Veterinary Technician Salary in Kentucky
Veterinary technologists and technicians in Kentucky earned a median annual wage of $39,590 in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 estimates — $7,790, or 16%, below the national median of $47,380, ranking 42nd among the 51 jurisdictions that publish a median.
Every percentile in Kentucky's distribution sits below the national one, from the 10th to the 90th, so the gap is not concentrated at one end.
Kentucky's workforce is 1,670 employed, 26th among the same 51 jurisdictions.
10th percentile
$28,490
25th percentile
$36,300
75th percentile
$46,560
90th percentile
$50,530
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates — Kentucky, SOC 29-2056 (Veterinary Technologists and Technicians). Retrieved 2026-09-16 from the BLS Public Data API.
How to read these figures
Kentucky vs. the national figures
The Kentucky median is below the national median by 16%. Among the 51 jurisdictions (states plus DC) where BLS publishes a veterinary technician median for May 2025, it ranks 42nd, and 26th by estimated employment.
Differences are whole percentages, rounded half away from zero, computed from the figures shown.
Below the national figures across the whole range
At the median, Kentucky sits $7,790 below the nation: $39,590 against $47,380, 16% lower.
The hourly median tells the same story — $19.03 against $22.78 nationally, also 16% lower.
The gap is not concentrated at one end of the range: Kentucky trails the national figures across the entire distribution, with the 10th percentile $7,220 lower (20%), the 25th $2,610 lower (7%), the 75th $11,090 lower (19%), and the 90th $12,650 lower (20%).
A technician holding a Kentucky offer against national percentile figures should expect every point of comparison to run lower, not just the middle.
A compressed middle half, weighted toward the lower end
Half of the Kentucky technicians counted earned between $36,300 and $46,560 — a band $10,260 wide.
Nationally the same band runs from $38,910 to $57,650, $18,740 wide, so Kentucky's middle half is squeezed into a much narrower range.
From the 10th percentile ($28,490) to the 90th ($50,530), Kentucky spans $22,040, against $27,470 nationally.
The median also sits closer to the 25th percentile than the 75th: $3,290 above the one and $6,970 below the other, weighting the distribution toward its lower half.
OEWS does not explain why a distribution has this shape, so this page does not assign it a cause.
Holding an hourly posting against these figures
The data set behind this page carries Kentucky's hourly wage only at the median: $19.03, against $22.78 nationally, a $3.75 difference, or 16% — matching the gap in the annual median.
That makes it the figure to hold an hourly posting against.
For the rest of the range, the annual percentiles are the only guide here, so before comparing a posted rate against them, ask the employer how many hours a week the role is scheduled for.
A mid-pack workforce despite a bottom-quartile median
BLS estimates 1,670 veterinary technologists and technicians employed in Kentucky, 26th among the 51 jurisdictions that publish a median — much closer to the middle of the pack than the state's 42nd-place median rank.
That is a headcount of people in jobs during the survey period, not a count of vacancies, so it says nothing about how many positions are open or how quickly they are filled.
The employment estimate and the median rank measure different things, and neither explains the other.
A mandatory state license since 2023
Kentucky licenses veterinary technicians through the Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiners, and since June 29, 2023 holding the license has been required to do the work, not just to use the letters — a change enacted by KRS 321.441(12).
The route runs through an AVMA CVTEA-accredited associate or bachelor's degree (graduates of international, non-accredited programs qualify through the AAVSB's PAVE program), a passing VTNE score applied for through the AAVSB, and annual renewal by September 30 with six CEUs per cycle, at least three of them live and realtime.
The Kentucky requirements page on this site sets out the full route, including the board's two pages that disagree on the late fee amount.
Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiners (KBVE)
A licensed veterinary technician (LVT) license issued by the Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiners — the statute's own definition of a veterinary technician includes being licensed under the chapter, so the credential is the state license itself.
A passing score on the VTNE, applied for through the AAVSB; once passed, Kentucky does not require a retest no matter how long ago it was taken, and pre-1990 program graduates may substitute the ATNE or a jurisdictional competency exam.
Six CEUs per annual renewal cycle (October 1 to September 30), at least three in a live, realtime format and at most three practice-management, with new licensees who graduated within 12 months exempt for their first term; the license renews yearly by September 30.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median vet tech salary in Kentucky?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 estimate puts the Kentucky median annual wage for veterinary technologists and technicians at $39,590, or $19.03 an hour.
Half of those counted earned more and half earned less.
The national median in the same release is $47,380, so Kentucky sits 16% below it, ranking 42nd among the 51 jurisdictions that publish a median.
How much do the top-paid vet techs in Kentucky earn?
The Kentucky 90th percentile is $50,530, meaning one in ten technicians counted earned more than that — 20% below the national 90th percentile of $63,180.
The 75th percentile, $46,560, is 19% below the national $57,650.
Both figures sit well under their national counterparts, so a Kentucky technician benchmarking against national top-end pay should expect a lower ceiling at every point above the median.
What does the low end of the Kentucky pay range look like?
The Kentucky 10th percentile is $28,490, 20% below the national 10th percentile of $35,710.
The 25th percentile, $36,300, is $2,610 below the national $38,910 — a smaller, 7% gap.
The gap is widest at the bottom and narrows to 7% by the 25th percentile.
Do you need a credential to work as a vet tech in Kentucky?
Yes.
Since June 29, 2023, Kentucky has required a license issued by the Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiners to practice as a veterinary technician or perform any of the duties usually performed by one — not just to use the LVT letters.
The route runs through an AVMA CVTEA-accredited degree (or, for graduates of international non-accredited programs, the AAVSB PAVE program), the VTNE, and annual renewal with six continuing-education units.
The Kentucky requirements page on this site covers the full route.
How many vet techs work in Kentucky?
BLS estimates that 1,670 veterinary technologists and technicians were employed in Kentucky, 26th among the 51 jurisdictions that publish a median.
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.
More Kentucky Veterinary Technician Resources
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates — Kentucky, 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)
- Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiners (KBVE), as summarised on the Kentucky 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.