Inside the Relief & Travel Vet Tech Market

What "travel vet tech" actually means

Two distinct paths:

Relief vet tech

Local or regional. You fill in for clinics short-staffed by maternity leave, vacations, or unexpected turnover. Day rates, 1099. Rates: $25–50/hour depending on region and specialty.

Travel vet tech (contract)

Multi-week contracts in another city/state. Housing stipend or per diem included. Pay rates: $1,800–4,200/week for 13-week contracts in 2024 (Vet Tech Travel, Cross Country Healthcare, MAS Medical Staffing). Specialty (ER, ICU, surgery) pays at the top of the range.

The agencies actually worth signing with (2024)

• Vet Tech Travel — focused on credentialed vet techs only, transparent contracts
• Cross Country Allied — large general healthcare staffing, has vet tech division
• MAS Medical Staffing — strong on West Coast contracts
• TheraEx Allied — smaller, often higher-paying boutique contracts
• AlliedTravelCareers (job board) — aggregates many agencies

Always sign with 2–3 agencies simultaneously so contracts come at you in parallel. They're non-exclusive.

What you need to apply

• Active state credential (CVT/LVT/RVT)
• 1+ year clinical experience (most agencies)
• Updated resume + references
• Current immunizations (rabies titer + Td)
• BLS or RECOVER CPR certification (preferred)

A realistic year-1 income

• Take 3 × 13-week contracts in your first year
• Each pays gross $30,000–55,000
• Annual gross: $90,000–165,000
• Subtract: housing if not stipended, taxes, travel, gear

Net take-home commonly $65,000–115,000 — significantly above the median LVT salary of $36,000 (BLS 2023).