Average Salary

• The mean annual wage of veterinary technologists and technicians in the United States was $30,580 as of May 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those in the bottom 10 percent of this field earned an average of $20,180, while vet nurses in the top 10 percent earned an average of $43,080.
  
  

Industry

• While veterinary nurses are most commonly found in veterinary private practice offices, they can also be employed in a few other industries. Those in the industry of professional, scientific and technical services, the most popular and the one which includes those private clinics, earn a mean annual wage of $30,000. The federal executive branch offers veterinary nurses the highest salary at $47,020, followed by general medical and surgical hospitals at $42,410. Veterinary nurses in pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing earn an average of $40,630, while those employed by colleges, universities and professional schools earn an average of $35,980 annually.
  
  

Location

• Whether clinic, hospital or school, any institution considers cost of living when setting salaries for veterinary nurses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics names Connecticut as the top-paying state for this position with an annual mean wage of $36,360, followed closely by New York at $36,250 and Washington D.C. at $36,160. California and Nevada are also high-paying for veterinary nurses with salaries of $35,720 and $35,260 respectively.
  
  

Experience

• As with any career, veterinary nurses tend to earn a higher salary as they gain experience and hone their skills. According to PayScale as of January, 2011, a veterinary technologist or technician with less than a year of experience earns between $20,027 and $30,784, while one with five or more years of experience earns between $25,565 and $39,550. With over 10 years of experience that salary scale increases to $29,115 to $44,300.