Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 154 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians pays
Career outlook for Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians graduates
The job market for the occupations Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | 289,600 | +17.3% | $105,620 | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Veterinary technologists and technicians | 134,200 | +9.1% | $45,980 | Associate's degree |
| Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers | 117,800 | +8.7% | $37,320 | High school diploma or equivalent |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians vs similar majors
How Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians stacks up against the closest fields in Agriculture & Related Sciences on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians Agriculture & Related Sciences · this major | Veterinary Medicine | Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences | Agricultural and Food Products Processing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 21 F | 80 A | 76 B | 75 B |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $37,154 | $120,579 | $84,630 | $71,906 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $33,167 | $100,829 | $55,544 | $76,052 |
| ROI vs cost | -202% | +460% | +343% | +234% |
| Typical debt | $14,477 | $172,552 | $47,703 | $23,250 |
| Colleges offering it | 154 | 28 | 6 | 2 |
Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mt San Antonio College Walnut, CA | Certificate | $48,114 | — | +380% | Strong return |
| 2 | Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA | Certificate | $49,695 | — | +373% | Strong return |
| 3 | Platt College-Los Angeles Alhambra, CA | Certificate | $54,270 | — | +237% | Strong return |
| 4 | St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL | Associate's | $48,198 | $25,404 | +162% | Strong return |
| 5 | Community College of Baltimore County Baltimore, MD | Certificate | $47,128 | — | +116% | Strong return |
| 6 | New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich, RI | Certificate | $51,643 | — | +82% | Strong return |
| 7 | San Juan College Farmington, NM | Certificate | $46,879 | $14,675 | +69% | Strong return |
| 8 | Manor College Jenkintown, PA | Certificate | $47,659 | $19,000 | +33% | Break-even |
| 9 | Dallas College Dallas, TX | Certificate | $45,799 | $10,397 | +14% | Break-even |
| 10 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI | Associate's | $46,982 | — | -50% | Poor return |
| 11 | SUNY College of Technology at Canton Canton, NY | Associate's | $46,914 | $23,500 | -51% | Poor return |
| 12 | Blue Ridge Community College Weyers Cave, VA | Certificate | $44,757 | — | -117% | Poor return |
| 13 | Carrington College-Sacramento Sacramento, CA | Certificate | $42,788 | $19,484 | -146% | Poor return |
| 14 | Carrington College-San Leandro Campus San Leandro, CA | Certificate | $42,788 | $19,484 | -147% | Poor return |
| 15 | Carrington College-Pleasant Hill Campus Pleasant Hill, CA | Certificate | $42,788 | $19,484 | -148% | Poor return |
| 16 | Stanbridge University Irvine, CA | Certificate | $42,460 | $19,500 | -148% | Poor return |
| 17 | Carrington College-Stockton Stockton, CA | Certificate | $42,788 | $19,484 | -150% | Poor return |
| 18 | Carrington College-San Jose San Jose, CA | Certificate | $42,788 | $19,484 | -151% | Poor return |
| 19 | Wilson College Chambersburg, PA | Associate's | $42,260 | $28,000 | -151% | Poor return |
| 20 | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi Delhi, NY | Certificate | $43,817 | $12,000 | -155% | Poor return |
| 21 | Harcum College Bryn Mawr, PA | Certificate | $41,748 | $18,500 | -203% | Poor return |
| 22 | Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, TN | Associate's | $39,627 | $23,000 | -209% | Poor return |
| 23 | Pima Medical Institute-Renton Renton, WA | Certificate | $40,691 | $20,330 | -211% | Poor return |
| 24 | Pima Medical Institute-Seattle Seattle, WA | Certificate | $40,691 | $20,330 | -212% | Poor return |
| 25 | Central Coast College Salinas, CA | Certificate | $41,977 | — | -213% | Poor return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.