Credentialed veterinary technicians employed at the 24-hospital Veterinary Emergency Group can earn up to $40 an hour, which the company calls “unprecedented pay.”
The new pay scale ranges from $23 to $40 an hour and takes into account the technician’s credentials, skill level and hospital location. Veterinary technician specialists receive from $38 to $48.50 an hour.
“The nursing profession in the human world has garnered more respect and appreciation throughout the years, so why should veterinary nurses be any different? We are saying they are not,” said VEG’s chief veterinary nursing officer, Kenichiro Yagi, MS, RVT, VTS (ECC, SAIM). “We want veterinary nurses to be paid appropriately, not be forced to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, and proudly call their profession a career.”
The compensation is higher than normal. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, veterinary technicians earned median hourly pay of $17.43 in 2020. A survey conducted by the American Animal Hospital Association showed median pay of $17.50 in 2019 among full-time credentialed technicians, rising to $19 at the 75th percentile.
Veterinary Emergency Group reported that under the new scale, it offers “unprecedented pay and veterinary technician credential support to make professional growth opportunities and a sustainable career the norm.”
In an attempt to persuade more technicians to become credentialed, Veterinary Emergency Group provides tuition reimbursement and covers exam and licensing fees.
“Enrollees in the program will receive a $5,000 bonus and $10,000-a-year pay increase upon successful licensure,” VEG noted. “This program is available to all full-time VEG team members without a requirement to stay employed at VEG after completion.”
Veterinary Emergency Group hospitals are in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Texas.
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