What are the main factors that influence a Head Veterinary Nurse's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Head Veterinary Nurse's salary?

A Head Veterinary Nurse's salary grows with experience: a Staff Nurse - RN I (0-2 years)earns $75,221, a Head Veterinary Nurse (2-4 years)earns $85,259, a Staff Nurse - RN III (4-7 years)earns $99,116,

What are the highest paying states for a Head Veterinary Nurse?

Head Veterinary Nurse salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Head Veterinary Nurse roles are District of Columbia $96,356, California $95,990, Massachusetts $94,711. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Head Veterinary Nurse roles make?

Salaries for Head Veterinary Nurse level roles vary by specialization: Head CRNA Nurse Anesthetist: $259,280; Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM): $118,000; Acting Head Nurse: $109,264; Registered Veterinary Nurse: $47,555; Veterinary Nurse: $47,313.

How do different companies affect a Head Veterinary Nurse's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Head Veterinary Nurse roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Head Veterinary Nurse Salary in the United States

How much does a Head Veterinary Nurse make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Head Veterinary Nurse in the United States is $87,027 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $42.

However, a Head Veterinary Nurse's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $103,239
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $81,155 to $95,513
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $75,808

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Head Veterinary Nurse Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$95,513	$7,959	$1,837	$46
Average	$87,027	$7,252	$1,674	$42
25th Percentile	$81,155	$6,763	$1,561	$39

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Key Factors That Influence Head Veterinary Nurse Salaries

A Head Veterinary Nurse's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Head Veterinary Nurse Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Head Veterinary Nurses. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $96,356.
California: $95,990.
Massachusetts: $94,711.

District of Columbia $96,356

California $95,990

Massachusetts $94,711

Washington $94,363

New Jersey $94,328

Alaska $94,206

Connecticut $93,005

New York $92,518

Hawaii $90,960

Rhode Island $90,229

Maryland $89,733

Minnesota $89,054

Colorado $88,793

Illinois $88,706

Oregon $88,376

Delaware $88,132

New Hampshire $87,979

Virginia $87,636

Pennsylvania $86,635

Nevada $86,130

North Dakota $85,965

Michigan $85,704

Wisconsin $85,608

Vermont $85,417

Texas $84,886

Maine $84,851

Arizona $84,799

Ohio $84,738

Georgia $83,937

Indiana $83,537

Wyoming $83,459

Utah $83,337

Iowa $83,284

Kansas $82,867

Louisiana $82,745

North Carolina $82,701

Missouri $82,684

Florida $82,345

Montana $82,162

Nebraska $81,988

Kentucky $81,892

South Carolina $81,544

Tennessee $81,326

Idaho $81,239

New Mexico $80,604

Oklahoma $80,465

Alabama $79,951

South Dakota $79,090

Arkansas $78,620

West Virginia $78,367

Mississippi $77,610

Top Paying Cities for Head Veterinary Nurses

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $109,767
San Francisco: $108,688
Oakland: $106,277

