Top
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

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:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Management of Companies and Enterprises 50 (7) $ 24.68 $ 51,330
Scientific Research and Development Services 1,870 0.24 $ 21.13 $ 43,950
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 240 (7) $ 21.12 $ 43,930
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 2,900 0.10 $ 19.22 $ 39,980
Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing 290 0.09 $ 18.94 $ 39,390

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.



Map of employment of veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers by state, May 2021


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


Map of location quotient of veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers by state, May 2021


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


Map of annual mean wages of veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers by state, May 2021


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



Map of employment of veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers by area, May 2021


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


Map of location quotient of veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers by area, May 2021


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