Registered veterinary technicians (RVTs, also called animal health technologists) are credentialed clinical professionals who provide nursing care to animals, assist in surgery and anaesthesia, run diagnostics and laboratory tests, and administer treatments under a veterinarian, in clinics, animal hospitals, emergency and specialty hospitals, shelters, and mobile services. This guide sets out what the role pays, honestly.
The official wage band
Job Bank classifies this occupation under NOC 32104, Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians. These are the official hourly wages in Canada, low to high, updated June 2, 2026.
| Level | Hourly |
|---|---|
| Low | $17.00 |
| Median | $23.00 |
| High | $33.16 |
Reading the band honestly
This is a credentialed clinical field, and the pay is modest relative to the training it requires: a two- or three-year accredited college diploma plus registration. A national median near $23 per hour, with floors in the high teens, is low for a regulated health role, and that gap between responsibility and pay is one of the documented drivers of the field's staffing shortage and high turnover. We present the band straight rather than inflate it.
What moves you up the band
- Registration and the RVT (or provincial equivalent) credential
- Emergency, specialty, and surgical experience
- Years in practice and a lead or head-technician role
- Region and clinic type, with specialty and emergency hospitals often paying more
Reading the ranges
These bands cover NOC 32104, the animal health technologist and veterinary technician occupation. New graduates sit near the floor. Experienced RVTs in emergency, specialty, and surgical roles sit toward the top, though the ceiling remains modest for the clinical responsibility the work carries.
Sources: Job Bank Canada wage data (NOC 32104, updated June 2, 2026) and provincial veterinary technician associations.
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