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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

31-9096 Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

Feed, water, and examine pets and other nonfarm animals for signs of illness, disease, or injury in laboratories and animal hospitals and clinics. Clean and disinfect cages and work areas, and sterilize laboratory and surgical equipment. May provide routine postoperative care, administer medication orally or topically, or prepare samples for laboratory examination under the supervision of veterinary or laboratory animal technologists or technicians, veterinarians, or scientists. Excludes “Animal Caretakers” (39-2021).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
97,030 2.2 % $14.28 $29,690 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $9.99 $11.58 $13.75 $16.45 $19.14
Annual Wage (2) $20,790 $24,080 $28,590 $34,220 $39,800


Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 86,180 11.48 $13.88 $28,880
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 3,630 0.12 $19.05 $39,620
Scientific Research and Development Services 3,310 0.47 $17.17 $35,720
Social Advocacy Organizations 1,260 0.56 $13.86 $28,820
Other Personal Services 610 0.17 $13.81 $28,710

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 86,180 11.48 $13.88 $28,880
Social Advocacy Organizations 1,260 0.56 $13.86 $28,820
Scientific Research and Development Services 3,310 0.47 $17.17 $35,720
Other Personal Services 610 0.17 $13.81 $28,710
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 3,630 0.12 $19.05 $39,620

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 110 0.04 $21.52 $44,750
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 610 0.01 $19.44 $40,430
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 3,630 0.12 $19.05 $39,620
Support Activities for Animal Production (8) (8) $18.40 $38,280
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 380 0.01 $17.99 $37,430


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 12,360 0.71 1.08 $16.19 $33,680
Texas 6,060 0.49 0.74 $13.09 $27,230
Florida 5,410 0.62 0.93 $13.84 $28,790
New York 4,890 0.51 0.78 $15.97 $33,220
Virginia 4,320 1.11 1.68 $13.25 $27,550




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maine 740 1.21 1.83 $19.71 $41,000
Oregon 2,180 1.14 1.73 $15.77 $32,810
Washington 3,670 1.11 1.67 $15.45 $32,140
Virginia 4,320 1.11 1.68 $13.25 $27,550
Oklahoma 1,710 1.06 1.60 $12.72 $26,470




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maine 740 1.21 1.83 $19.71 $41,000
Massachusetts 1,470 0.40 0.61 $19.27 $40,070
Connecticut 1,200 0.72 1.09 $16.93 $35,210
California 12,360 0.71 1.08 $16.19 $33,680
New York 4,890 0.51 0.78 $15.97 $33,220





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 4,170 0.67 1.01 $15.32 $31,860
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 4,110 0.43 0.64 $15.77 $32,800
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,420 0.76 1.15 $14.12 $29,370
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,230 0.61 0.92 $13.45 $27,970
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 2,200 1.09 1.65 $15.45 $32,130
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 2,040 0.96 1.45 $14.87 $30,930
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,840 0.39 0.60 $13.88 $28,870
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 1,600 0.81 1.22 $13.83 $28,770
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 1,480 1.22 1.85 $16.17 $33,620
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 1,350 0.90 1.37 $15.92 $33,110




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Ithaca, NY 140 2.76 4.18 $19.95 $41,500
Lexington-Fayette, KY 590 2.15 3.25 $12.70 $26,410
Albany, OR 90 2.08 3.15 $14.20 $29,540
Jefferson City, MO 140 1.91 2.89 $13.14 $27,330
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 220 1.85 2.80 $15.28 $31,770
Monroe, LA 130 1.73 2.63 $13.52 $28,130
Kingston, NY 100 1.65 2.50 $15.46 $32,150
Olympia-Tumwater, WA 180 1.57 2.38 $15.18 $31,570
Bellingham, WA 140 1.55 2.34 $18.14 $37,730
Morristown, TN 70 1.53 2.31 $12.49 $25,990




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Haven, CT 240 0.85 1.29 $23.19 $48,240
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 710 0.63 0.95 $21.10 $43,890
Port St. Lucie, FL (8) (8) (8) $20.77 $43,200
Ithaca, NY 140 2.76 4.18 $19.95 $41,500
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,160 0.41 0.63 $19.64 $40,840
Worcester, MA-CT (8) (8) (8) $18.88 $39,270
Bellingham, WA 140 1.55 2.34 $18.14 $37,730
Santa Rosa, CA 250 1.20 1.81 $17.68 $36,780
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,160 0.47 0.71 $17.59 $36,590
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 170 0.90 1.36 $17.55 $36,510

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 340 1.24 1.88 $12.93 $26,890
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 260 0.67 1.01 $13.79 $28,680
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 250 0.89 1.35 $11.91 $24,780
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 220 1.47 2.22 $13.35 $27,760
Southern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 210 1.09 1.64 $12.48 $25,970

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area 130 1.85 2.80 $13.01 $27,060
South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 190 1.71 2.59 $12.12 $25,200
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 220 1.47 2.22 $13.35 $27,760
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 80 1.42 2.15 $14.95 $31,100
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 150 1.39 2.10 $12.58 $26,170

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area 50 0.34 0.51 $20.24 $42,090
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 90 0.64 0.98 $18.57 $38,620
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $17.48 $36,360
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 50 0.43 0.65 $16.69 $34,720
Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area 70 1.18 1.79 $16.54 $34,410


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020