Veterinary Technician Salary in Washington, DC
Veterinary technologists and technicians in Washington, DC earned a median annual wage of $61,270 in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 estimates — $13,890, or 29%, above the national median of $47,380, and the median ranks 1st among the 51 jurisdictions that publish one.
The employment estimate behind that figure is the smallest of the group: just 120 technicians, ranked 51st by employment.
The floor of the District's distribution is unusual too — the 10th and 25th percentiles are identical, at $50,390.
10th percentile
$50,390
25th percentile
$50,390
75th percentile
$80,030
90th percentile
$81,990
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates — Washington, DC, SOC 29-2056 (Veterinary Technologists and Technicians). Retrieved 2026-09-16 from the BLS Public Data API.
How to read these figures
Washington, DC vs. the national figures
The Washington, DC median is above the national median by 29%. Among the 51 jurisdictions (states plus DC) where BLS publishes a veterinary technician median for May 2025, it ranks 1st, and 51st by estimated employment.
Differences are whole percentages, rounded half away from zero, computed from the figures shown.
Every percentile sits above the national one
At the median, Washington, DC sits $13,890 above the nation: $61,270 against $47,380, or 29%.
The gap is wider at the floor: the District's 10th percentile of $50,390 is 41% above the national $35,710, and the 25th percentile, also $50,390, is 30% above the national $38,910.
Higher up, the District's 75th percentile of $80,030 is 39% above the national $57,650, and the 90th, $81,990, is 30% above the national $63,180.
The hourly median of $29.46 is 29% above the national $22.78, matching the annual median's gap.
Every percentile in the District sits well above its national counterpart, with the widest margin at the 10th percentile and the narrowest at the median.
A wide band, with the floor and lower quarter the same figure
Half of the District's technicians counted earned between $50,390 and $80,030 — a band $29,640 wide, wider than the national band of $18,740 between $38,910 and $57,650.
From the 10th percentile to the 90th, the District spans $31,600, against $27,470 nationally.
Unusually, the District's 10th and 25th percentiles are identical at $50,390, so this estimate shows no separately measured floor below the lower quarter.
The median sits closer to the 25th percentile than to the 75th: $10,880 above the one and $18,760 below the other.
OEWS does not explain why a distribution has this shape, so this page does not assign it a cause.
A small workforce behind the highest-ranked median
BLS estimates that 120 veterinary technologists and technicians were employed in Washington, DC, the smallest workforce among the 51 jurisdictions that publish a median for this occupation — ranked 51st by employment.
That is a headcount of people in jobs during the survey period, not a count of open positions, so a small sample sits behind every percentile on this page, including the median, which ranks 1st of the 51.
A distribution built from so few workers can shift more between releases than a larger jurisdiction's, so a reader weighing an offer should treat these percentiles as an estimate rather than a precise market rate.
A mandatory Board certification, not a voluntary one
Washington, DC requires a certification issued by the DC Board of Veterinary Medicine before someone may perform veterinary technician duties — the statute bars the work entirely without it.
Applicants qualify through a two-year AVMA-accredited associate program, which requires passing the VTNE within seven years of applying, or an alternative route of 230 clock hours of coursework plus 4,000 hours of supervised clinical practice.
The certificate renews every two years, on odd-numbered years, with 14 continuing-education hours required.
OEWS does not separate certified technicians from anyone working without the credential, so this page cannot show a pay difference between them.
The Washington, DC vet tech requirements page on this site sets out the full route.
DC Board of Veterinary Medicine (DC Health)
A certification as a veterinary technician issued by the DC Board of Veterinary Medicine
The VTNE, with a passing score obtained no more than seven years before applying
Fourteen CE hours per two-year renewal period, including two LGBTQ hours and ten percent in DC public-health-priority subjects
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median vet tech salary in Washington, DC?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2025 estimate puts the Washington, DC median annual wage for veterinary technologists and technicians at $61,270, or $29.46 an hour.
That is $13,890, or 29%, above the national median of $47,380, and it ranks 1st among the 51 jurisdictions that publish a median.
Half of those counted in the District earned more than $61,270 and half earned less.
How much do the top-paid vet techs in Washington, DC earn?
The Washington, DC 90th percentile is $81,990, meaning one in ten technicians counted earned more than that — 30% above the national 90th percentile of $63,180.
The 75th percentile is $80,030, 39% above the national $57,650 — the widest gap of any percentile above the median on this page.
What does the lower end of the pay range look like in Washington, DC?
The Washington, DC 10th and 25th percentiles are identical, at $50,390 — 41% above the national 10th percentile of $35,710 and 30% above the national 25th of $38,910.
That means the estimate shows no separately measured gap between the bottom tenth and the bottom quarter of the District's distribution.
How many vet techs work in Washington, DC?
BLS estimates that 120 veterinary technologists and technicians were employed in Washington, DC, ranked 51st, the smallest, among the 51 jurisdictions that publish a median for this occupation.
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 District rather than how quickly positions are filled.
Do you need a credential to work as a vet tech in Washington, DC?
Yes.
The DC Board of Veterinary Medicine requires a certification, and the statute bars a person from engaging in activities related to maintaining the health or treatment of an animal unless certified.
Applicants qualify through a two-year AVMA-accredited program, which requires passing the VTNE, or an alternative route of 230 clock hours of coursework plus 4,000 supervised clinical hours; either way the certificate renews every two years with 14 continuing-education hours.
The Washington, DC vet tech requirements page on this site sets out the full route.
More Washington, DC Veterinary Technician Resources
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates — Washington, DC, 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)
- 17 DCMR Chapter 112, Veterinary Technicians — DC Board of Veterinary Medicine, as summarised on the Washington, DC 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.