $30 an hour median $28, 35 ads
Stockton-Lodi, CA$25 to $29 an hour median $25, 7 ads
Only metros with 5 or more ads are shown. BLS medians are May 2025.
What the jobs offer
Mentorship17% (125 of 738 ads)
CE allowance12% (91 of 738 ads)
New grads welcome5% (36 of 738 ads)
Four-day week3% (25 of 738 ads)
Signing bonus3% (20 of 738 ads)
Counted only where the ad's own words say it, out of all 738 open vet tech 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
- Registered Veterinary Technician - The Pet Hospital of La Mesa at AmeriVet, La Mesa$23 to $27 an hour
- Registered Veterinary Technician at City of Hesperia, Hesperia$69,000 to $80,000 a year
- Registered Veterinary Technician at Banfield Pet Hospital of Glendora, Glendora$24.22 to $34.98 an hour
Questions
How much do vet techs make in California?
Job ads in California offer vet techs $24 to $37 an hour, median $30, from 455 ads at 90 employers (Nov 9, 2026). The BLS median for vet techs in California was $29.15 an hour in May 2025.
How does California compare with the US?
The median vet tech job ad in California offers $30 an hour (455 ads), $5 more than the US median of $25 (3,935 ads), as of Nov 9, 2026.
Which California cities pay vet techs the most?
In job ads, the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area has the highest median for vet techs, $33 an hour from 85 ads. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $33 (24 ads); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: $32 (110 ads); Salinas, CA: $32 (10 ads). Only metros with 5 or more ads are counted (Nov 9, 2026).
What benefits do vet tech jobs in California offer?
Of 738 vet tech ads in California, 91 mention a CE allowance, 125 mention mentorship, 36 mention welcoming new grads, 25 mention a four-day week, 20 mention a signing bonus, as of Nov 9, 2026. Only what the ad itself says is counted.
Sources
- Job ads, Nov 9, 2026. 455 open vet tech ads in California that state hourly pay, at 90 employers. 12 yearly ads are shown apart. 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 techs in California, $29.15 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 738 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 or add your pay anonymously.