31
Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers is a notable career in the 31 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
Education Administrators, All Other
11
Personal Service Managers, All Other
11
Managers, All Other
11
Buyers and Purchasing Agents
13
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
13
| soc | 31-9096 |
| title | Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers |
| onet code | 31-9096.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 31 |
| tot emp | 114,190 |
| a mean | 38,990 |
| a median | 37,320 |
| a pct10 | 29,160 |
| a pct25 | 34,320 |
| a pct75 | 44,550 |
| a pct90 | 48,150 |
| h mean | 18 |
| h median | 17 |
The day-to-day work of a veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers typically centers on hold or restrain animals during veterinary procedures. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and Writing. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.12 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers, the most common entry qualification is a High School Diploma (78.2%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 0% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Rhode Island at $48,050 and lowest in Louisiana at $29,280 — a 1.6× spread. The top five states (Rhode Island, Massachusetts, California, Maine, Minnesota) average $45,350. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $48,050 | $44,050 | $32,950 | $48,630 | 360 |
| Massachusetts | $45,480 | $47,460 | $34,740 | $63,650 | 1,470 |
| California | $45,470 | $46,500 | $37,230 | $58,550 | 14,960 |
| Maine | $44,080 | $46,790 | $37,350 | $58,120 | 790 |
| Minnesota | $43,670 | $41,880 | $34,060 | $47,260 | 1,220 |
| Washington | $43,590 | $43,230 | $37,540 | $47,680 | 4,720 |
| District of Columbia | $43,580 | $45,340 | $36,260 | $56,730 | 150 |
| Maryland | $43,520 | $44,880 | $34,680 | $59,860 | 1,690 |
| New York | $43,150 | $43,300 | $36,210 | $51,170 | 5,680 |
| New Jersey | $42,910 | $44,460 | $35,720 | $57,350 | 1,910 |
| Oregon | $42,830 | $42,500 | $35,620 | $48,230 | 2,670 |
| Connecticut | $39,540 | $46,350 | $34,480 | $71,200 | 1,270 |
| Colorado | $39,480 | $40,700 | $34,440 | $45,670 | 2,950 |
| Arizona | $38,240 | $39,460 | $33,620 | $49,230 | 2,210 |
| Alaska | $37,530 | $39,950 | $29,390 | $54,820 | 150 |
| Illinois | $37,310 | $38,890 | $30,300 | $47,830 | 3,790 |
| Florida | $37,200 | $37,460 | $29,350 | $45,650 | 7,060 |
| Montana | $37,060 | $36,660 | $28,910 | $41,720 | 580 |
| North Carolina | $36,680 | $37,510 | $29,920 | $45,810 | 5,190 |
| Michigan | $36,550 | $37,580 | $29,410 | $47,010 | 4,040 |
| Virginia | $36,500 | $37,410 | $30,400 | $45,800 | 4,880 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,480 | $38,070 | $30,390 | $47,010 | 4,390 |
| Tennessee | $36,440 | $36,510 | $29,410 | $44,020 | 2,180 |
| Wyoming | $36,430 | $34,360 | $29,380 | $38,020 | 160 |
| North Dakota | $36,370 | $37,400 | $31,210 | $43,230 | 240 |
| Nevada | $36,160 | $37,130 | $30,570 | $47,380 | 1,400 |
| Vermont | $36,120 | $36,510 | $30,320 | $45,490 | 260 |
| Delaware | $36,060 | $37,710 | $30,260 | $47,780 | 180 |
| Idaho | $35,820 | $35,460 | $27,070 | $45,970 | 790 |
| Utah | $35,730 | $36,980 | $30,570 | $46,710 | 720 |
| South Carolina | $35,680 | $36,240 | $28,280 | $48,430 | 1,840 |
| New Mexico | $35,600 | $35,320 | $28,920 | $44,910 | 470 |
| Hawaii | $35,420 | $39,230 | $29,590 | $48,240 | 510 |
| Indiana | $35,270 | $34,860 | $28,020 | $43,370 | 2,670 |
| New Hampshire | $35,230 | $35,930 | $28,180 | $45,140 | 560 |
| Nebraska | $35,210 | $34,410 | $28,290 | $39,320 | 800 |
| Missouri | $35,040 | $34,890 | $29,250 | $40,670 | 2,040 |
| Wisconsin | $34,990 | $35,010 | $29,160 | $42,800 | 1,940 |
| Georgia | $34,980 | $34,530 | $28,410 | $41,250 | 3,280 |
| Ohio | $34,820 | $35,850 | $28,820 | $45,900 | 4,190 |
| South Dakota | $32,810 | $32,290 | $26,950 | $36,670 | 270 |
| Kansas | $32,670 | $33,870 | $26,000 | $46,100 | 1,490 |
| West Virginia | $32,630 | $31,720 | $22,770 | $36,990 | 660 |
| Kentucky | $32,590 | $33,830 | $23,750 | $45,490 | 930 |
| Iowa | $31,200 | $34,410 | $28,930 | $45,320 | 1,040 |
| Arkansas | $30,550 | $33,340 | $27,000 | $37,490 | 1,200 |
| Texas | $30,430 | $33,170 | $22,040 | $46,020 | 8,040 |
| Mississippi | $29,730 | $30,440 | $23,480 | $35,900 | — |
| Oklahoma | $29,730 | $32,180 | $21,410 | $44,650 | 1,640 |
| Alabama | $29,660 | $31,240 | $23,420 | $38,540 | 1,060 |
| Louisiana | $29,280 | $31,130 | $26,180 | $37,790 | 970 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Animal Care Provider or Animal Care Service Worker frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers compares to others in the 31 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
Explore More Data Tools
For adjacent public-data tools, methodology notes, and network updates, visit DataPeek Facts.