Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $35,660–$45,710. 126,580 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
37% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $37,256.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 23,200 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Some preparation.
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 21% | Biology |
| Animal Sciences | 19% | Animal Sciences |
| Psychology | 5% | Psychology |
| Criminal Justice And Fire Protection | 3% | Criminal Justice · Security / Homeland Security |
| Zoology | 3% | Zoology / Animal Biology |
| Nursing | 2% | Nursing |
| Community And Public Health | 2% | Public Health |
| Marketing And Marketing Research | 2% | Marketing · Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations |
| General Agriculture | 2% | — |
| Anthropology And Archeology | 2% | Anthropology |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $49,770 |
| District of Columbia | $49,080 |
| Massachusetts | $46,670 |
| California | $46,260 |
| New Jersey | $46,160 |
| Maine | $45,510 |
| Minnesota | $45,280 |
| Maryland | $44,770 |
| New York | $44,750 |
| Oregon | $44,370 |
| Connecticut | $44,250 |
| Washington | $44,150 |
| Hawaii | $44,070 |
| Colorado | $38,900 |
| Delaware | $38,610 |
| Montana | $38,340 |
| Arizona | $38,250 |
| Michigan | $37,960 |
| Wyoming | $37,880 |
| Florida | $37,830 |
| Utah | $37,560 |
| Idaho | $37,530 |
| New Mexico | $37,500 |
| Illinois | $37,480 |
| Virginia | $37,450 |
| Vermont | $37,290 |
| North Dakota | $37,160 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,140 |
| North Carolina | $37,070 |
| South Carolina | $36,980 |
| Nevada | $36,920 |
| New Hampshire | $36,910 |
| Wisconsin | $36,850 |
| Missouri | $36,660 |
| Alaska | $36,490 |
| Indiana | $36,420 |
| Ohio | $36,340 |
| Tennessee | $36,320 |
| Nebraska | $36,100 |
| Georgia | $35,850 |
| Alabama | $35,800 |
| Iowa | $35,720 |
| Kansas | $35,680 |
| Oklahoma | $34,850 |
| Texas | $34,850 |
| South Dakota | $34,700 |
| Arkansas | $34,570 |
| Kentucky | $34,140 |
| West Virginia | $32,350 |
| Louisiana | $30,480 |
| Mississippi | $30,360 |
| PR | $23,310 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$38,340
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$38,000
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$37,220
- Jacksonville$37,710
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$37,870
- Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$36,680
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$38,030
- Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin$42,590
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$45,320
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$36,320
- Richmond$37,470
- Charlottesville$37,480
- Roanoke$35,410
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$36,230
- Kingsport-Bristol$33,590
- Lynchburg$34,940
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$46,070
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$49,400
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$46,720
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$46,990
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$44,810
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$49,210
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$45,530
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma$47,270
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Monitoring
Knowledge used
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Biology
- Administrative
- Medicine and Dentistry
Work styles
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cooperation
- Integrity
- Self-Control
People in this job tend to have Realistic (hands-on), Investigative (analytical), Conventional (organizing) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers: questions
How much do veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers make?
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers earn a U.S. median $38,150 a year; the middle half earn $35,660 to $45,710 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $33,516 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 9.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 23,200 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretaker?
BLS lists the typical entry education as high school diploma or equivalent. In O*NET's survey, under 1% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is biology (21%).
How much do veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $37,830 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $38,150 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 31-9096. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/veterinary-assistants-and-laboratory-animal-caretakers.