SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 31-9096.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $30,120 | $2,510 | $579 | $14.48 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $35,660 | $2,972 | $686 | $17.15 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $38,150 | $3,179 | $734 | $18.34 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $45,710 | $3,809 | $879 | $21.98 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $49,150 | $4,096 | $945 | $23.63 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers is $38,150, which is 25% lower. Among the 17 occupations of the field Healthcare Support, it ranks number 14 by median pay. With 126,580 jobs, it makes up about 8.1 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Rhode Island ($49,770), District of Columbia ($49,080) and Massachusetts ($46,670). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($23,310), Mississippi ($30,360) and Louisiana ($30,480). The most jobs were in California (16,080), Texas (8,440) and North Carolina (6,910). The occupation is most concentrated in Oregon, where its share of all jobs is 2.0 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | 380 | $49,770 | $44,700 | $23.93 |
| District of Columbia | 240 | $49,080 | $55,760 | $23.60 |
| Massachusetts | 2,130 | $46,670 | $48,390 | $22.44 |
| California | 16,080 | $46,260 | $47,250 | $22.24 |
| New Jersey | 3,270 | $46,160 | $46,060 | $22.19 |
| Maine | 690 | $45,510 | $46,580 | $21.88 |
| Minnesota | 1,450 | $45,280 | $43,420 | $21.77 |
| Maryland | 2,220 | $44,770 | $45,950 | $21.52 |
| New York | 5,790 | $44,750 | $43,880 | $21.52 |
| Oregon | 3,170 | $44,370 | $43,630 | $21.33 |
| Connecticut | 1,390 | $44,250 | $46,150 | $21.28 |
| Washington | 4,380 | $44,150 | $45,170 | $21.23 |
| Hawaii | 570 | $44,070 | $41,970 | $21.19 |
| Colorado | 2,910 | $38,900 | $41,540 | $18.70 |
| Delaware | not published | $38,610 | $43,270 | $18.56 |
| Montana | 550 | $38,340 | $38,550 | $18.43 |
| Arizona | 3,340 | $38,250 | $40,630 | $18.39 |
| Michigan | 4,420 | $37,960 | $39,060 | $18.25 |
| Wyoming | 150 | $37,880 | $36,120 | $18.21 |
| Florida | 6,790 | $37,830 | $40,030 | $18.19 |
| Utah | 580 | $37,560 | $40,330 | $18.06 |
| Idaho | 680 | $37,530 | $36,520 | $18.04 |
| New Mexico | 520 | $37,500 | $37,990 | $18.03 |
| Illinois | 3,270 | $37,480 | $39,410 | $18.02 |
| Virginia | 4,810 | $37,450 | $39,630 | $18.01 |
| Vermont | 370 | $37,290 | $37,630 | $17.93 |
| North Dakota | 270 | $37,160 | $39,540 | $17.87 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,760 | $37,140 | $38,720 | $17.86 |
| North Carolina | 6,910 | $37,070 | $37,540 | $17.82 |
| South Carolina | 1,720 | $36,980 | $37,000 | $17.78 |
| Nevada | 1,380 | $36,920 | $39,200 | $17.75 |
| New Hampshire | 770 | $36,910 | $37,800 | $17.74 |
| Wisconsin | 2,200 | $36,850 | $37,400 | $17.71 |
| Missouri | 2,010 | $36,660 | $37,810 | $17.62 |
| Alaska | 130 | $36,490 | $37,520 | $17.54 |
| Indiana | 2,810 | $36,420 | $36,310 | $17.51 |
| Ohio | 4,640 | $36,340 | $37,200 | $17.47 |
| Tennessee | 3,530 | $36,320 | $36,330 | $17.46 |
| Nebraska | 900 | $36,100 | $35,980 | $17.36 |
| Georgia | 4,570 | $35,850 | $36,380 | $17.24 |
| Alabama | 1,240 | $35,800 | $34,780 | $17.21 |
| Iowa | 1,380 | $35,720 | $37,050 | $17.18 |
| Kansas | 1,570 | $35,680 | $36,490 | $17.16 |
| Oklahoma | 1,740 | $34,850 | $34,200 | $16.76 |
| Texas | 8,440 | $34,850 | $35,730 | $16.75 |
| South Dakota | 250 | $34,700 | $33,240 | $16.68 |
| Arkansas | 1,460 | $34,570 | $33,520 | $16.62 |
| Kentucky | 1,840 | $34,140 | $33,710 | $16.41 |
| West Virginia | 730 | $32,350 | $32,260 | $15.55 |
| Louisiana | 1,230 | $30,480 | $32,670 | $14.65 |
| Mississippi | 560 | $30,360 | $32,570 | $14.60 |
| Puerto Rico | 430 | $23,310 | $25,870 | $11.21 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Medical Transcriptionists$40,410 a year
- Occupational Therapy Aides$39,160 a year
- Orderlies$38,290 a year
- Pharmacy Aides$37,680 a year
- Home Health and Personal Care Aides$35,800 a year
- Physical Therapist Aides$35,240 a year
Common questions
How much do Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $38,150 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $30,120 and the highest-paid 10% more than $49,150.
How many people work as Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers?
About 126,580 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.