San Jose, CA $109,767

San Francisco, CA $108,688

Oakland, CA $106,277

New York, NY $100,855

Queens Village, NY $100,202

Paramus, NJ $99,506

Passaic, NJ $99,419

Bergenfield, NJ $99,332

Stamford, CT $99,202

Huntington, NY $99,115

Newark, NJ $98,549

Bridgeport, CT $98,375

New Brunswick, NJ $98,088

Vallejo, CA $97,905

Middlesex, NJ $97,853

Somerset, NJ $97,774

Petaluma, CA $97,574

Santa Cruz, CA $97,235

Boston, MA $97,061

Monterey, CA $96,626

Fairbanks, AK $96,565

Los Angeles, CA $96,399

Washington, DC $96,356

Seattle, WA $96,199

Santa Rosa, CA $96,182

Juneau, AK $95,929

Orange, CA $95,642

Anchorage, AK $95,486

Anaheim, CA $95,425

Santa Ana, CA $95,294

Nassau, NY $95,242

Long Beach, CA $95,207

Danbury, CT $95,181

Santa Maria, CA $94,885

Everett, WA $94,868

Bremerton, WA $94,441

Trenton, NJ $94,276

Sacramento, CA $94,241

San Diego, CA $94,198

Brockton, MA $94,163

Tacoma, WA $94,128

Santa Barbara, CA $94,006

Lowell, MA $93,658

New Suffolk, NY $93,623

Nashua, NH $93,519

Lompoc, CA $93,380

Ventura, CA $93,293

Stockton, CA $93,266

New Haven, CT $93,092

Atlantic City, NJ $92,866

Hartford, CT $92,675

Modesto, CA $92,631

Poughkeepsie, NY $92,440

New Britain, CT $92,396

Olympia, WA $92,274

Kennewick, WA $92,274

New London, CT $92,257

Norwich, CT $92,231

Lawrence, MA $92,187

Bakersfield, CA $91,944

Riverside, CA $91,822

New Bedford, MA $91,822

Richland, WA $91,735

Portsmouth, NH $91,665

Vineland, NJ $91,648

San Bernardino, CA $91,578

Boulder, CO $91,334

Worcester, MA $91,265

Portland, OR $91,186

Saint Paul, MN $91,082

Minneapolis, MN $91,082

Philadelphia, PA $90,960

Honolulu, HI $90,499

Springfield, MA $90,194

Providence, RI $90,186

Chicago, IL $89,933

Bellingham, WA $89,829

Baltimore, MD $89,733

Chico, CA $89,516

Wilmington, DE $89,368

Pittsfield, MA $89,281

Manchester, NH $89,115

Spokane, WA $88,732

Denver, CO $88,724

Albany, NY $88,315

Troy, NY $88,280

Schenectady, NY $88,097

Burlington, VT $87,906

Portland, ME $87,601

Salem, OR $87,531

Yakima, WA $87,514

Ann Arbor, MI $87,488

Rochester, MN $87,244

Fresno, CA $87,201

Reno, NV $87,201

Milwaukee, WI $87,122

Detroit, MI $87,035

Allentown, PA $87,009

Carson City, NV $87,000

Houston, TX $86,870

Colorado Springs, CO $86,861

Syracuse, NY $86,818

Eugene, OR $86,652

Bismarck, ND $86,548

Gary, IN $86,548

Galveston, TX $86,548

Springfield, OR $86,478

Medford, OR $86,269

Fort Collins, CO $86,235

Austin, TX $86,165

Mesa, AZ $85,982

Phoenix, AZ $85,965

Dallas, TX $85,939

Reading, PA $85,887

Saint Cloud, MN $85,852

Concord, NH $85,773

Madison, WI $85,739

Utica, NY $85,504

Raleigh, NC $85,434

Las Vegas, NV $85,425

Rochester, NY $85,364

Des Moines, IA $85,356

Atlanta, GA $85,216

Battle Creek, MI $85,190

Salt Lake City, UT $85,164

Lancaster, PA $85,034

Champaign, IL $85,016

Harrisburg, PA $84,912

Durham, NC $84,834

Kansas City, MO $84,825

Kansas City, KS $84,807

Fort Worth, TX $84,799

Boca Raton, FL $84,764

Cleveland, OH $84,755

Columbus, OH $84,738

Pittsburgh, PA $84,729

Richmond, VA $84,694

Indianapolis, IN $84,677

Cincinnati, OH $84,564

Petersburg, VA $84,433

Billings, MT $84,242

Lansing, MI $84,242

Huntsville, AL $84,242

Lebanon, PA $84,233

Dayton, OH $84,224

Pueblo, CO $84,224

Appleton, WI $84,198

Buffalo, NY $84,163

Racine, WI $84,120

Charlotte, NC $84,111

Saint Louis, MO $84,085

Springfield, IL $84,050

Elkhart, IN $84,033

York, PA $84,033

Gastonia, NC $84,024

Benton Harbor, MI $84,024

Beaumont, TX $83,972

Lorain, OH $83,955

Toledo, OH $83,920

Binghamton, NY $83,876

Rock Hill, SC $83,868

