Veterinary Technician Salary in Hawaii
Veterinary technologists and technicians in Hawaii earned a median annual wage of $48,550 in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 estimates — $1,170, or 2%, above the national median of $47,380.
The 25th percentile stands out: it is 18% above the national 25th percentile, though the 10th percentile is only 1% above the national one, compressing the middle half of Hawaii's distribution into a much narrower band than the nation's.
Hawaii's counted technician workforce is also small, at 270 employed, 50th among the 51 jurisdictions that publish a median.
10th percentile
$35,990
25th percentile
$45,930
75th percentile
$54,950
90th percentile
$62,660
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates — Hawaii, SOC 29-2056 (Veterinary Technologists and Technicians). Retrieved 2026-09-16 from the BLS Public Data API.
How to read these figures
Hawaii vs. the national figures
The Hawaii median is above the national median by 2%. Among the 51 jurisdictions (states plus DC) where BLS publishes a veterinary technician median for May 2025, it ranks 19th, and 50th by estimated employment.
Differences are whole percentages, rounded half away from zero, computed from the figures shown.
Ahead at the 25th percentile, level at the 10th
At the median, Hawaii sits $1,170 above the nation: $48,550 against $47,380, or 2%, a rank of 19th among the 51 jurisdictions that publish one.
The hourly median of $23.34 is also 2% above the national $22.78.
The lower quartile runs well above national levels: the 25th percentile is 18% higher, $45,930 against $38,910, though the 10th percentile is only 1% higher, $35,990 against $35,710.
The pattern reverses higher up.
The Hawaii 75th percentile, $54,950, is 5% below the national $57,650, and the 90th percentile, $62,660, is 1% below the national $63,180.
A technician benchmarking an offer against national figures above the median would overstate what the Hawaii distribution shows.
A narrow band from the 25th to the 75th percentile
Half of Hawaii's counted technicians earned between $45,930 and $54,950 — a band $9,020 wide.
Nationally the same band runs from $38,910 to $57,650, which is $18,740 wide.
From the 10th percentile ($35,990) to the 90th ($62,660), Hawaii spans $26,670, against $27,470 nationally — close to the national span even though the middle band is much tighter.
The median also sits much closer to the 25th percentile than to the 75th: $2,620 above the one and $6,400 below the other.
OEWS does not explain why a distribution takes this shape, so this page does not assign it a cause.
A small technician workforce, near the bottom of the range
BLS estimates that 270 veterinary technologists and technicians were employed in Hawaii, 50th among the 51 jurisdictions that publish a median.
A small headcount does not change how the percentiles above are calculated, but it does mean each percentile reflects fewer individual technicians than in a larger jurisdiction.
That is a reason to read Hawaii's figures as describing a small, specific group of workers rather than to extrapolate too far from them.
The estimate is a headcount of people in jobs during the survey period, not a count of open positions.
A DCCA title registration, not a veterinarian's license
Hawaii credentials veterinary technicians through the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, not the Board of Veterinary Medicine that licenses veterinarians.
Under HRS chapter 472, using the title veterinary technician, registered veterinary technician, or the letters RVT or VT requires a VT registration; the statute protects the title rather than reserving specific tasks.
An applicant must be at least eighteen, pass the VTNE, and complete an AVMA-accredited program or hold a comparable out-of-state credential.
No continuing-education requirement was found, and registration renews biennially, by June 30 of every even-numbered year.
The full requirements page linked below covers every route and fee.
Hawaii Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Professional & Vocational Licensing Division — not the Board of Veterinary Medicine, which governs veterinarians only
A Veterinary Technician (VT) registration under HRS chapter 472
The Veterinary Technician National Examination is a statutory prerequisite for every applicant
registration renews biennially, by June 30 of every even-numbered year
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median vet tech salary in Hawaii?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 estimate puts the Hawaii median annual wage for veterinary technologists and technicians at $48,550, or $23.34 an hour.
That is 2% above the national median of $47,380, a difference of $1,170, and ranks 19th among the 51 jurisdictions that publish a median.
Half of the technicians BLS counted in Hawaii earned more than that figure, and half earned less.
How much do the top-paid vet techs in Hawaii earn?
Hawaii's 90th percentile is $62,660, meaning one in ten technicians counted earned more than that — 1% below the national 90th percentile of $63,180.
The gap is wider just below it: the Hawaii 75th percentile, $54,950, is 5% below the national $57,650, a $2,700 difference.
The top of Hawaii's range sits close to, but not above, the national one.
What does the lower end of vet tech pay look like in Hawaii?
Hawaii's 25th percentile is $45,930, which is 18% above the national 25th percentile of $38,910, a $7,020 difference — a notably higher lower quartile than the nation shows.
The 10th percentile tells a different story: at $35,990, it is only 1% above the national $35,710, essentially level with it.
The gap between Hawaii and the nation is concentrated at the 25th percentile, not at the very bottom of the range.
How many vet techs work in Hawaii?
BLS estimates that 270 veterinary technologists and technicians were employed in Hawaii, 50th among the 51 jurisdictions that publish a median — near the bottom of the employment range.
That is a headcount of people in jobs during the survey period, not a count of vacancies, so it describes the size of the occupation in the state rather than how quickly positions are filled.
Do you need a credential to work as a vet tech in Hawaii?
Yes.
Hawaii requires a Veterinary Technician (VT) registration under HRS chapter 472 to use the title veterinary technician, registered veterinary technician, or the letters RVT or VT — issued by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, not the veterinary board.
The Hawaii requirements page on this site sets out the VTNE, education routes, and renewal in full.
Whether an employer requires it for a given role is a question to ask that employer directly.
More Hawaii Veterinary Technician Resources
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates — Hawaii, SOC 29-2056 Veterinary Technologists and Technicians (BLS Public Data API) (retrieved 2026-09-16)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 national estimates — SOC 29-2056 (via O*NET OnLine) (retrieved 2026-08-15)
- Hawaii DCCA, Professional & Vocational Licensing Division — Veterinary Technician Program page, as summarised on the Hawaii requirements page (retrieved 2026-09-16)
Wage figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 state and national estimates, SOC 29-2056, retrieved 2026-09-16. Page last updated 2026-09-23.