Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
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 Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Industry profile for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
Geographic profile for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
National estimates for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 98,970 |
1.8 % |
$ 15.28 |
$ 31,780 |
0.4 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 11.02 |
$ 13.56 |
$ 14.32 |
$ 17.56 |
$ 18.68 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 22,920 |
$ 28,200 |
$ 29,780 |
$ 36,520 |
$ 38,860 |
Industry profile for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services |
90,560 |
11.88 |
$ 14.99 |
$ 31,180 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools |
2,900 |
0.10 |
$ 19.22 |
$ 39,980 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
1,870 |
0.24 |
$ 21.13 |
$ 43,950 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations |
1,310 |
0.59 |
$ 14.48 |
$ 30,110 |
| Other Personal Services |
660 |
0.22 |
$ 15.63 |
$ 32,520 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services |
90,560 |
11.88 |
$ 14.99 |
$ 31,180 |
| Social Advocacy Organizations |
1,310 |
0.59 |
$ 14.48 |
$ 30,110 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services |
1,870 |
0.24 |
$ 21.13 |
$ 43,950 |
| Other Personal Services |
660 |
0.22 |
$ 15.63 |
$ 32,520 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools |
2,900 |
0.10 |
$ 19.22 |
$ 39,980 |
Top paying industries for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
Geographic profile for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
12,600 |
0.76 |
1.09 |
$ 17.48 |
$ 36,350 |
| Florida |
6,730 |
0.78 |
1.11 |
$ 14.42 |
$ 29,990 |
| Texas |
5,060 |
0.41 |
0.59 |
$ 13.66 |
$ 28,410 |
| Virginia |
4,170 |
1.11 |
1.58 |
$ 14.67 |
$ 30,500 |
| North Carolina |
4,150 |
0.94 |
1.34 |
$ 14.88 |
$ 30,940 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Maine |
820 |
1.38 |
1.96 |
$ 19.66 |
$ 40,900 |
| Oregon |
2,480 |
1.36 |
1.93 |
$ 16.63 |
$ 34,580 |
| Virginia |
4,170 |
1.11 |
1.58 |
$ 14.67 |
$ 30,500 |
| Washington |
3,460 |
1.08 |
1.54 |
$ 17.25 |
$ 35,880 |
| Arkansas |
1,200 |
1.01 |
1.43 |
$ 13.37 |
$ 27,800 |
Top paying states for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Maine |
820 |
1.38 |
1.96 |
$ 19.66 |
$ 40,900 |
| Massachusetts |
1,620 |
0.48 |
0.68 |
$ 18.82 |
$ 39,140 |
| Rhode Island |
310 |
0.69 |
0.98 |
$ 18.68 |
$ 38,850 |
| New York |
3,890 |
0.45 |
0.64 |
$ 17.71 |
$ 36,850 |
| Alaska |
170 |
0.56 |
0.80 |
$ 17.53 |
$ 36,450 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
3,960 |
0.69 |
0.99 |
$ 16.80 |
$ 34,950 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
3,800 |
0.44 |
0.62 |
$ 18.01 |
$ 37,460 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
2,560 |
0.87 |
1.25 |
$ 17.33 |
$ 36,050 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
2,380 |
0.56 |
0.80 |
$ 15.74 |
$ 32,740 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
1,950 |
1.02 |
1.45 |
$ 18.08 |
$ 37,600 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
1,850 |
0.72 |
1.02 |
$ 14.93 |
$ 31,050 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
1,710 |
0.64 |
0.91 |
$ 15.61 |
$ 32,460 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA |
1,660 |
1.48 |
2.10 |
$ 17.01 |
$ 35,380 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
1,640 |
0.67 |
0.95 |
$ 15.76 |
$ 32,770 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
1,640 |
0.73 |
1.04 |
$ 20.15 |
$ 41,920 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Ames, IA |
110 |
2.51 |
3.57 |
$ 21.16 |
$ 44,000 |
| Corvallis, OR |
90 |
2.44 |
3.48 |
$ 16.43 |
$ 34,180 |
| Charlottesville, VA |
240 |
2.28 |
3.25 |
$ 15.68 |
$ 32,610 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA |
190 |
2.22 |
3.17 |
$ 14.38 |
$ 29,900 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA |
200 |
2.18 |
3.11 |
$ 18.77 |
$ 39,040 |
| Manhattan, KS |
80 |
2.12 |
3.01 |
$ 16.63 |
$ 34,590 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
380 |
2.00 |
2.85 |
$ 18.54 |
$ 38,570 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA |
90 |
1.90 |
2.71 |
$ 16.63 |
$ 34,590 |
| Bend-Redmond, OR |
150 |
1.80 |
2.56 |
$ 16.38 |
$ 34,080 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL |
100 |
1.76 |
2.51 |
$ 13.74 |
$ 28,590 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Ames, IA |
110 |
2.51 |
3.57 |
$ 21.16 |
$ 44,000 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
490 |
0.45 |
0.65 |
$ 21.00 |
$ 43,680 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
1,640 |
0.73 |
1.04 |
$ 20.15 |
$ 41,920 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
1,210 |
0.47 |
0.67 |
$ 19.22 |
$ 39,980 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA |
200 |
2.18 |
3.11 |
$ 18.77 |
$ 39,040 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
380 |
2.00 |
2.85 |
$ 18.54 |
$ 38,570 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA |
360 |
0.68 |
0.96 |
$ 18.49 |
$ 38,450 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
1,950 |
1.02 |
1.45 |
$ 18.08 |
$ 37,600 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
3,800 |
0.44 |
0.62 |
$ 18.01 |
$ 37,460 |
| Worcester, MA-CT |
220 |
0.81 |
1.15 |
$ 17.66 |
$ 36,720 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers:
About May 2021 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.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(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 OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