Rockford, IL $83,824

Fargo, ND $83,781

Elyria, OH $83,781

Flagstaff, AZ $83,720

Fort Lauderdale, FL $83,667

Miami, FL $83,615

Duluth, MN $83,476

Bangor, ME $83,363

Cedar Rapids, IA $83,267

Louisville, KY $83,224

Grand Rapids, MI $83,206

Hialeah, FL $83,197

Casper, WY $83,076

Scranton, PA $82,971

New Orleans, LA $82,945

Virginia Beach, VA $82,936

Akron, OH $82,893

Peoria, IL $82,780

Sarasota, FL $82,762

Green Bay, WI $82,701

Baton Rouge, LA $82,658

Charleston, SC $82,640

Nashville, TN $82,614

Jamestown, NY $82,597

Davenport, IA $82,597

Tucson, AZ $82,553

Cheyenne, WY $82,527

Saint Petersburg, FL $82,501

Tampa, FL $82,484

Omaha, NE $82,466

Port Arthur, TX $82,432

Evansville, IN $82,432

Bradenton, FL $82,397

Santa Fe, NM $82,240

Orlando, FL $82,153

Clearwater, FL $82,057

Canton, OH $81,875

La Crosse, WI $81,875

Grand Forks, ND $81,849

Albuquerque, NM $81,822

Tulsa, OK $81,822

Newport News, VA $81,814

High Point, NC $81,788

Ogden, UT $81,753

Corpus Christi, TX $81,683

Laramie, WY $81,631

Norfolk, VA $81,631

Rock Island, IL $81,579

Saginaw, MI $81,561

Jacksonville, FL $81,553

Salisbury, NC $81,535

Memphis, TN $81,518

Moline, IL $81,474

Fort Myers, FL $81,448

Waterloo, IA $81,335

Spartanburg, SC $81,248

Lincoln, NE $81,205

Fort Wayne, IN $81,187

Birmingham, AL $81,091

Cedar Falls, IA $81,074

Provo, UT $81,065

Springfield, OH $81,057

San Antonio, TX $81,039

Greensboro, NC $81,004

South Bend, IN $80,996

Winston Salem, NC $80,987

Boise, ID $80,961

Savannah, GA $80,900

Muskegon, MI $80,743

Lima, OH $80,639

Lake Charles, LA $80,604

Anderson, IN $80,587

Lexington, KY $80,561

Augusta, GA $80,534

Greenville, SC $80,534

Wichita, KS $80,456

Tuscaloosa, AL $80,456

Columbia, SC $80,378

Bloomington, IN $80,160

Roanoke, VA $80,108

Asheville, NC $79,995

Knoxville, TN $79,847

Shreveport, LA $79,838

Wilmington, NC $79,725

Frankfort, KY $79,560

Oklahoma City, OK $79,499

Chillicothe, OH $79,464

Longview, TX $79,455

Topeka, KS $79,429

Mobile, AL $79,299

Terre Haute, IN $79,264

Erie, PA $79,255

Altoona, PA $79,212

Melbourne, FL $79,186

Amarillo, TX $79,151

Killeen, TX $79,125

Fayetteville, AR $79,055

Sioux Falls, SD $78,994

Chattanooga, TN $78,942

Idaho Falls, ID $78,933

Gainesville, FL $78,750

Portsmouth, OH $78,707

Little Rock, AR $78,689

Lynchburg, VA $78,689

Lafayette, LA $78,655

Youngstown, OH $78,655

Temple, TX $78,620

Daytona Beach, FL $78,602

Clarksville, TN $78,594

Pensacola, FL $78,585

Hopkinsville, KY $78,324

Charleston, WV $78,315

Florence, SC $78,272

Sioux City, IA $78,220

Macon, GA $77,967

Tallahassee, FL $77,958

Fayetteville, NC $77,941

Waco, TX $77,924

Wichita Falls, TX $77,924

Pine Bluff, AR $77,889

Vincennes, IN $77,723

Lubbock, TX $77,689

Great Falls, MT $77,636

Alamogordo, NM $77,628

Abilene, TX $77,558

Rapid City, SD $77,445

Monroe, LA $77,445

Albany, GA $77,393

Huntington, WV $77,384

Jackson, MS $77,375

Greenville, MS $77,367

Parkersburg, WV $77,280

Montgomery, AL $77,262

Johnstown, PA $77,245

Springfield, MO $77,175

Biloxi, MS $77,132

Sumter, SC $76,949

Columbus, GA $76,940

Twin Falls, ID $76,888

Pascagoula, MS $76,775

Kingsport, TN $76,549

Gulfport, MS $76,522

Alexandria, LA $76,235

Fort Smith, AR $76,018

El Paso, TX $75,783

Helena, MT $75,670

Las Cruces, NM $75,391

Harlingen, TX $75,147

Pocatello, ID $75,069

Florence, AL $75,043

Brownsville, TX $75,026

Dothan, AL $74,886

Mcallen, TX $74,843

Columbus, MS $74,199

Altus, OK $73,799

Lawton, OK $73,633

Pierre, SD $73,320

What Skills Can Increase a Head Veterinary Nurse's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Planning (Mentioned in 5.16% Job Postings): An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.
Nursing Process (Mentioned in 3.34% Job Postings): The nursing process is a modified scientific method. Nursing practise was first described as a four-stage nursing process by Ida Jean Orlando in 1958.
Long Term Care (Mentioned in 1.96% Job Postings): Long-term care (LTC) is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical needs of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods. Long term care is focused on individualized and coordinated services that promote independence, maximize patients' quality of life, and meet patients' needs over a period of time. It is common for long-term care to provide custodial and non-skilled care, such as assisting with normal daily tasks like dressing, feeding, using the bathroom. Increasingly, long-term care involves providing a level of medical care that requires the expertise of skilled practitioners to address the multiple chronic conditions associated with older populations. Long-term care can be provided at home, in the community, in assisted living facilities or in nursing homes. Long-term care may be needed by people of any age, although it is a more common need for senior citizens.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Planning	5.16%
Nursing Process	3.34%
Long Term Care	1.96%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Head Veterinary Nurse's salary.

Telemetry: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Accountability: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Dedication: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Telemetry	$89,637	3%
Accountability	$88,767	2%
Dedication	$88,767	2%
Partnering	$88,767	2%
Innovation	$88,767	2%
Commitment	$88,767	2%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Head Veterinary Nurse's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Head Veterinary Nurses enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Head Veterinary Nurse with a Associate's Degree is between $81,300 and $85,864).

Head Veterinary Nurse Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Head Veterinary Nurse

No Diploma 0.1%

High School 2.1%

Associates 43.3%

Bachelors 48.9%

Masters 5.3%

Doctorate 0.3%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.1%
High School	2.1%
Associates	43.3%
Bachelors	48.9%
Masters	5.3%
Doctorate	0.3%

view as graph

Head Veterinary Nurse Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Head Veterinary Nurse's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on April 01, 2026

$81,155

Average $87,027/year

$95,513

$6,763

Average $7,252/month

$7,959

$1,561

Average $1,674/week

$1,837

$39

Average $42/hour

$46

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$95,513	$7,959	$1,837	$46
Average	$87,027	$7,252	$1,674	$42
25th Percentile	$81,155	$6,763	$1,561	$39

Salaries of jobs related to Head Veterinary Nurse

Salary Trends for Head Veterinary Nurse

Salaries for a Head Veterinary Nurse can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $75,095 in 2023 to around $75,263 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Head Veterinary Nurse salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Head Veterinary Nurse Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$75,095

2024

$75,741

2025

$75,263

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$75,095
2024	$75,741
2025	$75,263
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Head Veterinary Nurse

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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